HSMAI Profile: Christopher Robinson

Christopher Robinson
Senior Manager, Global eCommerce & Digital Services – Europe
Marriott International

Christopher is a member of the HSMAI Europe Digital Marketing Advisory Board. 

Q: What does a day at work consist of for you?

A: It is so varied, I run a team of Digital Client Service Managers at Marriott International as part of the Marriott Digital Services Program, new for 2015, we manage the digital performance across 160 individual hotels, in over 25 countries across Europe. We are responsible for all elements of digital marketing for these hotels from content creation, search engine optimization, social media to paid, owned and earned digital media.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?

A: Dealing with the hotels, it is absolutely fascinating, there is such a mix of brands, from our newest brand in Marriott International, Moxy and watching this expand to the luxury of the JW Marriott brand, it is such a varied mix. I also get to talk to many different people in any one day, we have hotels in Siberia to Scotland and everywhere inbetween! I also get to travel to some pretty amazing locations around the world, seeing amazing hotels and working with some very talented people.

Q: Do you have anyone you’ve looked up to?

A:  There are two people really, one is the person who gave me my first job in Marriott, a lady called Julie gave me the honour of being a Room Service Associate at the Huntingdon Marriott – I still to this day wonder what she is doing and I want to say thank you … 14 years later, I am still here! The second person is my Dad, I often look to him to see how he made his children see the world, made them travel and see different cultures across all four corners of the world … I saw the penguins in the Falkland’s Islands once … amazing but I do look back and think, if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be working in travel now.

Q: Do you have any nice traditions at your office?

A: Marriott is still a family company at heart, there is still a Mr Marriott and that culture really still flows through the whole company, we have a mantra «take care of your associates, they will take care of your guests and your guests will come back» – it is a pretty simple idea but one that really is alive and kicking here and one that in the digital team, we really do live by it.

Q: How long have you been a member of HSMAI?

A: I joined back in 2012 and was awarded the Marriott/HSMAI award at our Global Digital Conference in Las Vegas in 2013.

Q: What do you think is the best thing about HSMAI?

A: Learning from other experts around the world, at Marriott International we people working on digital all over the world and in Europe, we have signed all of our team up to the membership program & they are all now Certified Digital Marketers – a joint qualification from HSMAI & Marriott.

Q: Are there any activities or projects you think HSMAI should start up?

A: I have always found lunch meetings a fantastic way of sharing ideas with other like-minded individuals.

Q: Describe your perfect weekend.

A: Simply spending time with the family, I have three amazing daughters, twins who are 5 and another 3 year old – my wife is amazing taking care of them but I do look forward to the weekend and being at home. Stayactions are the best for me, I see far too much of airport security during the week.

Q: If you were trapped on a desert island, what would you take with you, if you could choose only one thing?

A: Can I have two … My iphone and apple watch, I just got the watch a few weeks ago and it is ground breaking, I love it …

Q: What is the title of the book about your life?

A: Tough one … I think one day I would love to write a book, all about if I have the attention span to actually do it or not but I might call it: Dad, Sport, Marriott, Family, Digital (Not in that order!)

Q: What is your next travel-destination?

A: I have a few trips plans but the major trip on the horizon is to Austin, Texas for our Annual Global Marriott Digital Summit at the new JW Marriott Austin.

Q: Do you have any special hobbies?

A: I just bought a «proper» road bike, I am absolutely addicted to it … I regret not exploring it earlier, I have seen so many amazing parts of the countryside on my doorstep that I never knew existed!

Q: Thank you for your time. Do you have any personal comments?

A: If you are not a member of HSMAI – join now! You will not regret it and you will learn something new every day.

Photo: Christopher Robinson