As Managing Director of Ascott Australasia, David Mansfield steers a diverse portfolio that includes Quest Apartment Hotels, Citadines, lyf, Oakwood and Oakwood Premier. Here, he shares his core belief: for true, sustainable success, supporting the local community and Ascott staff is as vital as serving guests.
In 2022, Ascott Australia implemented its Gender Equality Policy at head office. What is this policy and why was it important?
We have a really progressive parental leave policy and I am extremely proud of it. At Ascott Australia, we offer 24 weeks of paid parental leave, including superannuation, for all employees at corporate office; 10 days paid leave for pregnancy loss support; six days paid fertility treatment leave; and six days paid menopause and menstrual leave per year. We created this policy because we understand the necessity of supporting career continuity for women. People deserve this support.
Effective gender equality isn’t just about supporting women; it’s about creating flexibility for everyone. How do your policies help normalise shared family responsibilities?
That’s exactly right. And that’s why our 24 weeks of paid parental leave, including superannuation, is for all employees. I was really pleased to hear that after we implemented it, the first person who applied for it was a dad-to-be.
Let’s talk initiatives beyond the corporate office. Ascott Australia has a number of environmental and community programs in action. Can you talk us through some of those?
Over the past several years, we have worked hard to strengthen our ESG initiatives. In 2020, we began partnering on the You Can Stay program with Sony Foundation to offer regional and rural youth with cancer a place to stay when seeking treatment in our cities. They are able to stay at Quest properties at no cost to themselves. We’ve also partnered with Hotels for Trees, which enables guests staying at participating property across our portfolio to skip a room clean, the savings from which help plant a tree.
We have a long-standing partnership with Housing All Australians and have subsidised a project manager for the organisation while helping fit out shelters for people experiencing homelessness. We work with Project Net Zero, an Indigenous-owned and operated organisation that de-fits hotels and repurposes the furniture to community organisations in need, and this year we launched a three-year partnership with Foodbank Australia. It kicked off with a $15,000 donation, and Quest properties from around Australia have been taking part in volunteering days in Foodbank warehouses.
Partnerships sound key here. Can you tell us about the importance of the partners you work with in helping you achieve your goals?
Our partners are vital. We’re experts in hospitality, and they are experts in their space, with decades of experience in social and environmental impact. Our understanding of that is our starting point. We ask them, what do you need to do the work you’re doing? And how can we help? The partners we choose are able to report on the impact our involvement is having, and that’s really important to us.
I’ll also add that even in the case of our more commercial partnerships, we still look for ways to make a difference in the community – our sponsorship of the Cronulla Sharks is an example of this. Quest’s logo is on the shorts of the NRL players, but what really got us over the line on this sponsorship was the opportunity to be the front of jersey sponsor for the NRL Women’s team – these athletes dedicate themselves to their sport and breaking barriers, and that really resonates with Quest’s commitment to fostering growth and empowering communities. We’re also very proud to be the official Community Partner of the Sharks Have Heart community program.
Quest is a franchise model. How do you get enthusiastic buy-in for ESG initiatives from franchisees?
Our franchisees are passionate local business owners. They are embedded in their communities and care deeply about serving those communities. These business owners are the drivers of our Quest for a Cause program, which supports local charities via fundraising, volunteering and donations. There are a lot of standout examples but the one that comes to mind first is our business owners of Quest Preston, Epping and Geelong Central – Ky and Mark O’Shea. They recently hosted their third annual Quest for a Cause Golf Day, raising more than $36,000 for two local charities. If that wasn’t impressive enough, 19 Quest properties took part.
In what ways have you seen the company’s focus on social responsibility positively impact your team culture and morale?
We have a brand belief: “Everyone deserves a place to be themselves. We create moments that matter.” Our brand belief is very important to all of us, and it’s brought to life by embedding a culture of care into every facet of our operations. Since we’ve been on this journey, the feedback I have had from team members has been incredibly positive – people are proud to work here and they are proud to promote the partnerships we’re entering into. At a property level, our Franchise Sentiment Survey is telling us the same thing – our score is nearly 20% higher than the sector benchmark. And I anticipate that as we continue to enter into partnerships that make an impact for the communities we operate in and the environment we all share, this enthusiasm will only climb higher.