Aug. 19, 2025

Labor, Leadership & Leveling Up: How Michael Escalante Went from Aerospace Engineer to Hilton's Global VP of Operational Excellence

Labor, Leadership & Leveling Up: How Michael Escalante Went from Aerospace Engineer to Hilton's Global VP of Operational Excellence

Michael Escalante took an unexpected path from aerospace engineering to hospitality, eventually serving as Hilton’s Global VP for the Center of Operational Excellence and the President of Operational Effectiveness at Hotel Asset Value Enhancement (hotelAVE). Today, he's the CEO and founder of R5 Hospitality Solutions. In this conversation, he shares how scientific thinking and people-first leadership helped him uncover hidden value, improve service, and deliver millions in labor savings across hundreds of hotels.

See Michael's posts on LinkedIn

Resource from Actabl: The Future of Hotel Labor Management: A Smarter, People-First Approach to Profitability

A few more resources:

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands