ASIAN GIANT TONY MATHARU, CHAIRMAN, ASIAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND GHS GLOBAL HOSPITALITY SERVICES
EARLY INFLUENCE It was Tony Matharu’s mother who encouraged him to think about running his own business. Says Tony, “Some might say that an Asian family’s ambition for their children could be typified as falling into two distinct plans; joining the family business or becoming a “professional” – doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant, teacher etc.” But in Tony’s case he had no family business. He graduated in Law and Economics which gave him the possibility of a “profession” but he always intended to use his formal education as a fertile ground to plant the seeds sown by his mother. “With her help and encouragement, I was able to buy an unloved property and eventually start the hotel group which exists today,” he adds. For Tony those early days were challenging because he had no track record and very little capital, but the barriers to entry were not as high as they are today. He says, “I’ve lived through the macro economic challenges of global and national recessions and now we face the uncertainty of pre-Brexit, the proposed transition period and the economic landscape in a potentially postBrexit world.”
ABA – LEADING THE WAY He continues, “At ABA we are trying to understand what this might mean for business and we are actively engaging with relevant people and departments as we navigate through these uncertain times. Understanding the domestic and global trade implications of the different economic models and forecasts is a challenge in itself. Making appropriate educated decisions for businesses is certainly another challenge.” Fortunately, ABA has a weekly Public Affairs briefing with a separate Brexit log and provides the opportunities to directly engage with Ministers, Shadow Ministers and others. He says, “It doesn’t diminish the challenges ahead but I am better informed and the dialogue is by no means one way.” “On a micro and personal level
I’VE ESTABLISHED MANY PARTNERSHIPS WHICH HAVE ALL BEEN SUCCESSFUL, EACH BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE FAR MORE COLLECTIVELY THAN WE CAN INDEPENDENTLY.
there are the challenges of all family businesses; balancing personal family interests and ensuring that I don’t lose sight of my responsibilities to my family, the local community and the world around us. That can also present a challenge,” adds Tony.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURSHIP According to him, “It’s always good to hear that one’s efforts are recognised, but I have difficulty with the term ‘success’ and how it is measured.” In his opinion there is not a single secret and he would not measure success in purely financial terms. He continues, “I don’t think that the successful entrepreneurs that young people look up to today; Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk or others you have met would want their achievements to be measured in pounds, dollars or Bitcoins. Nor would they be afraid to admit that they ever failed. I think that it’s about identifying a need or problem, creating a solution and more broadly making a positive impact.” He quotes David Packard who said, “Many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. Whilst this is an important part of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our being. A group of people come together to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately – they make a contribution to society, a phrase which sounds trite but is fundamental”. According to Tony we are now living in a more conscious and transparent world and the phrase “good corporate social responsibility” is embedded in all forward-looking businesses.
A FIRM BELIEVER IN ‘SEVA’ (SERVICE), FOR TONY IT MEANS TRYING TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO OTHERS, EVERY DAY IF POSSIBLE, WITHOUT SEEKING PERSONAL RECOGNITION OR REWARD. ‘I INHERITED THIS FROM MY MOTHER WHO IS A LIVING EMBODIMENT OF THAT.’
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ASIAN GIANT I SPRING 2018
ROLE AS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE ABA Tony considers it a privilege to be the new Chairman of the ABA, which forms part of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry and aims to “connect, influence and support” business. That strap-line, he says, distils the essence of his role at the ABA. He continues, “I aim to understand what our business members want and design processes and actions which can satisfy their ambitions. This mirrors the aim of my own business interests. At Grange Hotels, in common with all forward-thinking businesses, we aim to understand our clients’ and guests’ needs – even to anticipate them – and then to satisfy or exceed their expectations. At a micro level in my hotel business this can mean designing and building facilities to meet the needs of business and leisure travellers, together with delivering first class service.” He says, for the ABA, it’s ensuring that they enable worthwhile connections, provide business opportunities, influence and shape policy, grow cross border trade and finally to support businesses, enabling them to overcome challenges as they arise.
FUTURE PLANS Tony has recently invested in a hospitality service company, Global Hospitality Services (GHS), and is excited with the opportunities that this can bring. He loves creating and the collaborative and partnership approach to business that David Packard described. He says, “Indeed I’ve established many partnerships which have all been successful, each based on the premise that we can achieve far more collectively than we can independently.” GHS provides sales, marketing, distribution, technology and other solutions to independent hotels and groups which they cannot or it is not cost-effective for them to do on their own. It provides scale, global presence, expertise and a range of services which add great value to their independent offering. He says, “In addition, I’ve resolved this year and in the future to spend more time with my family and to give more to