Guest Experience Manager (APAC)

WHO WE ARE

Avolta is the world’s leading and largest Travel Experience (Retail, Convenience, F&B) company with >5,500 outlets, >1,200 locations, >77,000 employees in more than 70 countries and annual revenue of Swiss Francs CHF 13.5 Billion in 2024. We operate primarily at airports as well as other travel channels, including motorways, railways, cruises, border shops, and downtown. We are on a journey towards our Destination 2027 strategy, creating a travel experience revolution by putting the traveler at our core.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

As part of the regional Omnichannel Experience function, the Guest Experience Manager is responsible for all customer-facing service training, standards, and coaching, focusing on elevating the guest journey and in-store experience; and partners with country teams to ensure consistent, high-quality execution and measurable improvement across all APAC business lines (Travel Retail, Convenience, Food & Beverage).

The Guest Experience Manager plays a key role in driving guest loyalty, enhancing brand reputation, and supporting business growth across the region.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Customer Experience Standards: Partner with country Operations and People, Culture & Organization (PC&O) teams to roll out Avolta’s customer experience framework, sales & service principles, and behavioural standards, considering local culture, traveler profiles, store formats, and customer journey. Lead the creation of new materials tailored for APAC markets as required. Shape customer service experience for new store openings and refurbishments.
• Learning & Development: Continuously refine Avolta’s Customer Service Blueprint for APAC countries. Develop and lead the regional “train-the-trainer” program, equipping store managers and front-line teams with the skills and tools to drive sales and deliver exceptional guest experiences. Design and deliver training modules (in-person and digital) to build consistency in service excellence. Provide on-the-ground coaching and mentoring through regular store visits.
• Performance Improvement: Utilize employee feedback and customer experience measurement tools (e.g., Net Promoter Score, Mystery Shopping, Customer Perception tracking) to identify service gaps and opportunities. Leverage insights to address gaps, improve training, recognise top-performing teams, and share cross-market and outlet learnings. KPIs: Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Mystery Shopping results, as well as high training completion rates (>80%) for customer-facing staff, maintaining frequent coaching sessions, reducing complaint resolution time, and closing identified service gaps efficiently.
• Ambassador for Excellent Customer Experience: Act as the regional Guest Experience role model, inspiring operations and front-line staff to put customers at the heart of our business, always thinking about how we can elevate traveller touchpoints with us and exceed their expectations.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Tourism, or a related field. Additional certifications in customer service, hotel/travel operations, or retail management are advantageous.
• Professional Background: 8–10 years’ experience in customer-facing and learning development roles within service industries such as retail, F&B, hospitality, travel & tourism, or entertainment, with proven expertise in service excellence, training, and operational efficiency.
• Regional Experience: Proven ability to work with culturally diverse teams across Asia Pacific, lead cross-functional projects, and demonstrate a strong understanding of regional service customs, customer expectations, and market nuances.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Leadership & Coaching: Demonstrates strong leadership and coaching abilities, with excellent collaboration and communication skills to build high-performing teams and work effectively across functions and geographies.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: Passion for creating exceptional customer experiences, with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing service gaps.
• Analytical & Improvement Focus: Skilled in using data and feedback tools (NPS, Mystery Shopping, etc.) to drive continuous improvement.
• Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with customer experience metrics, customer feedback tools, and digital learning platforms.

Personal Qualities

The ideal candidate is empathetic, approachable, and solution-oriented. This person demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills, as well as high integrity and professionalism. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team is essential. Strong influencing and persuasion skills are important, along with the capacity to motivate and inspire others to adopt new practices and drive positive change. Resilience and adaptability to change are also key qualities, enabling success in a dynamic retail and F&B environment.