We’ve said this before—
Hospitality doesn’t have a turnover problem.
It has a culture alignment problem.
But here’s the part the industry still tiptoes around:
Most executive search models are making it worse.
For decades, the dominant approach has been built on three pillars:
• Speed
• Résumés
• Placement
Fill the role quickly.
Match experience on paper.
Move on to the next search.
And on the surface, it works.
Until it doesn’t.
Because what looks right on paper often fails in practice.
Not because the leader lacked capability—
But because they were misaligned from day one.
Misaligned with the culture.
Misaligned with leadership expectations.
Misaligned with how decisions actually get made inside the operation.
And when that happens, the cost isn’t just financial.
It shows up in:
• Leadership turnover
• Cultural drift
• Inconsistent member and guest experience
• Erosion of trust across teams
The problem isn’t talent.
It’s the model.
Most firms evaluate candidates in isolation—
Instead of evaluating how they will operate inside your environment.
That’s where the approach must evolve.
At MJ Executive Hospitality Group, we don’t start with the candidate.
We start with the organization.
We define:
• What leadership actually looks like in your environment
• How decisions are made under pressure
• What cultural alignment truly requires—not just what’s written on a wall
Only then do we identify the leader.
Because the right leader in the wrong environment will fail.
But the right leader in the right environment will transform everything.
This is the difference between placement and partnership.
Between filling a role and building a future.
The next era of executive search won’t be defined by speed.
It will be defined by precision—
and by the organizations willing to demand it.
More to come…….
Dr. Michael Vlad – Partner / Co-founder
Joseph Travaglio, CCM – Partner / Co-founder
