INTERVIEWS: AsiaWorld Hospitality's Lissa Ouano-Sheker on the Skills Young Hospitality Professionals Need to Succeed in 2026 and Beyond
The Philippine hospitality industry is evolving quickly, with AI, technology and changing guest expectations reshaping the way we work, lead and serve.
In this candid conversation with Miss Lissa Ouano-Sheker, a hospitality leader with more than three decades of experience shares her insights on hospitality leadership, career development, education and the future of Filipino hospitality talent. She talks about the skills that matter most—from adaptability and emotional intelligence to digital and AI fluency—and why integrity, curiosity and lifelong learning remain at the heart of a successful career.
She also explores the growing importance of professional certifications, micro-credentials and global hospitality standards, and why stronger connections between academe and industry can help prepare Filipino professionals for opportunities both at home and around the world.
At its heart, this is a conversation about people, purpose and possibility—and building a stronger future for Philippine hospitality.
I. Leadership Journey
1. Could you tell us a little about your journey in hospitality and what led you to your current role at AsiaWorld Hospitality?
I have spent more than three decades in hospitality, working with local and international hotel brands across property, cluster and regional roles, spanning sales, commercial leadership, operations, events, pre-openings and business development.
Over the years, I reached a point where success was no longer only about what I could achieve, but what I could give back to the industry that helped shape me. I wanted to turn experience into impact, to share what I have learned, help develop the next generation, and contribute to shaping the future of Philippine hospitality.
Today, I am the Managing Partner of AsiaWorld Hospitality, the official representative of the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) in the Philippines. More recently, we expanded our portfolio through our partnership with Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), further strengthening the hospitality ecosystem we are building and broadening our focus into areas such as finance, AI, technology and the evolving needs of the
industry.
Our advocacy is very clear: to bridge the gap between academe and industry and help elevate Philippine hospitality education through global benchmarks of excellence. At the same time, I continue to work as a Hospitality Consultant, which keeps me actively connected to the industry.
It gives me a good balance, I see what we are teaching, but I also see firsthand what businesses, employers and guests actually need.
That bridge between academe and industry has become one of the most meaningful parts of my career. In many ways, it feels like coming full circle, still very much in hospitality, but now helping prepare the people who will take it forward.
2. What experiences or mentors had the biggest influence on you as a leader?
I learned from every organization, leader and team I worked with. Some taught me what great leadership looks like while others taught me what I would do differently.
Pre-openings, challenging business periods and leading different teams taught me adaptability, resilience, professionalism and accountability. Most importantly, they taught me that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about developing people, empowering them to grow, and creating an environment where they can succeed.
I have never measured leadership purely by my own success. I have always believed in people and teamwork. Some of my proudest moments are seeing the people I once worked with and mentored, my “human trophies”, excel in their respective fields and become leaders themselves. To me, that's one of the best measures of leadership: what happens to the people you helped develop.
3. What separates a good hospitality professional from a great hospitality leader?
A good professional delivers excellent standards. A great leader inspires other people to deliver those standards consistently, even when the leader isn't watching. Technical competence can earn you responsibility, but leadership is about what you do with that responsibility: how
you develop and inspire people, build trust and create a culture of excellence.
Also, at the heart of leadership is integrity. Skills can be developed and experience can be gained, but people need to know that they can trust you - your word, your decisions and your actions.
For me, integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. And that is also when you know you have built a great team: when they do the right thing even when you are not watching.
II. Skills for the Next Generation
4. What are the three most important skills young hospitality professionals need today?
As this dynamic industry continues to evolve, from guest experience to human experience, I would highlight three: adaptability, emotional intelligence and digital/AI fluency.
Technology will continue to transform how hospitality operates, but hospitality itself will remain fundamentally human. Young professionals need to be comfortable with technology without losing empathy, judgment and the ability to genuinely connect with people.
