Tokyo (SCCIJ) – As reported, the Annual General Meeting of the SCCIJ also strengthened the Kansai chapter. The members voted for Mr. Bernd Schneider (General Manager of Swissotel Nankai Osaka) as a new EC member and confirmed Mr. Guenter Spiess (Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief E-Commerce Officer of Nestlé Japan) who had followed Mr. Thomas Keller (also Nestlé) ad interim. We introduce both Kansai EC members through a brief interview.
Mr. Bernd Schneider, Member of the SCCIJ Executive Committee, Kansai
SCCIJ: Mr. Schneider, please introduce yourself briefly.
Bernd Schneider: I have over 35 years of extensive experience in the hospitality industry, based in various locations in three continents – Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Currently, I am in my 27th year with AccorHotels, a world-leading travel and lifestyle group that invites travelers to feel welcome at more than 4,800 hotels, resorts, and residences, along with some 10,000 of the most elegant private homes around the globe. Since last year, I hold the position of Area General Manager of AccorHotels West Japan and General Manager of Swiss hotel brand the Swissôtel Nankai Osaka, a distinguished and internationally renowned chain rooted in the tradition of Swiss hospitality.
SCCIJ: Why did you decide to work for the chamber as a member of the executive committee?
Bernd Schneider: I have decided to work for the chamber given my passion for leading, and for leading the community along with my fellow executive committee members through new and innovative means. We have a great opportunity in front of us given our dynamic member profile, allowing us to move further for the benefit of the members and the community as a whole while being in line with the Chamber’s goals.
SCCIJ: What does the chamber mean for you, and your organization?
Bernd Schneider: The chamber is an excellent way for me to extend my network and spend time with like-minded individuals, enjoying dynamics that allow for collaboration and working together. It is also a great platform to learn from other members while also sharing my knowledge and experience to the group. Myself being part of a well-established and unique Swiss brand in the hospitality industry, the chamber allows me to not only introduce the brand but also strengthen our presence in the country, all while promoting the freshness and vitality of alpine energy from our brand’s Swiss roots.
SCCIJ: What other services should the chamber offer?
Bernd Schneider: Collaboration and continuous change. I look forward to witnessing activeness and dynamism for the members of the chamber, particularly in the Kansai area, with opportunities we can work with as a group that the members can enjoy and make the most of for themselves.
Mr. Guenter Spiess, SCCIJ Vice-President Kansai
SCCIJ: Mr. Spiess, please introduce yourself briefly.
Guenter Spiess: I was born and raised in Japan with over ten years living and working experience both in Kanto and Kansai, and brings with me over 25 years of global Nestle experience in Japan as well as from the vastness of Africa to the Middle East and across Asia.
SCCIJ: Why did you decide to work for the chamber as a member of the executive committee?
Guenter Spiess: The Chamber delivers its members a unique opportunity to support as well as to foster new opportunities between each other. We are in a new digital age that is changing day by day. Winning in this age is not just about size or leverage, but about maximizing opportunities when it is in front of you in real time wherever the occasion is. We all have our challenges, and I believe we can WIN better by mutually working and leveraging each others’ experiences to know exactly what to do when and how.
SCCIJ: What does the chamber mean for you, and your organization?
Guenter Spiess: Tokyo and Osaka, as well as different regions of Japan, have various problems that offer different opportunities for our businesses. The chamber with roots in Tokyo as well as Osaka can foster and maximize objectives. The Chamber also enables those “old” in Japan to offer support to those “new” to Japan. However, I believe that the “old” can also learn from the “new”.
SCCIJ: What other services should the chamber offer?
Guenter Spiess: We must learn to capture and embrace change. I would expect the Chamber to lead and drive more the transformation of the future Japan & Swiss business relationship. That will not only help to deliver on its objectives better but also firmly set forth higher exciting engagements between the two countries.
Interview partner: Martin Fritz for SCCIJ
