Dr. Michael Jiwon Ahn Email & Phone Number

Yongin, Gyeonggi, South Korea

Experience a new K-Originwww.houseofheritage.krHouse of Heritage launched with the mission to introduce Korean heritage into a variety of alcoholic beverages with universal appeal for the global audience.During the Joseon Dynasty, the elite class would brew their own rice wine at home with added and other Korean herbal ingredients. This base alcohol was then distilled in a soju-kori to make soju. Our brand name KORI is based on this age old distilling apparatus and continues this tradition in spirit. House of Heritage Distillery strives to introduce Korean culture and the captivating array of Korean herbal ingredients to the global audience by adding them to internationally recognizable distilled spirits - first in the form of KORI Gin.

Seoul, South Korea

- Responsible for all aspects of the company’s Seoul base of operations, including HR & P&L- Spearheaded a corporate restructuring to cope with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 lockdown- Executed the company’s first digital transformation, completely digitalizing all aspects of operations from reservations to staff management- Drastically pivoted the company’s sales & marketing strategy to change the hotel’s customer mix from 95% inbound to 100% domestic, due to the pandemic- Collaborated with numerous domestic and international brands in the luxury fashion, cosmetics, and entertainment industries to generate brand awareness and relevance with the MZ generation- Initiated a rebranding from Rakkojae Hanok Hotels to Rakkojae Hanok Collection, signaling a shift in strategy from:o 100% owner operated properties to a hybrid approach adding management contract operationso A fully real estate & service-based business to a brand that also has a strong product strategy - including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, lifestyle goods, antiques and artwork- Secured a contract from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to manage a multi-million dollar hanok development project involving site selection, consulting on architectural and interior design, construction supervision, and managing operations for a period of 10 years- Achieved 200% revenue growth versus pre-pandemic levels due to successfully growing the domestic business as well as the diversification of revenue streams- Developed the company’s first benefits package to enhance employee satisfaction, with the goal of improving employee retention and guest satisfaction rates

Seoul, South Korea

- Head of the Vinpearl Korea Representative Office and responsible for driving forward all aspects of the Korea business- Worked with counterparts in Vietnam to create a Korean version of Vinpearl.com, including local language and payment support- Participated in the development of a new in-house travel agency platform called Vinpearl Travel that creates package travel options for the Korean and Vietnamese markets- Identified, contracted, and developed domestic Korean OTA partners to grow Vinpearl’s third-party distribution channels- Solicited bids from the leading marketing agencies to execute Vinpearl’s marketing, digital marketing, and public relations strategies- Developed a plan to execute a US$10 million annual marketing budget for the Korea market (including PR & social media)- Maintained relationships with partners and agencies to deliver a steady update of sales & marketing market insight and competitive intelligence to Vietnam HQ- Built and managed a team of two Sales Managers, ground-up – who are responsible for the traditional travel agent and corporate/MICE segments

Department of TourismGraduate School of International Tourism

Seoul, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea

Founded and operated a luxury travel design service specializing in bucket-list travel itineraries to Scotland, the home of golf.

College of Hospitality and Tourism ManagementGraduate School of Liberal Arts and Social Science, Hospitality and Tourism Management Departemnt

Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea

- Responsible for importing and launching handy in South Korea - a free in-room smartphone guest amenity giving hotels a platform for uplifting revenue and guest satisfaction- Developed the business from ground up and executed the country strategy for expansion in the Korean market- Leveraged personal relationships to single-handedly sign 6,000+ rooms within the first six months of launching sales efforts (versus annual target: 8,000 rooms) – Country performance ranked within the top 10% of the company- Actively collaborated in a virtual environment with cross-functional teams that support development and deployment- Found creative solutions for solving problems that undoubtedly challenge startups in a dynamic and uncertain market environment- Managed relationships with hotel customers to ensure satisfaction and collect feedback for continuous product enhancement- Represented Tink Labs in discussions with the Korean media, governmental agencies, and investors- Built and developed a matrix organization on the ground in South Korea, including two Sales Managers, one Account manager and one Designer.

Seoul, South Korea

- Manage a high performing team of one Associate Market Manager and three Market Associates- Launch new strategic initiatives that effectively shape the future landscape of the supply business- Grow net room night and raw margin dollar for international chain and independent hotels throughout South Korea.- Improve product competitiveness through consistent price and inventory renegotiations- Negotiate and secure exclusive deals to be distributed through merchandising and advertising opportunities- Manage market level partner relationships by addressing the specific needs of individual suppliers- Follow a consultative approach with partners in order to provide feedback on how to further grow production- Monitor, analyze, and forecast, major market trends and communicate them to partners via educational seminars- Evaluate potential hotel products then initiate contract agreements and credit arrangements with new partners- Ensure smooth execution of corporate level strategic initiatives- Track competitors’ pricing techniques, advertising methods, customer base, competitive advantages/disadvantages, and technology capabilities

뉴욕

- Participated in the hotel opening process until its soft opening on February 3, 2009- Acted as the department head of the Front Office department in the absence of the Director of Front Office Operations- Responsible for the hiring, management, and retention of Front Office staff (including Bell Desk and Concierge)- Assisted the General Manager with revenue management to increase the hotel’s REVPAR

뉴욕

- Ran each shift as the hotel’s Manager on Duty, managing a team of 20+ employees- Executed training & development plans and standard operating procedures for Front Desk Agents- Implemented the hotel’s upsell program increasing rooms revenue by more than $100,000 in the first 6 months- Gained management experience in a union environment

New York, Central ParkGained management experience in the following departments:Front Office, Housekeeping, Guest Relations, Revenue Management, Spa, PBX, Club, Loss Prevention, Quality

뉴욕

로스앤젤리스

Doctor Of Hotel And Tourism Management (D.Htm), Hotel And Tourism Management, 3.88 Of 4.0

Research area: Cross-cultural studies in tourism Thesis title: Hofstede's Cultural Indices Revisited: The Relationship between Cultural.

Master’S Degree, M.S. Hospitality Industry Studies, 3.886 Of 4.0

Activities and Societies: Hospitality & Tourism Society, Korean Graduate Student AssociationConcentration in Hospitality Investments.

Bachelor’S Degree, B.S. (Honors) International Hospitality Management, 5.18 Of 6.0

Activities and Societies: Student Council President (Spring 2006), EHL AmbassadorConcentration in Rooms Division Management.

Japanese Language Program

High School Diploma