5. What soft skills do employers increasingly value?
Communication, critical thinking, resilience, curiosity, and accountability. But before all of these, I believe there has to be a solid foundation.
Sometimes, in our rush to learn what's new, we forget the basics - the right attitude, respect, empathy, integrity, professionalism, teamwork and a genuine service mindset. These may sound simple, but they remain fundamental to hospitality.
Technology will evolve and technical skills will change, but values don't become obsolete. You can teach systems and processes, but without the right foundation, even the best technical skills can only take you so far.
Information is readily available today, especially with AI. The real differentiator is knowing how to think, communicate, solve problems and apply information effectively, while never losing the human connection. Knowledge is accessible. Knowing what to do with it and having the right values to guide what you do, is where the real value lies.
At the end of the day, I hire for character and potential. Skills can be developed, character is the foundation.
III. Preparing for the Future
6. What trends will shape hospitality over the next 5–10 years?’
AI and automation, personalization, data-driven decision-making, sustainability, changing guest expectations and workforce transformation will significantly reshape our industry.
Future hospitality leaders will also need a broader understanding of the business. It is no longer enough to know only operations. Leaders increasingly need to understand people, technology, finance, data and commercial performance.
The industry is becoming more interconnected, and our leaders will need to be as well
7. What should students be learning now?
First, students need to understand that there is a much bigger world beyond the classroom, and they should be prepared to learn, adapt and evolve continuously. A degree provides an important foundation, but education cannot stop at graduation. Industry-recognized professional certifications and micro-credentials can complement formal education by validating specific knowledge and competencies.
The reality is that with the pace of change today, some of what students learn when they enter university may already have evolved by the time they graduate. That is why learning how to learn, and developing the habit of lifelong learning, is so important.
This becomes even more relevant as we prepare Filipino talent to compete in an increasingly dynamic and evolving global industry.
8. Will future hospitality leaders need a different mindset?
Absolutely. Leadership is becoming less about having all the answers and more about asking the right questions, navigating uncertainty and bringing out the best in people. Future leaders will need to be agile, collaborative, positive, proactive, and comfortable with continuous change.
I believe the future will require us to learn and upskill with courage, unlearn and reskill with openness, and relearn and cross-skill with empathy. Have the courage to challenge oneself and explore new paths. Be open-minded and open-hearted to new ways of thinking, and have the empathy to listen with your eyes, your ears and your heart.
Most importantly, invest in yourself. Keep becoming a better version of yourself by benchmarking against who you were yesterday. That creates a very different mindset toward growth. Your knowledge, skills and mindset are among the most valuable assets you will carry throughout your career.
IV. From Classroom to Career
9. What can students do while still in school?
Look beyond the classroom. Take internships seriously. Attend industry events. Pursue relevant professional certifications, including those offered through organizations such as AHLEI and HFTP. Join professional organizations. Build networks. Learn from practitioners and expose yourself to international standards. Most importantly, don't wait until graduation to start
building your career.
10. What would you recommend to a young professional who feels stuck?
Learn something new, ask for greater responsibility and expand your exposure. Instead of asking, “When will I be promoted?” ask, “What can I contribute today that I couldn't six months ago?”
I always tell young professionals: if you're a Sales Coordinator today, don't limit yourself to thinking like a Sales Coordinator. Start learning and thinking at the level of the role you want next.
Don't wait for the promotion before you start preparing for the next level. Career progression should ultimately be about becoming more capable and creating greater value.
11. What is one mistake young hospitality professionals make?
Sometimes they're in too much of a hurry to move up. Ambition is important, but don't become so focused on being a manager that you forget to become excellent at what you do first.
I always say, there are no shortcuts to success. Titles can come quickly. Wisdom takes experience.
V. Building Leadership Early
12. How can a junior employee demonstrate leadership?
Leadership starts before the title. Be reliable. Take ownership. Be accountable. Ask questions. Be a team player. And when you identify a problem, don't simply raise it, think through possible solutions and alternatives.
