SMACK PODCAST
SMACK PODCAST
THE WORLD’S MOST ENTERTAINING HOSPITALITY PODCAST
Welcome to the infamous SMACK podcast! We’re bringing you the sharpest minds and decision-makers in hospitality & tourism, up close and personal.
Our guests? Only those with fresh takes and fun stories to share – no scripts, no rehearsals, just unfiltered conversation.
Each episode is one take, with one of our four fantastic hosts on the mic, we dive into all things hospitality, from hotels, restaurants, airlines to theme parks, stadiums and most importantly personal journeys and experiences.
Enjoy the show!
- All
- Podcast
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
- Season 4
- Season 5
- Season 6

Glenn Haussman
Podcast Host & President

Glenn Mandziuk
CEO - World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

John Blanco
General Manager - Capella

Felicity Black-Roberts
SVP Development EAME HYATT

Pier Paolo Righi
CEO KARL LAGERFELD

DANIEL AFONSO
Senior VP of People & Culture at Radisson

JONATHAN WORSLEY
Chairman & CEO The BENCH

SIMON MAYLE
Event Director PROUD Experiences

CHRIS NADER
CEO & CO-Founder ENVI Lodges

FAHAD ABDULRAHIM KAZIM
CEO Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA

CAROLINE TIVEUS
SVP & Director of Sustainable Business at Pandox

ALEXI KHAJAVI
President Hospitality, Travel & Wellness Questex

ATUL CHOPRA
Founder & CEO

SIR ROCCO & LYDIA FORTE
Chairman & Group Director F&B

PATRICK MENDES
CEO PME - Accor Europe & North Africa

JILLIAN MACLEAN
CEO & Founder - Drake & Morgan

BILL HEINECKE
Founder & Chairman - Minor Hotel Group

JOSIAH MACKENZIE
Host of Hospitality Daily

HUBERT VIRIOT
CEO YOTEL

GABRIELA SCHMIDLE
Founder & CEO MTS Vienna

DR. ELLEN MADEKER
Head of Public Policy DACH & CEE - Airbnb

MARK MCCULLOC
Founder, Campaign Director & CEO - Hospitality Rising UK & Supersonic Marketing

EMMA BANKS
VP F&B STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT EUROPE, MIDDELE EAST & AFRICA – HILTON

DR. JEFFREY O
PRESIDENT INTERNATIONAL HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE – CHAIRMAN ST. JUSTINE

JOHN LANGFORD
COO – ANSCHUTZ ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

TAO TAO
COO & CO-FOUNDER – GETYOURGUIDE

SMACK RECAP
SEASON 4

RONISHA GOODWIN
DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION - HYATT CORPORATION

JEREMY MCCARTHY
GROUP DIRECTOR SPA & WELLNESS - MANDARIN ORIENTAL

DONALD LEADBETTER
TOURISM PROGRAM MANAGER - U.S. NPS

DIMITRIS MANIKIS
PRESIDENT & MANAGING DIRECTOR EMEA - WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS

WYBCKE MEIER
CEO - TUI CRUISES

DEBORAH ROTHE
EXHIBITION DIRECTOR - ITB BERLIN

ALEX SCHNEIDER
PRESIDENT - NIKKI BEACH HOTELS & RESORTS

CHRISTOPH HOFFMANN
FOUNDER - 25HOURS HOTELS

TORGEIR SILSETH
CEO - NORDIC CHOICE HOTELS

SHANNON KNAPP
PRESIDENT & CEO - THE LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD

PASCAL JENNY
PRESIDENT - AROSA TOURISM

MIEKE VELDHUIS
CHIEF PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER - THE SOCIAL HUB

DR. JOSEF VOLLMAYR
CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR - LIMEHOME

SÉBASTIEN BAZIN
CHAIRMAN & CEO - ACCOR

EDITH GERHARDT
CEO - HIRMER HOSPITALITY

JULIAN TRAUTWEIN
CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR - RAUS

SATYA ANAND
PRESIDENT EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EMEA) - MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

KAYLEIGH WILTSHIRE
PRESIDENT EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EMEA) - MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

