Recounting a recent incident when his 12-year-old daughter plucked out one of his chest hairs (she mistook it for a loose thread, not realising it was an innocent follicle) Philip Barnes, regional vice-president of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, finds another opportunity to emphasise his two greatest passions – time with family and a comfortable environment to spend it in.
This startling little discovery still sends his daughter into fits
of giggles.
And it's these unpredictable family adventures and memories that make life wonderful for Philip, who is currently overseeing Palm Island, home to two Fairmont Resorts and several Fairmont branded residential developments, including a Fairmont Heritage Place.
His adventure began years ago in an airplane at Heathrow airport. He left England as a young man, compelled by the opportunity to explore the world. After landing in Chicago, he moved to Houston where he found something that would change his life forever: an American wife. (Quite a souvenir!)
Not long after the young couple wed, they were off for more uncharted international adventure.
A path that neither could have predicted nor, as they look back, could've been planned more perfectly. Their life's itinerary has seen residence and work in as many cities around the globe as there are Fairmont Hotels. And Philip's work could not have been better tailored to suit his passion to explore the world and understand new cultures.
He has spent a career being the foreigner, the stranger in a strange land. And in country after country, conversation after conversation, he has learned to value the time, thoughts and needs of those around him. The result: an organic integration of his personal and professional values. That, and an ever-growing appreciation for the necessity of having a healthy sense of humour!
Now, with three kids, two dogs, a cat and a closet full of guitars that just don't seem to be able to produce sounds properly, Philip and his wife marvel at their journey thus far.
Recently, Friday was able to cross paths with the busy executive. Gazing out of the office windows over the burgeoning wonder that is Dubai, Philip let us in on some of what he's learned during his career to date.
I
I never imagined I would land in Dubai. But then again, I never thought I would land in Singapore, Sydney, Auckland, Houston, New York, Toronto, Vancouver or any of the other places that I've lived.
Everything that has happened has been a bit of a blur and I wouldn't redirect a single step of the path that has led me here. I hope I continue to have the energy to keep doing what I'm doing, because I love it and I want to keep experiencing all these different things.
I often wake up and feel the need to pinch myself. I was born in what is effectively subsidised housing in the northwest of England. My career has taken me around the planet and I've got a fabulous wife and three kids. I wake up and say, "How did that happen?"
I'm continually stunned by how well it's panned out so far. I think that when you wake up in the morning and you find yourself in a strange country with a whole new experience going on around you, if you don't stop and think, "Boy am I ever lucky!", then there's something wrong with you.
I believe you can hold the world in your palm if you have the right attitude. To put it simply, I think everything you do in life is about attitude. If you're positive and upbeat and you've got energy, enthusiasm and most importantly a sense of humour, you can pretty much go anywhere you want or do anything you want.
With that, flexibility and acceptance are critical. Having travelled the world and been in a variety of places, I'd say don't expect that people are going to adapt to you; you must adapt to them.
I am convinced every dream is a reality in waiting because you can make your dreams come true if you really believe in them. Think of ways to make them happen and take action.
I will not make room for complacency, not in terms of what I do, how passionate I am about the things I do, or the energy and enthusiasm that goes into what I do. If you don't want to do something well, don't bother doing it.
I don't believe in regrets. If you go through life with regrets, you're always looking over your shoulder, and I don't believe you should do that.
You make decisions as you go through life; you make them in the best-qualified way that you can, and you move on. If you find out it was the wrong decision, so be it. You made the right decision at the time. That's the way the world works – regrets will only pull you down.
I am fascinated by how different people view the world and how people from one part of the world view something in a completely different way. I find that absolutely fascinating.
Gaining an understanding of other cultures around the world is the most wonderful thing you can do.
I am least impressed by anything that is of a poor quality or effort. It may be in construction, service delivery or quality of a product, but I find it very frustrating when that thing doesn't live up to your expectations because somebody simply hasn't put in enough effort.
I have six guitars and a lot more equipment than talent! I have something like 15,000 songs on my iPod, most of which my kids listen to and go, "Whoa! What is this stuff?" If I wasn't doing this and if I had the talent and ability, making it in music would have been my dream. I have a brother-in-law who is one of those people who can pick up any instrument and play it in about 15 minutes. Show off!
Me
Me and the most important corner I turned
The most important thing I ever did was to move to Chicago. I was in my early twenties and had to decide to leave the UK, my family and friends behind. I had to find my way in a big alien city with a whole different culture. It was frightening and scary.
I remember sitting on the plane, on the tarmac at Heathrow, looking out the window wondering, 'Will I ever come back here?' As it happened, I didn't. I've never really lived in the UK since. But in that moment I knew, "This is something I've got to do.
It's something I've really got to try. And I'm leaving everything behind for the time being. And it could be permanent."
It's that defining moment in your life when you realise that you want to take it as far as you can, which is why we've lived in all the places we've lived.
