Overview

Nicolas is PwC’s global industry leader for the entertainment and tourism industry and the Managing Leader of PwC’s Global Center of Tourism Excellence, which has recently moved from Switzerland to the Middle East. Nic has has advised well over 40 local and global hotel operators on matters of operational effectiveness, standardization of identity delivery and operating standards. Prior to joining PwC, Nicolas worked in corporate, quality management and pre opening functions for Ritz Carlton, Hyatt, and Hilton. In that function, he was responsible for the pre-opening, planning, and operations ramp up for 10+ hotels in Indonesia, Spain, the USA, and Germany. Nicolas graduated with a BSc in Hotel Administration & Finance from Cornell University. He is a member of the advisory board of the World Tourism Forum and is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council. He is a regular lecturer at hotel schools in Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, the USA and the UAE.

Relevant work experience

• Led the national destination readiness assessment for the Saudi Ministry of tourism

• Led the national-level destination management strategies of various countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

• Led the sector diagnostic assessment of the tourism and culture sector in the UAE. The sector diagnostic provided decision makers at the center of government with a clearer understanding of the existing sector pain points and the associated root cause, which are directly related to the identified beneficiaries.

• Led the institutional strategy for Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai implementing city-wide initiatives to boost tourism to the Emirates

• Led the assignment to assist the City of Lucerne, Switzerland, to redesign the City-wide visitor guest journeys, infrastructural and experiential modifications and the experience strategy. This assignment was delivered in order to optimize the significant new visitor flow of Chinese visitors to the city. The mandate resulted in a new experience concept including watch and chocolate manufacturer partnerships, a new traffic flow management system and an optimization of visitor flows, resulting in a near-doubling of per chinese visitor spend in Lucerne’s commerces.

• For a European Capital, led the assignment to redesign the entire visitor journey management strategy. The mandate included redesign of guest journey, creation and augmentation of commercial and cultural activation zones, marketing strategy, flow management and a new commercialisation strategy in collaboration with international tour operators.

• Led the mandate to entirely redesign the visitor journeys for a european, mid-size luxury hotel brand with approx 100 hotels. The mandate included brand activation, guest journey design, flow analysis, commercial platform design, as well as a structures visitor experience quality management system.

• Delivered additional assignments with relevant and significant touch points to Hotel Operator guest journey and visitor experience design for companies such as Accor, Shangri-La, Chiva Som, Fleming Hotels, Dorchester Collection, IHG (Intercontinental), Corinthia Hotels, Club Med, Steigenberger, Moevenpick, Mandarin Oriental as well as for several Hospitality Schools and National Government.

Educational Background & Qualifications

• B.Sc Hotel Administration & Finance, Cornell University, USA
• US CPA

Areas of Expertise

• Tourism and hospitality operations
• Entertainment
• Strategy Development
• National Government transformation