Leadership interview series: Baris B. Yuceli

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.

I’m Baris B. Yuceli, a Mechanical Engineer (holding bachelor’s degree) with 28 years’ experience leading facilities, CAPEX/OPEX governance, and complex project delivery across hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, and petrochemicals. I currently serve as Chief Engineer/Director of Engineering at Park Plaza London Riverbank (PPHE Group), accountable for asset reliability and value creation across 645 rooms, 18 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, spa & fitness with an indoor pool, and two outlets, managing a 21‑person in‑house team and tier‑1 contractors. Prior roles include Chief Engineer at Park Plaza London Waterloo, Director of Engineering at Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus (Leader of the Year 2024), and Director of Engineering for pre‑openings at JW Marriott Istanbul Marmara Sea and Six Senses Kocataş Mansions Phase 2.

Could you briefly introduce your role and the core mission of your organisation within the UK hospitality landscape?

At Park Plaza London Riverbank, my mission is to protect revenue and margin by ensuring uninterrupted operations and delivering ROI‑positive refurbishments across rooms, meetings, spa, and F&B—supported by disciplined CAPEX/OPEX governance and a capable in‑house team. 

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

Being a decision taker, managing big & complex projects, achieving results on time + with expected quality + within budget as per targets. Bringing new ideas and been encouraged by senior management to get those done which will enable to save money and time.

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

Key challenges include rising operating costs, labour shortages, and aging assets. My approach includes structured CAPEX planning, condition-based maintenance, and operational readiness frameworks developed through hotel pre-openings and large-scale renovations.

How do you stay updated on industry trends, customer expectations and regulatory changes?

Close follow up recent trends on the industry and new technology tools keep me updated at all times. BMS, CMMS, and AI based software programmes enable to reduce time and cost on big and complex operations. In the past, there was only HotSOS or Opera type of software being used but, recently we are able to communicate super-fast and mor accurate with support of AI based software applications which collects data from BMS + CMMS + Unifocus + ReviewPRO + Tripadvisor + Booking.com etc. to improve guest satisfaction with faster response.

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

I used to see the team as the mechanism to achieve the goal. Today, I see my role as creating the environment where the team can be at their best and the results naturally follow.

But that does not mean I have been evolved from "results oriented to people centred”, both should drive in balance and that's what I'm doing over last 10 years.

What values or behaviours do you consider essential for leadership teams today?

Leadership teams today must excel not only operationally but humanly. I believe that the most essential values and behaviours include:

• people‑first approach
• empathy & emotional intelligence
• visionary, adaptable thinking
• commitment to sustainability
• culture‑driven, authentic leadership
• operational clarity and consistency
• integrity and character
• coaching and continuous development

These behaviours directly influence staff retention, guest satisfaction, business reputation, and long‑term resilience—critical outcomes.

What does the industry need more of — or less of — to continue thriving?

Employing much more educated and skilled staff who will show a great loyalty and ownership. To achieve this, salary scales and side benefits should improve to play "Win - Win" game mutually. 

Guest satisfaction starts with the first contact at the Front Desk not on the hotel's website. From my perspective, this is the immutable truth of hospitality business.