THE BASICS
Name: Glenn Sampert, CHA, CAM
Title: General manager and regional director of operations, IHG Luxury and Lifestyle Americas
Company, city: InterContinental Miami; Miami, Florida
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Archaeologist
Fun fact about yourself: I have lived on three islands: Maui, Hawai‘i; New Providence, Bahamas; and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why?
Kyoto, for the history, culture, food and architecture

A LITTLE BIT MORE
What two nonessential items would you want if you were on a deserted island?
Solar-powered, fully loaded Kindle and ’90s grunge on an old-school iPod

What person or experience most influenced your choice of career?
My first job was in a restaurant at age 15, and then experiencing hotels and resorts had me hooked.

What is your favorite song, and/or who is your favorite musician/band?
The Tragically Hip and Green Day are my go-to bands.

If you had a time machine, would you travel to the future or back to the past? Why?
The past, to Ancient Greece, where so much knowledge and social organizations formed

THE BUSINESS
How would you describe your leadership style?
My preferred and most effective style is transformational leadership. With less experienced leaders and when urgency is required, I am comfortable with a more autocratic or directive style.

What predictions do you have for the travel industry over the next year?
That all predictions will be wrong. Travelers will continue to seek out and pay more for options that allow them to customize as many aspects of their travel plans as possible.

What is your or your team’s proudest professional achievement?
Winning the Strategic Hotels & Resorts Hotel of the Year award in 2022 was amazing recognition for the hard work and results our team achieved. A close second was being recognized by the Sun Sentinel Media Group South Florida No. 1 Top Workplaces in 2023 and 2024.

What project are you currently working on?
Planning more improvements to InterContinental Miami! Meeting and event space design, public restrooms and adding another outdoor event space

AS A TRAVELER
What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned about customer service?
The importance of beginning every interaction with some level of personalization and seeking to understand what the other person wants from you

What’s the first vacation you can remember taking?
Driving from Vancouver, British Columbia, to San Diego, California, in a very large RV, mostly along the old Pacific Coast Highway

What are your travel pet peeves?
Other travelers treating service professionals poorly

Share your favorite travel experience: I have never had a bad travel experience; however, my most favorite was spending three weeks in southern Germany and Austria with my wife. We took our time to discover several destinations by car. We connected with old friends in Munich and attended a local wedding in rural Austria before spending time off-season at a ski and spa resort in the Austrian Alps. I will never forget driving the Autobahn and going for a run with the sound of cow bells high in the Alps.