For Steven Lim, regional general manager for Southeast Asia at Plaza Premium Group (PPG), the decision to enter aviation hospitality services was an obvious one.
Driven by his passion for airports and a desire to broaden his expertise in the service industry, Lim joined PPG as regional general manager for Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines in August 2019, right before the Covid-19 pandemic began. “All my working life, I’ve been in the F&B sector, setting up restaurants and the like,” he recalls.
“When the opportunity for PPG came along, where I could learn more about hospitality in lounge and hotel operations, which I had not learned before, I joined.”
Taking on the reins of leadership when the aviation and tourism industry came to a halt was not an easy task.
Amid global shutdowns, and despite opposition from the company’s headquarters, Lim decided to keep PPG’s airport transit hotel, Aerotel Singapore, open to serve transit passengers.
“Everything in Changi Airport was shut down, except my Aerotel,” he says. “We worked very closely with the airport, because they were asking us for help.”
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While the first two weeks of operations for Lim were “largely quiet” with low occupancy, passenger flow increased as diplomats and essential services transited through the airport, taking occupancy up to 100% in the third week.
Teamwork makes the dream work
During this period, Lim was also thrown into the deep end of airport lounge management.
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In dealing with this, he says he took a hands-on approach to learn on the job, while trusting in his new team.
“The biggest learning point was teamwork; teamwork was very important — that, and our partnership and communication with the airport,” he adds.
Partnering airport authorities and fostering collaborative relationships has been a crucial aspect of PPG’s strategy in enhancing its service offerings and expanding its regional footprint.
Lim now manages the full corporate profile and business development of PPG across Southeast Asia, having added Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia into his portfolio.
On his leadership style, Lim says: “You must understand each team member’s character. You have to give them direction and trust them to execute your vision.”
As an example, he shares that while discussing expansion targets with his team, he takes time to listen and ensure every member feels heard, before planning a way forward.
Pushing through the constraints of the pandemic, Lim has doubled the number of PPG lounges in Southeast Asia since 2019, with openings including a new lounge at Clark International Airport in the Philippines, as well as the largest in PPG’s network, a 30,000 sq ft space in Jakarta which houses Plaza Premium First and Plaza Premium Lounge under one roof.
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The way he sees it, PPG serves as a platform to promote airports and cities. For instance, the group leveraged its network of lounges across the globe to promote Clark International Airport and its close proximity to the diving destination, Subic Bay.
Expansion plans
PPG has plans to expand globally, but Lim understands this will not be a simple plug-and-play situation, where every lounge can be built the same.
He acknowledges that there is a need to tailor the group’s appeal creatively to different markets, owing to cultural and behavioural differences.
He adds that the F&B in the lounge especially has to be adapted to local tastes and culture. But just offering local delicacies is not enough; the service too has to be aligned with local traditions.
He cites PPG’s soon-to-open lounge in Medan, Indonesia, as a location suited to the area’s travelling demographic.
“Typically, we will open a bigger lounge in the international airport than the domestic airport,” he says. “But in Medan, we will be opening a bigger lounge in the domestic airport, twice the size of the one in the international airport, because domestic travel is much higher in Medan.”
Another notable example of PPG’s strategic expansion is its recent partner- ship with InJourney Aviation Services in Indonesia.
“We are partnering them to manage up to 36 lounges in Indonesia, covering hotels, lounges, F&B and meet-and-greet services,” says Lim.
He is also focused on securing new partnerships and expanding the group’s footprint in emerging markets, such as Vietnam and the Philippines.
Looking forward, Lim hopes to remain at the forefront of PPG’s growing regional presence, and to lead its expansion into new locations.
He sees himself keeping busy: “My job doesn’t end at 6 o’clock; it’s seven days a week, travelling and building relationships.”
