Global Business Leader

TALENT DISRUPTION

PEOPLE ARE THE BRANDS

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Scale Human Capital

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“Alex Mirza’s research provides compelling insights for what hospitality stakeholders must do to build human capital and achieve a higher purpose in these extraordinary times. Talent Disruption is not just recommended reading, it is required.” -Geoff Ballotti, President & CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and recipient of the Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award.

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“There Is a huge need to update our traditional HR logic in the face of the dramatic changes that have befallen the hospitality industry.  With Talent Disruption, Alex Mirza has taken that step and advanced our understanding of how to use the new technology tools to address the considerable talent issues facing service firms.  This is an absolute must read!” Leonard A. Schlesinger, Baker Foundation Professor, Harvard Business School and co-author of landmark bestseller The Service Profit Chain

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“As large language models automate away busy work, building human capital is a monumental issue facing the healthcare industry. Alex Mirza’s book provides a marvelous pragmatic road map to meritocracy, innovation and pay for performance in any service industry. A must read!” - Jonathan Bush, CEO of Zus Health and Co-founder CEO, Athena Healthcare

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“My management colleagues and I understood thoroughly the first order differences in performance associated with variation across talent among property leaders, and the financial consequences of these differences. Likewise, we could measure the often ten fold difference in both productivity and service quality across talent among front line employees. The problem was what to do about it, at scale.

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5

“All of us in the hospitality industry know we are facing a crisis in recruiting and retention. Talent Disruption goes beyond diagnosing the problem and charts a path forward using data- and AI-driven strategies to revolutionize human capital. Alex brings a fresh approach to solving talent discovery and empowerment in the service sector. A highly recommended read.” -Harry Gross, Real Estate Developer and Chairman of G. Holdings LLC

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"While Talent Disruption focuses on the disconnects between talent management, compensation and value creation in the hotel industry, the insights are equally applicable to the restaurant and retail industries. As Mirza creatively and powerfully illustrates, talent is a highly leverageable and brandable differentiator, and companies should design compensation systems and marketing programs to fully leverage that power and value." -Rick Vanzura, CEO of Freight Farms, and former CEO, Wahlburgers and Panera Bread

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“Speaks to the alarming labor challenge confronting the hospitality industry and the imperative to change the model and innovate for how labor is engaged and retained within the sector.” -Douglas Tutt, CEO of HCareers, leading U.S. hospitality, senior living and gig economy employment site.

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“Our industry faces a foundational challenge in rethinking traditional business models to rebuild our talent pipeline and, once again, become an employer of choice. As one of hospitality’s most innovative thought leaders, Alex’s work comes at a pivotal time, providing much-needed, research-based answers to the most critical questions facing today’s travel and tourism executives.” -Adam Burke, CEO of LA Tourism Council & Convention Board

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“With the world in flux and the hospitality industry at a crisis point, we are currently at the precipice of a new era of AI-driven upheaval and post-pandemic paranoia. Alex Mirza gives us a clear and concise road map to navigate these rough waters, with insights on how to harness the technological tools in our marketplace and to filter and analyze the vast amounts of data at our fingertips. Talent Disruption is a must read for anyone who is interested in maximizing and optimizing talent development.“ -Wilburt Chang, Chairman and CEO of Greater China Hospitality

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"Provocative! Alex has done a masterful job of assembling data to help drive better decisions around human capital and rightly challenges old ways of thinking about talent. Whether you agree with all his conclusions or not, it is not debatable that employees must always be a top priority. Otherwise, your organization will struggle and never realize its full potential." -Beverly K. Carmichael, Independent board member and former Chief People Officer at Southwest Airlines, Ticketmaster, and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

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“If you are a CEO feverishly looking for Artificial Intelligence insights to revolutionize your business, look no further. Talent Disruption equally educates and empowers you to embrace the change emerging within talent broadly and hospitality specifically. Decoding the intangible power of the immigrant experience is the byproduct of this fascinating journey led by Alex Mirza." - Alex Dixon, CEO of nonprofit Q Casino and former President and COO, MGM Circus Circus

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“Alexander Mirza does what leaders do. He sees what is unseen, and in this book issues a rallying cry to accelerate the value of hospitality’s main driver, the people who power it.” -Thomas Magnuson, CEO of Magnuson Hotels Worldwide

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“Talent Disruption sheds light on an undeniable truth: hospitality is losing ground in the talent marketplace. Through in-depth research, Alex Mirza provides an applicable and disruptive roadmap for building a talent-centric culture that can drive innovation, growth, and competitive advantage in the industry. “ -Joe Rice, Managing Partner, JDI, JDI is twice ranked by Forbes as one of the Best Executive Recruiting Firms in America.