Learn to be creative, resourceful and strategic. Look beyond the immediate task, understand the bigger picture, and think about how you can contribute more effectively. Don't wait for the title to lead. Lead in the way you think, the way you act, and the value you bring. The title will follow.
13. What makes you give someone greater responsibility?
Ownership and follow-through. I notice people who don't simply complete tasks but take responsibility for outcomes. Initiative, reliability, good judgment and a willingness to learn tell me that someone is ready for more. Build your credibility before you build your title.
VI. Advice for Hospitality Students and Youn Professionals
14. What is one piece of advice you would give hospitality students and young professional?
Stay curious and never stop learning. The industry you enter today will not be the same industry you will lead ten years from now.
15. What should aspiring hospitality leaders start doing today?
Understand the business beyond your own role. Learn about operations, people, finance, technology and commercial performance.
At the same time, validate and build on your knowledge and skills through industry-recognized certifications and micro-credentials. Today, there are career pathways that can support your professional development at different stages of your career, allowing you to continuously build competencies as you take on greater responsibilities. Find mentors. Seek feedback and be open to learning from it. Build relationships and learn from mistakes.
And something that made a tremendous difference in my own career: take the difficult assignments. I continuously challenged myself. Some of the assignments that stretched me the most were also the ones that taught me the most. Don't always choose what's comfortable. Growth rarely happens there.
16. What excites you most about the future of hospitality and the generation that will lead it?
What excites me most is the opportunity ahead for the Philippines and Filipino talent. We are already at the heart of the world's hospitality workforce. We have the talent, the warmth, and the heart that the world celebrates.
We don't need to reinvent Filipino hospitality, we need to build on it. Strengthen it through service excellence, international standards, technology, continuous learning and professional development.
I believe the Philippines has every opportunity to become:
• A regional hub and leader for hospitality education and certification in Asia
• A global source of world-class, credentialed talent
• A country known not only for producing excellent hospitality professionals, but for developing and exporting leaders and innovators, not just workers
That, to me, is an exciting future. THE BIGGER PICTURE I believe we need to look at hospitality development through the bigger lenses of internationalization, globalization, United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), and ultimately, investing in human capital.
Workforce readiness should not begin only when someone graduates from college. It should start at the grassroots level, including Senior High School, by building the right competencies, values and mindset, supported by pathways for continuous learning throughout a person's career.
The Tourism Industry contributes significantly to the Philippine economy, making investment in our human capital even more critical. Strengthening and validating skills through recognized certifications and micro-credentials can improve employability, career mobility and earning potential, both here and overseas.
While for Filipino hospitality professionals abroad, greater career and earning opportunities can also translate into increased OFW remittances, creating a ripple effect across families, communities and the economy.
The impact goes far beyond one certificate or one individual. This is also why I continue to work as a Hospitality Consultant. It keeps me grounded in what businesses need, what employers are looking for and how guest expectations are changing. It allows me to bring industry into academe and academe back into industry.
International certifying bodies such as AHLEI and HFTP bring global standards and benchmarks. We are already engaging and opening conversations with the Department of Tourism (DOT), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd), we are also supported by industry organizations such as the Tourism Industry Board Foundation, Inc. (TIBFI) and the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Educators of the Philippines (COHREP).
When government, education, skills development, industry and global standards converge, the possibilities for Philippine hospitality become even greater. We have the Filipino talent. We have an industry ready to evolve. And we have global standards and career pathways that can help connect education to employability and lifelong professional development.
Perhaps the next evolution of Philippine hospitality is not about creating something entirely new, but about connecting what we already have and taking it further. That is the conversation I hope we can continue. Because together, we are not just training workers. We are building career pathways. We are empowering professionals. We are developing leaders. We are shaping
futures. And together, we have the opportunity to define what world-class Filipino hospitality means, here at home and on the global stage.
