EMEA Hospitality Lead — Workplace Experience & Vendors

Overview

Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) comprises key functions that are core to the company’s operations, including Global Real Estate & Workplace Experience, Global Supply Management, Business Resilience & Corporate Functions Governance, Aviation, Internal Fraud, and Global Security. ESS helps keep our company growing and puts our colleagues at the center of everything they do by delivering best-in-class services that power safe, resilient, and efficient operations around the world. Global Real Estate and Workplace Experience (GREWE) is the global team at American Express that is responsible for the planning, execution, and operations of American Express offices globally. GREWE supports over 65,000 American Express colleagues and contractors in over eight million square feet of property located in forty-one countries. Our real estate portfolio consists of large full-service campuses, office buildings, sales offices, and airport lounges. The sites may be owned, leased, or be occupied through a serviced space arrangement.

How you will make an impact

The Hospitality Lead – EMEA, based in the UK, will report directly to the Director, Hospitality Services, based in London. In partnership with key functional leads and vendor partners, they will oversee the American Express workplace services and amenities for all office locations across the EMEA region, focusing on a colleague-first approach to frictionless experiences. Specifically, this role will be responsible for overseeing aspects of the delivery of food and drink services, experience services, and any other workplace amenities, which contribute to the American Experience workplace proposition. Such services include onsite food and drink outlets and delivery services, pantries, meeting and event catering, community support and engagement, welcome and reception services, meeting and event coordination and planning, concierge services, and management of other onsite amenities and programs. This role will contribute to and support a multi-year roadmap, which aligns with the priorities of the enterprise, and the GREWE Vision and Mission, to plan pivotal initiatives and operations that deliver the objectives of the region and enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Show up as a visible Hospitality professional every day.
• Demonstrate the Blue Box values and Leadership Behaviors as a figure head.
• Contribute to the delivery of food & drink services and other workplace services and amenities across the region.
• Put enterprise thinking first to manage outcomes and vendor performance for service lines including:
• Food outlets & delivery services
• Catering
• Reception & welcome services
• Meeting & event planning
• Concierge services
• Pantries, community engagement, onsite amenities
• Be the voice of the colleague in scenarios where friction in the workplace experience is present, to facilitate its removal.
• Contribute to a multi-year strategic roadmap aligned to enterprise and regional goals.
• Manage third-party vendors, performance/contract management, site launches, and contribute to capital planning in accordance with defined processes.
• Align with digital, ESG, legal/compliance, and financial targets.
• Approach colleague, vendor, and stakeholder relationships as a mutual partnership.
• Collaborate with internal teams and senior leaders across EMEA.
• Foster the attraction and retention, and engagement of hospitality talent within third party relationships throughout the region.
• Manage third-party action plans and roadmaps that drive consistent delivery and continuous improvement.
• Ensure high-quality, compliant, and safe service delivery across in-scope services including food safety.
• Work closely with Facilities, Health & Safety, Compliance, and Relationship Management teams.
• Support the implementation of standard operating controls and governance frameworks.
• Manage closed-loop style feedback mechanisms.
• Administrate agreements for new and existing services, from procurement to agreement execution.
• Manage and ensure third-party compliance in line with American Express standard operating procedures and standards.
• Use data to deliver insights, measure outcomes, and drive improvements.
• Supervise and administrate hospitality financial models as required, in partnership with other colleagues.
• Maintain financial records for all contracts in line with American Express standards.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 10 years managerial experience (running venues/buildings).
• Experience supporting the delivery of a multi-year, enterprise-aligned roadmap within regional or country-level operations.
• Strong organizational and execution skills across multiple sites and teams.
• Proactive, analytical, and dependable team player with the ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to lead day-to-day operations with limited supervision while escalating key risks and opportunities appropriately.
• Experience supervising or coordinating outsourced third-party teams in a matrixed environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a hospitality field (hotel general management, food and beverage management, event management).
• Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the UK is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.