Piotr Truty: Director Key Accounts Luxury, Banyan Group

Early foundations & global perspective

You began your career in property-level roles before moving into regional and global sales leadership. What did those early operational years teach you that still shapes how you lead today?

Certainly, two really important learnings that are embedded within me since my time on property are as follows.

Humility and credibility

Humility – You develop a visceral sense of what “service” really means and that sense of duty in serving someone is so incredibly rewarding. I wasn’t appreciative of it at the time but now later in my career, as a regional and global leader, you don’t romanticize the work — you respect and remember those moments where your service meant something to someone. That keeps your decisions practical rather than theoretical and there are expectations and standards that you then uphold of yourself and others.

Credibility – People follow leaders who “get it.” When you’ve done the work yourself, you earn trust faster. You also stay humble, because you remember what it felt like to be part of that team and contributing to the success of the hotel and business.

You studied tourism management in the UK but your career has unfolded across multiple cultures and markets. How has that cross-border experience influenced your understanding of luxury?

Never in my time during my degree at Bournemouth University did I think I would be where I am today and I feel so fortunate to have seen the much of the world in the industry I feel so passionate about and the opportunities it has given me.

Working across the different cultures and markets that I have in my career so far teaches you that luxury is not one story; it’s a collection of narratives shaped by history, values, and social expectations but most importantly you start to see that “luxury” isn’t a fixed aesthetic or a universal checklist — it’s a cultural language. And every market speaks it differently.

Looking back, what do you think most shaped your commercial instincts;  education, mentorship, travel, or lived experience on property?

I certainly think my early years with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts was a great “school” where I was able learn the fundamentals of hotel sales from so many different people who were all so different in personality and how they would carry out their day to day.

Was there a defining early moment in your career when you realised hospitality would be more than simply a profession for you?

There are so many moments, which have been recognised through “Thank You” letters, emails and tokens of appreciation which were never expected but I have as memory and knowing that I carried out my duty and created a memory and experience for that guest and client.

When I read those letters or look at the tokens of appreciation and recognition I remind myself that that hospitality isn’t just about service—it’s about creating spaces where people feel cared for, understood, and uplifted. It has became more than a profession; it has became something I have wanted to and continue to dedicate myself to.”

Leadership, transition & identity

After nearly a decade with Kempinski, you recently stepped into a new chapter with Banyan Group. How did you know it was time to turn that page?

After almost ten years with Kempinski, the decision wasn’t about leaving something behind so much as recognising that I’d taken everything I could from that chapter. I’d grown with the company, contributed to projects I’m genuinely proud of, and learned from people who shaped me. But over time, I felt the balance shift. The challenges that once stretched me became familiar, and the opportunities I was excited about increasingly lay outside the organisation rather than within it.

At the same time, Banyan Group represented a direction that resonated with where I wanted to go next — a more entrepreneurial environment, a sharper focus on wellbeing and sustainability, and a chance to build rather than maintain. When your personal trajectory and a company’s future vision line up that clearly, it becomes less a leap and more a natural step forward.

So it wasn’t about walking away. It was about walking toward something that matched the leader I’ve become and the one I still want to grow into.

When you leave a long chapter behind, what do you consciously carry forward; and what do you choose to leave behind?

The truths you discovered about yourself, what energises you, what drains you, what you value, what you can no longer pretend to tolerate. Self-knowledge is one of the few things that compounds.

How has your definition of leadership evolved from your early management roles to your current global-facing responsibilities?

It hasn’t, my fundamental principles and values remain the same as they did 18 years ago – Approachable, Caring, Consistent, Disciplined, Supportive, Willing to go further.

You’ve spoken about brand story and legacy. How important is emotional connection; to a brand, to a team, to a place, in sustaining long-term leadership?

At Banyan Group we serve with a mission and purpose and that is centered on responsible travel, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment which powers peoples emotions now at more than any other time, there is a real meaning to that and we live that in the journey we take as a company every day.

Competitors can copy features, pricing, even distribution. They can’t easily copy meaning.

Luxury, responsibility & guest experience

Luxury hospitality speaks often about personalisation. But inclusivity is discussed far less. At what point in your career did you begin to notice that luxury wasn’t always designed with every guest in mind?

When I first met with Richard Thompson from 360 Private Travel, he opened my eyes and my mind that luxury wasn’t always designed with every guest in mind and with good conscious, that encounter and FAM trip we travelled together on will always remain with me so many reasons.

Many leaders haven’t yet identified the critical importance of conscious guest inclusivity in luxury hospitality. How or why did you?

