The Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific CEO Trent Fraser and Snap-on Tools Australia managing director Ajit Ponnambalam operate very different businesses. Yet they have long tenure and brand passion in common.
With a combined half century with their current companies, these two leaders reveal in separate Spill the Biz podcasts what continues to motivate and drive them.
Snap-on Tools leader
The US mobile tool retailer Snap-on Tools operates in a niche marketplace and has been trading in Australia for 35 years. And for 31 of those years Ajit Ponnambalam has been part of the business.
So what’s the secret to the brand’s success? Is it innovation, great customer service, the values at the heart of the business?
In this podcast, Ajit reveals what motivates him after all this time with one brand. He shares his view of leadership, explains what led him to take up a business career, and why the Snap-on brand is still delivering for its customers and its franchisees.
Choice Hotels boss
Trent Fraser leads the business across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India with responsibilities that include managing master partner relationships with Choice Hotels Japan and area representatives in China.
It seems he was destined to carve out a career in the accommodation industry and he has stayed dedicated and inspired by everything the hotel world has to offer, notching up a stellar 20+ years at Choice.
Trent talks in this podcast about early responsibilities, continual challenges in progressive roles, disruption in the hotel sector, and the importance of meeting changing customer expectations.
He reveals his perspective on leadership, and why the charismatic lone wolf figurehead is out of date in today’s corporate world.
