"Be Courageous" with Vivin Kuriakose

At Marriott, our Leadership Essentials — Be Curious, Be Courageous, and Be Connected — are pillars we use to guide our efforts and continue to Grow Forward.

Vivin Kuriakose , General Manager of the Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center , recently brought to life our "Be Courageous" Leadership Essential through the hotel's new Tiki Bar and Grill restaurant.

The grand opening was a huge success — and an even bigger party! Debuted at the beginning of Asian & Pacific Islander Month, the Tiki Bar and Grill opening event featured a collection of esteemed guests, including state governors and senators, Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce members, and Mayor Jud Ashman, who declared May 1 as “Gaithersburg Marriott Tiki Bar and Grill Day.”

Vivin shares his secret to embodying courage in his career — and his family life:

At Marriott, one of our Leadership Essentials is to “Be Courageous.” What role has courage played in your career?

"My Marriott career journey as a junior manager was shaped by great mentors and role models like Rajeev Menon and Neeraj Govil, who both exemplified the leadership trait to 'Be Courageous.'

"They instilled in me the spirt of entrepreneurship, including how to act like the owner of my restaurant or hotel to continue to drive results. This has helped me lead by example in my current role, as well and motivate my hotel team. In addition, “Be Courageous” is a family value that we ask of my two daughters, who are 15 and 10."

You recently opened the Tiki Bar and Grill at your hotel. Tell us more about the process.?

"I have always believed that having a strong food and beverage reputation in the local market will help drive incremental catering and room night business for the hotel. The outdoor patio with stunning views of the lake presented us with a huge untapped opportunity.

"I am also lucky to have the best talent on property in Executive Chef Bea, and Dijlith, Senior Food & Beverage Manager, who were on board with my idea of activating the space. When we sat together to brainstorm, we unanimously wanted to bring together a concept that would be unique to our location, as well as be in-trend for the summer ahead of us.

"The process took a year of planning, weekly calls, and the dedication of our highly focused team, but we were supported by the corporate food and beverage team from Marriott HQ and our owners, Host Hotels & Resorts ."

How did opening the Tiki Bar and Grill require you to be courageous?

"Opening a new food and beverage outlet required lot of courage because they are usually lower-profit-margin drivers. In addition, in our location, the concept had to have — and deliver on — a unique selling point to increase in top line revenue and drive profitability. We never lost sight of our goal to make the Tiki Bar and Grill the best outdoor patio bar in the DMV."

How do you inspire your associates and leaders to be courageous in their careers?

"My role on property is to be the 'Challenger.' I always encourage my leaders to set aggressive goals, and once we achieve them, shift the goal post. I am a competitive person by nature, and when I hire managers into my team, that’s one of the traits that I look for."?

What advice do you have for someone looking to take a risk in their career?

"Life and work’s best learnings come from failure, so you always win, even if you take risks and fail."