I was inspired by Enock's steadfast commitment to his family -- making them his ultimate priority, just as it should be. His incredible family values offer a tremendous benefit to RCI through his loyalty and dedication to serving others.
– OLIVIER CHAVY, PRESIDENT, RCI
Olivier:
Enock, it’s so good to see you again! Excited to hear from you today to share more of your story with our RCI teams around the world.
Enock:
Thank you so much.
O:
If you become CEO of RCI tomorrow, what would be your first decision and why?
E:
I would incorporate a program that would be advantageous to junior-level associates based around data and analytics to help us give the organization a leg up on the competition, particularly for those who have direct customer touchpoints.
O:
That’s great, and very important insights. Now that I have the chance, I would love to learn more about you. Can you please share a secret about you that nobody knows?
E:
I don’t watch horror movies. They don’t scare me but after I watch a movie I like to feel happy and inspired, not left shivering or disturbed. *laughs*
O:
You know what, I never watch horror movies myself, so I understand. Tell me, where is the next destination that you would like to visit with your family?
E:
I would like to visit Victoria Falls. This is ironic given that Victoria Falls is in Zimbabwe, where I am now, but I have never been and I have always really wanted to visit.
O:
I understand that it is, indeed, beautiful. If I were to ask your colleagues to give me three words to describe you, what would they say?
E:
They would say that I am quiet. Some would say that I am nerdy, and others would say strict. Strict because I tend to take a very hard stance on some things, but that is only because some things may require less flexibility.
O:
Don’t you think that being quiet is a skill because when you do speak up, you often have more thoughtful and important things to say? I say this because I remember you speaking up at the Town Hall, and what you shared was important.
E:
That is true. I also believe that when you have a chance to speak with and hear directly from a global CEO, then you should take that opportunity. Don’t wait for others to speak on your behalf.
O:
I’ve already shared with you that I was impressed by you when we first met because of your incredible commitment to your family — I think you are an amazing father and family man. Those are great values to have. I admire you a lot for that.
E:
Thank you so much. Thank you for also being understanding about my not joining you for dinner.
O:
What is the most surprising thing that you have experienced at RCI?
E:
I was blown away by how friendly everyone is. It is genuine friendliness — people are so kind. I have never experienced this before. People truly want to know how you are and if they can help you with anything.
O:
Absolutely, and I have experienced the same thing. We are part of a family here at RCI.
E:
That’s right, it is one big family!
O:
What is your long-term goal, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
E:
I hope that I will be the Chief Data Officer by then.
O:
Great goal! Other than your family, what do you always like to have or carry with you? Perhaps a cellphone, a picture, etc.?
E:
I can’t carry it with me, but I always like to have my car with me. I don’t like leaving it behind, for example when I travel.
O:
What advice would you give to someone joining RCI?
E:
Now that you have joined RCI, you can dive in all the way. Don’t hold back. Let yourself express who you are. Holding back is a missed opportunity.
O:
That’s great — Be Yourself. What is your personal motto?
E:
My motto is Love and Service. I believe love is the greatest thing on earth, and what defines us at any level. I also believe that life has a purpose, which is to be able to make your life the best it can be, but most importantly, to make the lives of others better.
O:
What is your favorite brand?
E:
I am actually not too brand focused, but I do love Toyota. I admire the fact that they provide high-quality automobiles and make them accessible so widely across the board.
O:
If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be?
E:
Barack Obama. He has inspired me greatly, and it is one of my 101 goals in life.
O:
20 years from now, what will you be the most nostalgic about?
E:
20 years from now I will have goosebumps when thinking of my children and when they were born, and holding my wife’s hand. That is an experience beyond words.
O:
Wow, so true. One piece of advice is to take time to watch them grow because time flies. One day they are a child, and the next day, you are taking them to college. It goes so fast!
E:
That is good advice, I will keep that in mind.
O:
Any questions for me, Enock?
E:
Yes. When you were in South Africa, I asked you about your direct reports. You said that you had a great group of leaders who have accomplished many things to be proud of, and that you looked forward to growing your leadership team with a couple other important roles. I’ve been following some of the updates that you share with all of us and I know that you have added some great people to the team. How has it been with your new leadership team in place over the past month or so?
O:
RCI is like many other leading brands, we don’t own assets. So what makes the value of RCI? It is the people. RCI is a company of people. I have met some amazing people with tremendous skills, loyalty, depth, and professionalism. On top of the existing team, I was able to attract additional top talent from outside. For example, your new Managing Director, Paul Mulcahy. Paul brings important leadership skills in distribution, marketing, and digital. My goal is to optimize the talents of the existing team, and wherever possible, add talent that we may not have. We’ve also added Lori Gustafson to the team. She will lead our brand refresh. And, Rob Tatum, who will oversee our technology enhancements and solutions. These leadership additions will help us stay up to date, and maintain our legacy as a pioneering brand, while bringing essential innovation to RCI. There are great people around me. They have been so dedicated and hard-working. So much has happened in my four months here. In fact, right now we are working on 18 initiatives to shift and transform the company. We have the Blueprint for Success and are focused on creating greater alignment with Wyndham Destinations, as well as making technology enhancements, strengthening our culture, modernizing our branding, and exploring strategic opportunities — some are real game-changers. We have a clear picture of where we want to go and who we want to be. We want to be the world’s leader of vacations. We want to be much more than exchanging, we want to take care of people from home-to-home. Not just for our members but for all of us (associates) as well. I want to put YOU on vacation! I want to send you to Victoria Falls by taking care of everything you need leading up to and during that special vacation that you will one day have with your family. There is so much that we can do with putting people on vacation in every aspect of their experience, from their transportation, accommodations, excursions, exclusive access to entertainment, etc. I am so excited and proud about where we are headed.
E:
That is excellent and this is definitely exciting, wow!
O:
Enock this has truly been a pleasure. Thank you for bringing your incredible values to all that you do for RCI, we are lucky to have you on the team. This was amazing!
E:
I am honored, thank you for the opportunity!
It is always so exciting to share the journeys of our associates through Coffee & Selfie, and Enock is such a refreshing talent for our RCI family. I spend a great deal of my time traveling to meet with our various teams around the world, and I wish that there was more time in a day to cover more ground. Though I have been able to connect with each of RCI’s regions, this was the first virtual Coffee & Selfie. I am pleased that distance is not a barrier, and that we can expand our ability to highlight associates near and far, even when my travels are not close-by. I hope you enjoyed learning more about Enock!