NAOMI MACKENZIE
CO-FOUNDER - KITRO

JAN VALENTIN
FOUNDER & GENERAL PARTNER - ENNEA CAPITAL PARTNERS

ARIEL SCHIFF
FOUNDER & CEO - AMANO GROUP

OLIVIER BRACARD
CEO & CO-FOUNDER - HOSCO

GILDA PEREZ-ALVARADO
GLOBAL CEO - JLL HOTELS & HOSPITALITY

CYRUS HEYDARIAN
OPERATOR & MANAGING DIRECTOR - BREIDENBACHER HOF

MATHIEU JATON
CEO - MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL

CHARLIE MACGREGOR
CEO & FOUNDER - THE STUDENT HOTEL

JAN STARCKE
TRAVEL INDUSTRY LEAD - META

MICHAELA REITTERER
PRESIDENT - AUSTRIAN HOTELIERS ASSOCIATION (ÖHV)

MARCUS BERNHARDT
CEO - DEUTSCHE HOSPITALITY

FLORIAN PHLEPS
CEO - TIROL TOURIST BOARD

THOMAS EDELKAMP
CEO - ROMANTIK HOTELS & RESTAURANTS AG

MICHAEL LEVIE
FOUNDER - CITZENM

VEERLE DONDERS
CONCEPT & BRAND DIRECTOR - ZOKU

CAROLINE VON KRETSCHMANN
MANAGING DIRECTOR - HOTEL EUROPÄISCHER HOF

MICHAEL ROS
CEO & CO-FOUNDER - BIDROOM

RICHARD CASTLE
CO-FOUNDER AND COO - CLOUDBEDS

NEIL JACOBS
CEO - SIX SENSES HOTELS & RESORTS

ISABELL FUSS
GROUP VICE PRESIDENT DEVELOPMENT - RUBY HOTELS

MARLOES KNIPPENBERG
CEO - KERTEN HOSPITALITY

HAAKON HERBST
MANAGING DIRECTOR - HOTEL FRIENDS GROUP

CHRISTOPHER HARTLEY
CEO - GLOBAL HOTEL ALLIANCE (GHA)

BORIS RADKE
DIRECTOR CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE - OMIO

ANNE WAHL-POZEG
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS NORTHERN EUROPE - ACCOR

JOSHUA GAN
REGIONAL DIRECTOR ASIA/PACIFIC - EHL GROUP

DR. UELI SCHNEIDER
HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MEMBER OF THE MANAGEMENT BOARD - HOTELLERIESUISSE

KATHARINA KIENEMANN
MANAGING DIRECTOR - ALTE FÖRSTEREI

LORENZO STOLL
HEAD OF WESTERN SWITZERLAND - SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

CHALANA PERERA
HOTEL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL & HOSPITALITY ENTREPRENEUR

ROBERT HERR
GENERAL MANAGER - BÜRGENSTOCK RESORT

MICHELLE WALDER
GENERAL MANAGER - NOMAD HOTEL NEW YORK

CHI CHAN
CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER - IRECKONU

ROY HIMMELREICH
SENIOR EXECUTIVE MANAGER RELATIONSHIP MARKETING HOTEL - SIXT

TIMOTHEE SEMELIN
GLOBAL SENIOR CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING & TRANSFORMATION - ROSEWOOD HOTELS

WILHELM (WILKO) WEBER
VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL REVENUE AND DIGITAL STRATEGY - KEMPINKSI

INGRID ERAS-MAGDALENA
CHIEF OFFICER AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT - BELMOND

LUKAS PETER
HEAD OF REVENUE GLOBAL - SOHO HOUSE & CO.

PIERRE PERUSSET
GM - THE RITZ CARLTON HONG KONG

DEUTSCHER HOTEL KONGRESS 2020 – 2

DEUTSCHER HOTEL KONGRESS 2020 – 1

FRANK MARRENBACH
CEO - OETKER COLLECTION

TOBIAS WANN
CEO - OYO VACATION HOMES

TINA BRACK
GM - ELLINGTON HOTEL BERLIN

PATRIZIA ZUECK & JO-ANN LI
YOUNG HOTELIERS SUMMIT 2020

NICOLE ROSENKRANZ & IAN MILLAR
ECOLE HOTELIERE DE LAUSANNE (EHL)

GREGOR ANDREEWITCH
GM - WALDORF ASTORIA BERLIN

MARK SOMEN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER - THE CONDUIT

ADAM ROWLEDGE
MANAGING DIRECTOR - ROWLEDGE ASSOCIATES LTD.

PHILIP IBRAHIM
GM - THE SOCIAL HUB BERLIN

BEAT FORNARO
AREA DIRECTOR PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT EMEA - DESIGN HOTELS

FLORIAN MONTAG & FRITZ DICKAMP
APALEO & STUDIO49 HOSPITALITY