Jan. 5, 2026

"Calmxiety": Leading Hospitality Through AI with Clarity - Monika Nerger

In this episode, Monika Nerger, former Group Global Chief Information Officer at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, shares a leadership perspective on AI in hospitality. Drawing on her experience leading global digital transformation—and her current immersion in the AI and technology ecosystem in San Francisco—Monika introduces the concept of “calmxiety”: the tension leaders feel between urgency and uncertainty. She shares why trust, foundations, and clarity matter more than rushing into tools, how to think about AI investment and partners, and why human service remains central to hospitality.

Resources:

Previous podcast with Monika: How We Led Digital Transformation at Mandarin Oriental by Putting Brand First (Watch on YouTube)
HTNG (Hospitality Technology Next Generation)
Destination AI
Decentralized Identity Foundation
AI Daily Brief
CyberWire Daily

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

Chapters

00:00 - Intro

02:22 - "Calmxiety"

03:31 - Experimentation

04:54 - Investment

06:09 - Chatbots

06:44 - Service

07:17 - Trust

08:35 - Problem-solving

08:52 - Vendors

10:36 - Vibe-coding