Me and my relationship with this planet
When you've got three kids, as I do, you have to change your perspective. You need to notice things you didn't pay any attention to years ago because you have to think about what's coming. I'm not getting up on a soapbox and preaching environmental issues, but you've got to be aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it. You have to think about what the future may hold beyond you. You're down here, and it's a one shot deal, not a rehearsal. You have to give value back in one way or another.
Me and my most cherished memories
I have four cherished memories: the day I got married and the day each of my kids arrived. I can't think of anything that makes me more complete than having the balance of an incredibly supportive wife who moves around the world with me and sticks by me with all this stuff life throws our way as well as three kids who constantly challenge me in every way. They are wonderful, perpetual generators of the most precious memories.
Me, my family and the journey we're on
I met my wife, Heidi, when I was general manager for Four Seasons in Houston, Texas. She was in the hotel business because her family had a small hotel. Right after we got married, the hotel sold and we moved to Singapore. My wife had never lived outside the US and all of a sudden we're transplanted to another part of the world, but you have to embrace it.
Two sons came along, both born in Singapore, before we moved to New Zealand where our daughter arrived. After that we moved to Australia, and then to Vancouver, Canada.
We could've stayed in Vancouver but we felt that coming here and bringing them here was the best thing we could've done. Who knows what their futures hold? But what they will always be able to do is travel the world in comfort and confidence.
Their friends come from all parts of the world. They can go into any environment and mix with a whole different group of people. That is a great talent. It's most important that children become citizens of the world, not just their country.
Me, you, them: we all must come together
I'm a big believer in finding ways to give back. I'm fortunate to work for a company that believes in the same too. You, as the individual, must find a way to take that privilege and run with it. For example, the hotel here does a lot of work within the community, and when I'm engaged in it, I just get a huge charge out of it.
When we were in Vancouver, I was on the board of the school and on the board of the tourism authority. These are time-consuming jobs, taking time away from everything else you are doing. But if you're going to be complete, you have to give back.
Me and the 24 hours in a day
My days are pretty frantic. I'm usually up around 5.30am and I try to go for a swim. If I'm not travelling, I get to the office around 7.30am and it's packed with meetings, e-mails and phone calls. I usually get home around 7pm. If the kids aren't bogged down with schoolwork, we get to sit and have dinner as a family. After days like this, I'm in bed by 10!
I get up in the morning wanting to go to work. I'm stimulated by work, and I love what I do. I've been dong this for over 30 years in one form or another, in the same industry. I'm at my worst if I don't have a jammed schedule. The stimulus for me is knowing that there's a lot to get done.
Me and my lifetime, a chisel and the shape
The thing that is most important to me is that our children look at us and say, "Thanks." Everything else is irrelevant. Yes, a successful professional career is exciting, but as we've seen in the last 50 years, companies come and companies go.
Today, if you asked my kids, "How do you feel about coming to Dubai and will you thank your mom and dad for that?" Well, they'd say, "No!" But Heidi and I think that in a few years' time they will. That is the most important thing you can leave behind.
Me when I am upset
It can go one of two ways: I can go very quiet and not say very much or I can do a little bit of jumping up and down. My kids make me do the jumping up and down, I must admit. But otherwise it's usually the former. When I'm upset about something, my wife only has to look in my eyes and she can read the story right there. She knows me better than anybody.
Generally though, I'm a pretty positive, upbeat person with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. When things are going really well, my sense of humour comes to the forefront and takes over in everything that I'm doing, work-wise or personal.
Myself
What do you want your home to be like, ideally?
My home is already what I want my home to be like. It is a home, not a showpiece. It gets pretty frantic around there at times, but it's comfortable and relaxing. People come over and have dinner. We entertain more at home than anything else. My greatest joy is collapsing in front of the TV room on a Saturday evening with the kids and watching a movie together.
From here, if you have to look afar, where would you like your eyes to rest?Heidi and I have not really planned out our lives. I think that's been one of the really exciting things about it. We've taken opportunities as they've arisen.
There are some places that we've lived and absolutely loved – we loved Sydney and Vancouver. But in terms of what the future will hold… hey, half the fun of it is finding out as you go along!
What is more challenging: building a team or project?
Building a team. A team can build a project in a heartbeat, but if you don't have the right team, the project will never get off the ground. I think teams are about putting people together who are like-minded, who share common philosophies and views.
A good team is a group of people who have the same goals and aspirations in terms of what they want to do with the project. If a small group of like-minded, motivated individuals work together well, there's no limit to what can be accomplished!
Would you say Dubai is a reality that surpasses every dream or a dream that outmatches reality?
I think Dubai is making a name for itself as the destination that everyone wants to visit, and it's done a phenomenal job of getting everybody's attention. The question will be, and
it's the question for every destination: can that momentum carry forward? Everything we are seeing tells us
it can.
What puts a smile in your heart for no reason at all?
The things my kids come up with. They have me howling. My daughter is 12. She was sitting in my lap the other night and decided there was a thread hanging out of my shirt, so she yanked on it. It wasn't a thread, it was a hair on my chest. She is still laughing about that. With all the kids, for both Heidi and me, it's the things they do that you can't help but smile at.