Leaders often overlook conscious guest inclusivity in luxury hospitality because, for decades, “luxury” was defined by exclusivity—scarcity, gatekeeping, and a certain sameness in who the industry imagined its ideal guest to be. If you’ve recognised its critical importance, it’s usually because you’ve seen something others haven’t: that the very definition of luxury has shifted, and the guests shaping the future don’t fit the old mould and that small changes make such incredible differences to their experience.

Was there a specific guest interaction, cultural experience or piece of feedback that sharpened your awareness of who luxury can unintentionally exclude?

Yes, again I refer to my experience with Richard in St Moritz and Engelberg where I witnessed first-hand the unintentional exclusion from a hotel and from an experience perspective. It really has changed my perspective and made my more conscious of this.

In your view, why has the wider industry been slower to recognise inclusivity as central; rather than peripheral, to luxury?

Yes, of course it has, but society as a whole is still slow to recognise this in my opinion as well.

Do you believe inclusivity stems more from policy, leadership mindset, or lived diversity within teams?

From a hotel and personal perspective, I believe it’s more from an educational piece as we are so unaware of the conditions that are hidden and not physical in terms of hotel guest recognition, we shouldn’t need to ask, we should know and be able to adapt.

Where do you think the emotional impact of making someone feel genuinely considered is still underestimated?

Every guest should be treated the same, the genuine warmth and hospitality of a luxury hotel should stem in the approach and the personality of the staff in making that guest feel as welcome and included as possible.

Luxury shouldn’t be asked for or sought it should be authentic and unexpected.

Commercial leaders are often removed from day-to-day guest interaction. How can sales and strategic roles influence more inclusive guest experiences from behind the scenes?

A good commercial leader should be visible in the day-to-day property operations, we all have a duty of care to our guests and clients, and this can’t be provided if you’re not with the team who see, feel and interact with the guests.

Brand philosophy & purpose

Banyan Group positions itself as a “brand for good.” What does that phrase mean to you personally, beyond sustainability messaging?

That it is a brand that delivers on that message in every hotel in our guest experience.

In today’s luxury landscape, do you think purpose is becoming a commercial advantage, or a moral necessity?

Neither, I can’t think of another brand or chain whose purpose and mission is talked about as much as there hotels and new openings.

How do you balance revenue ambition with authenticity in storytelling?

People are willing to pay for an experience they don’t necessarily know they want yet and the element of surprise and the unexpected is what makes it worthwhile.

The most meaningful brands often feel coherent across markets. What makes a brand feel culturally intelligent rather than simply globally replicated?

By being true to its mission, purpose and its core beliefs. It knows where its come from and it remembers what it was meant to provide.

Commercial strategy & evolving luxury

How has the definition of luxury changed since you began your career?

There are so just so many brands now that offer a different feeling of luxury, there is something for everyone now.

What do you believe affluent travellers are seeking now that they weren’t ten years ago?

Authentic and longer experiences in more unique destinations.

Do you think the next frontier of luxury lies more in experience, in values, or in emotional reassurance?

Experience

In times of uncertainty, what anchors commercial strategy – data, instinct, or dialogue?

A good team who work together and have the same mission and purpose.

Personal reflection

When have you felt most proud in your career, and why?

When I could take my parents on Holiday to say thank you for raising me and giving me the opportunities and life I have now.

What misconception about luxury hospitality would you most like to challenge?

That it’s a career that’s frowned upon here in the UK and not considered a career worth pursuing. Hospitality is an art form and offers the opportunity to bring and showcase your personality to the world.

What do you hope people say about your leadership style when you’re not in the room?

That I lead by example and am always available and never too busy to help.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self entering the industry, what would it be?

I wish I would have started a journal to record everything I did.

Quickfire with Piotr

First thing you clock in a hotel: lighting, scent or energy? Scent.

Window seat or aisle? Aisle (ALWAYS ).

Carry-on minimalist or “just in case” packer? Just in Case, Running gear essential.

A hotel detail most guests miss? The Concierge Desk.

City break or barefoot escape? Barefoot escape, clear blue water.

One destination that keeps calling you back? New Zealand.

Best business lesson learned over dinner? I can’t please everybody; I can only do my best and that should be enough.

Coffee meeting or walking meeting? Coffee meeting, early morning also.

The most underrated luxury in travel? The complimentary Upgrade, either on a plane or at a hotel, it changes your mood and feeling.

A hotel soundtrack you secretly love. Live Music in a hotel bar, a piano, a live performance with a drink and enjoying the music.

Early check-in or late checkout – which feels more indulgent? Early check-in, especially after an early morning flight or overnight flight.

If not hospitality, what would you be doing? Airport Operations (I secretly loved the BBC programs about Airport Operations a long time ago)

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