Interview with Liz Healey, Director of Comms & Brand Partnerships at The Peninsula London

Liz Healey is the Director of Communications and Brand Partnerships for The Peninsula London and joined the team a few months prior to opening, in July 2023.

Prior to joining Peninsula Hotels, Liz spent four and a half years at The PC Agency as Director of Luxury. During her tenure, Liz managed a diverse clientele, including boutique hotels, luxury tour operators, a high-end villa company, and a private aviation operator. 

Before her time at The PC Agency,  Liz held the position of PR at The Hari, Belgravia. Prior to that, she served as the PR and Social Media Manager for Dorchester Collection's UK Hotels, which encompass The Dorchester, 45 Park Lane, and Coworth Park, accumulating a total of four years in that role. 

 

1. The Peninsula London is a stunning addition to London’s hotel landscape - can you share the story of what inspired you to pursue a career in Communications & PR in luxury hospitality?

At university I spent a lot of my holiday time doing work experience to try and work out what I could eventually do with my history degree. The possibilities were endless, but I knew I wanted to work in an environment that wasn’t all office based, moved at a fast pace and no two days would be the same. I pursued work experience in celebrity comms first, then realised I should do what I had a passion for and that was travel & hospitality, and I haven’t looked back. Luxury hospitality offers a blend of cultural immersion, travel and new experiences, all whilst feeling that you are working with a big welcoming family.

 

2. What’s been the most significant moment or milestone in your professional journey that has led to where you are today?

My first role in-house with The Dorchester was a significant moment for me. I was keen to have some in-house experience after a year or so in agency, and I was swept away with the remarkable talent I worked with day to day. I couldn’t believe names like Alain Ducasse, Wolfgang Puck and Adam Smith were chefs I had the privilege to work with.

 

3. In the highly competitive world of travel and hospitality how do you continue to stay up-to-speed and open to change? 

Stay true to your brand values and your brand pillars and recognise what sets your offering apart from the competitors when embracing change. There is so much incredible development in technology allowing us to reach far flung destinations from our desk at home, as well as new ways of working with digital platforms and of course, social media allows us to have an ongoing conversation and dialogue with our guests and potential customers like never beforelike never before.

 

4. Effective leadership often involves taking risks. But what role do you believe risk-taking plays in achieving success?

Risks allow you to keep innovating and growing whether as that is as a person, as a leader or as a brand. You need to set clear goals as to what you want to achieve and assess each risk as it comes to ensure you are making good decisions and progress.  Leaders who take risks learn valuable lessons, regardless of the outcome.

 

5. What is your communication philosophy, and how do you use this to inspire and motivate those around you?

My philosophy centres on empathy, clarity and transparency. I want to ensure my messaging is clear and concise, that I’ve set goals and expectations but also that as a leader my team feel they can have an open dialogue with me and trust me to have everyone’s interests at heart.

 

6. People say in communication that creativity is key. But how do you personally help foster a culture of innovation and ideas through your work?

It’s been an incredible opportunity to be innovative with the opening of a new hotel. We’ve been able to really take the time to sit and think about the way we want to present ourselves to the outside world. Regular brainstorming is key, giving the team the freedom to explore different opportunities. As is keeping up with what the market trends are, what other luxury brands are doing and recognising where our strengths are and capitalising on them.

 

7. Can you share a specific setback in your career, and how you utilised that experience to learn, grow and improve?

I felt Covid was a huge setback both personally and professionally for me, but it was important to recognise the new time & space I had whilst on furlough for six weeks to just take a break and reflect. Covid was a horrendous time for hospitality and when some brands were thriving, others were facing uncertainty, and it required a significant amount of creativity to help brands navigate their way through it. It will cause repercussions in our industry for some time yet, with tourism still not yet recovered in some destinations to the levels it was pre-pandemic.

 

8. Leaders often face challenges in balancing work and personal life. How do you manage this balance, and what strategies do you use to prevent burnout?

I’ve really learnt to avoid talking about a work life balance as if they need to always be equal and instead think about work – life harmony or integration. Finding a rhythm that recognises it’s a benefit for me to consume media outlets for my personal growth as well as my professional, understanding that holidays allow me to disconnect from work, but I can also use this time to explore other hospitality brands at my own pace around the globe. Day to day, I know that my team work as one unit and recognise between us that we can cover our working hours effectively so that if one team member is working late, another starts early, and we utilise flexible working hours where we can.

 

9. What advice do you have for individuals aspiring to follow in your footsteps? Are there key principles or lessons you wish you had known when starting your journey in communications and PR?

Consume all types of media, both print and digital publications to social media channels as well as podcast and broadcast. The world is always innovating on ways to communicate and it’s important we recognise this. If I could start again I’d have spent more time in the ecommerce and digital side understanding more about keywords / SEO and how to use the data that ecommerce analytics offer.

 

10. And finally, given your knowledge of luxury hospitality and London, do you have any recommendations for things to do or visit this summer in the UK capital?

There is no better time to visit London than summer, it’s quieter on the roads, the weather is better and with the sun shining our beautiful buildings really bloom. I would recommend coming for a drink at The Peninsula London in Brooklands Bar where we have a rooftop terrace, but also take the time to enjoy the incredible burst of new restaurant openings that we’ve had in London. As well as doing all the touristy things we offer from a river ride on the Uber boat, to a cycle in Hyde Park on a Santander Bike or a stroll through Little Venice.