Leadership series: Bandar Abdulmajeed

Through the CORE Leadership Series, we share the stories, insights, and journeys of inspiring industry leaders.

We are here talking with Bandar Abdulmajeed, Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at AMSA HOSPITALITY.

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.

My name is Bandar Adnan Abdulmajeed, and I serve as Chief Brand and Marketing Officer at Amsa Hospitality. 

My role focuses on shaping brand strategy, commercial positioning, corporate reputation, and market presence across our hospitality portfolio.

At Amsa Hospitality, our mission is to create meaningful hospitality experiences that combine strong operational standards with a clear sense of place, purpose, and long term value. 

We aim to contribute to the sector not only by growing our portfolio, but by building brands, teams, and guest experiences that are relevant to the evolving needs of Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

What initially inspired you or sparked your interest in pursuing this career?

What drew me to hospitality was its human side. It is one of the few industries where business performance and emotional connection are closely linked. 

A guest may remember the design, the product, or the service, but what stays with them most is how the experience made them feel. 

That intersection between people, experience, and business growth is what kept me engaged.

 Over time, I became especially interested in how branding, communication, and strategic positioning can shape not only customer perception, but also the long term value of an organization.

What motivates you in your work and what do you find most fulfilling about being a business leader?

What motivates me most is building something with lasting impact. 

That could mean strengthening a brand, opening new market opportunities, helping teams perform at a higher level, or creating a clearer sense of direction during periods of growth.

The most fulfilling part of leadership is seeing ideas translate into real outcomes. 

It is rewarding when strategy becomes execution, and execution becomes measurable value for the business, the team, and the guest.

I also find great meaning in helping people grow and in creating an environment where talent can contribute with confidence and purpose.

What do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing the landscape where you are and how should/will a business like yours respond?

One of the biggest challenges today is that expectations are rising faster than traditional business models can adapt. 

Guests expect quality, speed, personalization, digital convenience, and emotional connection, all at once. 

At the same time, operators are navigating cost pressures, talent shortages in some areas, and the need to maintain consistent standards across expanding portfolios. 

At the same time, these pressures create major opportunities. 

Businesses that are clear about their identity, disciplined in execution, and willing to invest in people and experience design will stand out. 

In Saudi Arabia especially, the sector is entering a very dynamic phase, and that creates room for brands that are locally relevant, commercially strong, and operationally agile.

Thinking about the (current) macro-economic and social environment (cost pressures, labour market, changing customer expectations, sustainability), what shifts do you believe will redefine “success” for our sector in the coming year or years?

Success in hospitality will be defined less by scale alone and more by relevance, resilience, and consistency. 

Growth remains important, but the real differentiator will be whether a business can create value across several dimensions at once: guest loyalty, team engagement, operational efficiency, and brand trust. 

I also believe that success will increasingly depend on how well organizations respond to changing consumer behaviour. 

Guests are looking for experiences that feel authentic, seamless, and worth their time and money. Internally, strong culture and talent development will become just as important as external brand visibility.

What skills or mindsets do you think will be most important for the next generation of hospitality leaders?

The next generation of hospitality leaders will need to combine commercial thinking with brand awareness and human understanding. 

It is no longer enough to manage operations well, leaders also need to understand guest behaviour, market positioning, communication, and how perception shapes value. 

From my perspective in brand and marketing, I believe the most important mindsets will be adaptability, curiosity, clarity of thinking, and emotional intelligence. 

Future leaders need to be comfortable using data, but they must also know how to translate insight into experiences and messages that resonate. 

Hospitality is still a people driven industry, so the ability to build trust, communicate clearly, and create relevance will be just as important as technical skill.

How has your leadership philosophy evolved, especially over the past few years of rapid change?

My leadership philosophy has evolved to become more focused on clarity, alignment, and purposeful communication.

In brand and marketing, especially during periods of rapid change, I learned that leadership is not only about making decisions, but also about making sure people understand the direction, the message, and the reason behind it. 

Over the past few years, I have become more intentional about building alignment across teams, because strong brands are not built by one function alone. 

They are built when marketing, operations, commercial teams, and leadership move in the same direction. 

That experience reinforced for me that leadership means creating focus, removing noise, and helping teams stay connected to both business priorities and brand purpose.

How do you prioritize tasks when everything feels like a priority?

When everything feels urgent, I go back to impact, timing, and alignment with broader business objectives. 

In marketing and communications, many things can appear equally important, but not everything has the same effect on brand reputation, commercial goals, or stakeholder confidence.

 I usually prioritize based on what will create the most value, what is most time sensitive, and what supports the wider direction of the business. 

Clear priorities are essential because strong execution depends on knowing where attention is needed most.

Have you achieved everything you wanted in your career so far?

Not yet, and I see that as a positive thing. I am proud of what I have achieved so far, especially the opportunity to contribute to brand building, positioning, and business growth within hospitality, but I still see a lot more ahead. 

For me, career growth is not only about reaching titles or milestones, but also about continuing to create meaningful impact, strengthen brands, and help shape how hospitality businesses connect with their audiences and grow in a competitive market.

What’s a lesson you learned that still influences your decisions?

One of the most important leadership lessons I have learned is that clarity builds trust. 

This is especially true in brand and communications, where inconsistency or confusion can quickly weaken both internal alignment and external perception. 

I have also learned that leadership is not just about having a vision; it is about expressing it in a way that people can understand, believe in, and act on. In fast moving environments, teams need direction they can hold onto. 

Clear communication, honest expectations, and consistency in message are some of the most valuable things a leader can provide.

What advice would you give emerging leaders who want to shape the future of hospitality?

My advice would be to build substance before visibility.

Learn how the business works from the inside, understand operations, understand the guest journey, and understand how brand, service, and culture all connect. In hospitality, some of the strongest leaders are those who can see both the operational reality and the bigger story the business is trying to tell.

I would also encourage emerging leaders to develop a clear point of view. In marketing and branding, I have seen how much value comes from leaders who understand not just how to follow trends, but how to interpret them with purpose. 

The future of hospitality will be shaped by people who can combine commercial discipline with creativity, and who know how to turn insight into experiences, communication, and brand value.