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“Few people could do what Alex Mirza has done – written a book on Talent Management and Disruption that combines both hard data analysis with proven managerial insight. Building on his decades of experience and proven leadership in the hospitality industry, he has produced a rigorous and accessible book that should be required reading for anyone hoping to grapple with the modern talent management challenges this industry faces.” -David Detomasi, Associate Professor, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

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"Talent Disruption by Alex Mirza is a game-changing exploration of the evolving service industry landscape. With its cutting-edge insights on AI-driven HR solutions and employee empowerment, this book paves the way for a revolutionary approach to talent management. Discover your blueprint for success in this indispensable read.” - Anita Gupta, Forbes 50 Over 50 Entrepreneur; Founder, KiwiTech

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“In Talent Disruption, Alexander Mirza has dedicated some powerful research into the biggest concerns impacting global hotel operations today, with 85% of hotels currently understaffed in the USA alone, and others grappling to hold onto their employees. He identifies various new ‘disruptors’ such as Big Tech, that have evolved over the past decade which not only impact human resources in the traditional sense, but the entire outlook on how you operate your hotel.

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17

It is not every day one comes across a book that manages to marry innovative and profound insights into the current state and future prospects of the global hospitality industry with a stimulating and creative discussion of recent debates in international relations theory. Yet this is exactly what author Alex Mirza has accomplished in his fascinating new study into the challenges facing the industry in an era increasingly being labeled by some scholars as one of “de-globalization.”

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Alexander A. Mirza

Alexander has over 25 years of experience as a management consultant, C-suite executive and entrepreneur at leading publicly traded, PE and VC backed hospitality, entertainment and technology companies.

Alexander has an MBA from Harvard Business School where he received the McArthur Fellowship and Masters and Bachelors degrees from Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada) where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Scholar.

alexander_mirza_headshot-mobile

Alexander A. Mirza

Alexander has over 25 years of experience as a management consultant, C-suite executive and entrepreneur at leading publicly traded, PE and VC backed hospitality, entertainment and technology companies.

Alexander has an MBA from Harvard Business School where he received the McArthur Fellowship and Masters and Bachelors degrees from Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada) where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Scholar.

Alexander began his career in management consulting firms, where he advised national government leaders, the World Economic Forum and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

Timeline

2019

Co-Founder & CEO, Mogul Hospitality (Los Angeles)

Co-Founded VC Backed Technology Company That Built Hospitality’s First AI-driven Talent Marketplace.

2012

CEO, Cachet Hotels & Resorts (Shanghai)

Co-Founded Asia’s Leading Lifestyle Hotels, Resorts and Restaurant Branding Company.

2011

President of International, SBE Group (Los Angeles/Shanghai)

Led Asia Expansion of Category Leading Lifestyle Hotels, Restaurants and Nightlife company.

2009

SVP & Head of Hospitality, Caesars Entertainment (Las Vegas)

Led Hospitality (Non-Gaming) for Iconic U.S. Gaming, Hospitality and Entertainment company.

2005

SVP & Head of Corporate Development, Hilton Worldwide (Los Angeles)

Led Corp Dev and Business Units for Largest Global Hospitality Company by Cash Flow.

2002

VP & Head of Strategic Planning, Starwood Hotels (New York)

Led Strategy for Leading Global Luxury and Lifestyle Management and Real estate company.

2000

Principal, Strategos Consulting (New York)

Led Client Teams for Innovation Firm Working with Fortune 500 Executives on New Products and Businesses.

1997

Senior Consultant, Deloitte/Braxton Consulting (New York)

Managed Projects for Strategy Practice Focused on M&A, Value Based Management and Restructuring.

Harvard Business School  Harvard business school Logo

Alexander received his MBA from HBS and received the McArthur Fellowship for Canadians, focusing his studies on corporate strategy and finance. He has also attended HBS executive programs in private equity, venture capital and innovation at the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. He has moderated CEO panels at the Harvard Real Estate conference, published in Harvard Real Estate Review and been featured in alumni case studies.

Queen’s University CanadaQueens university Logo

Alexander completed a Bachelor’s degree with distinction (First Class Honors) from Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Canada Scholar. He was co-founder and President of the Queen’s International Affairs Association, one of the largest student organizations. He published his Master’s thesis on reforming international organizations to meet the challenges of the post-Cold War era (Ottawa: Library of Canada). 

Harvard Business School

Alexander received his MBA from HBS and received the McArthur Fellowship for Canadians, focusing his studies on corporate strategy and finance. He has also attended HBS executive programs in private equity, venture capital and innovation at the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. He has moderated CEO panels at the Harvard Real Estate conference, published in Harvard Real Estate Review and been featured in alumni case studies.

Queen’s University Canada

Alexander completed a Bachelor’s degree with distinction (First Class Honors) from Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada where he was an Aga Khan Foundation Canada Scholar. He was co-founder and President of the Queen’s International Affairs Association, one of the largest student organizations. He published his Master’s thesis on reforming international organizations to meet the challenges of the post-Cold War era (Ottawa: Library of Canada). 

Awards

Alexander was recognized as one of the top 100 Most Powerful Hospitality Leaders and one of Canada’s Top International Executives by Canadian Business Magazine. He has been awarded the McArthur Fellowship at Harvard, Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship, and the Saskawa Peace Foundation Fellowship. He has also received the City of Toronto’s Mayor Volunteer Creed for his work with Inner City Youth and the TD Canada Trust Student Athlete Award.