Rodney, thanks for joining us! To kick things off, can you share how you first got started in hospitality?

After high school, I was given the opportunity to attend the Air Force Academy. However, a car accident shortly after graduation shifted the course of my career. I began working in a hotel, starting in the finance department counting cash. It didn’t take long for me to realize that finance wasn’t where my passion lay. That realization led me to pursue a degree in technology, setting me on the path I’m on today.

I wasn't a video game kid or cared for computers but once I had a computer, I taught myself how to use it, and I fell in love with technology. It was just very odd that I went from wanting to be a pilot to being an IT guy. I never imagined I would be into computers.

That’s quite the journey – you never know where life will lead you. In your current role as a tech leader, where do your best innovation ideas come from, and how do you decide what to pursue?

I closely follow consumer trends – particularly those that enhance comfort and convenience at home – and look for ways to translate them into the hospitality space. While some hotels still rely on basic amenities like traditional light switches, we’ve implemented smart technologies that allow guests to control lighting and other functions with a single touch. My focus is on identifying innovative residential and non-hospitality solutions that can be adapted to elevate the guest experience across our properties.

I'm not trying to make a George Jetson room, rather I'm more looking at making technology stand in relevance to what guests are expecting. The technology we put into guest rooms is based off what residential is doing today, everybody wants to be simplistic in their homes. Why not in hospitality? I’ve invested significant time in researching commercial AI and emerging technologies. Events like CES are a major source of inspiration for me – they offer insight into what’s coming next and how it could apply to hospitality. I also stay connected with other hoteliers to understand what innovations they’re exploring, and I carefully evaluate whether those solutions align with Nobu’s vision and guest experience standards.

Speaking of innovation, what's one of the most successful technology initiatives that you've led and what's next on your roadmap

Over the past year, the most impactful technology innovation I led was the implementation of Zero Trust architecture in partnership with Aruba HPE. I pursued this initiative for several reasons, with security being the top priority – especially given the high-profile clientele we serve at our hotels. Zero Trust was relatively new to the hospitality sector, but I recognized a strong opportunity to adapt and scale it effectively within our environment. Through close collaboration with Aruba HPE, Cybertek, and WorldVue, we successfully built a secure, scalable framework that sets a new standard for hospitality cybersecurity.

For the future roadmap, I'd love to give you an idea of what we’re doing, but if I did, then I'd have competition. But let's say this: I think every hotelier is going to say that AI is the roadmap of the future of hotels. I think there's a good chance that AI will have a better impact on how we perform in different ways.

You mentioned AI in your roadmap discussion. How are you specifically incorporating AI into your overall technology strategy at Nobu?

I'm not 100% behind AI but openminded, and for this reason I think the use of AI is to help amplify human services – but it's not to replace human services. As a luxury lifestyle experience, it comes from blending innovative technology and genuine hospitality. AI itself as a tool will help us be more intelligent, more sensitive, and it will
give us a grander scale of how we operate effectively and efficiently. But humans do that just as well. I believe AI will play a key role in streamlining operations and offering insights into areas we may overlook as humans. As we continue to train and interact with AI, we’ll also gain a better understanding of the gaps in our own processes and where we can improve.

That said, I do have concerns about the growing dependence on AI in every aspect of what we do. While I see its value, I’m not fully convinced that relying heavily on AI is always the right path. It’s important that we maintain a balance – AI should enhance human capability, not replace it. Ultimately, it’s a tool to help us become more efficient and effective, not a substitute for human service. I know some of my constituents in the industry are really trying to focus on an AI model, but they're bigger than us, and having a bigger box makes it harder for them to come up with a solution that makes more sense. It's going to happen, but it's slow going. But again, I think
it's about giving guests a better experience by balancing AI and human service.

You've spoken about balancing AI and human elements, which sounds challenging. What would you say is the biggest challenge that you're facing right now in your role?

I could give you an entire list of different things that are challenging for IT leaders today. We're not just having the problem with innovating technology, we have to find more realistic operational standpoints, operational sustainability, and securing our environments because of AI – which could be a security concern if we don’t focus on the positive and negatives.

We must come up with innovative technologies that aren’t going to overwhelm guests or staff. As you implement different technologies, there could be a learning curve. Some staff members have been working in hospitality for 30 to 40 years doing everything manually.
As IT leaders, we must make sure technology is simplified and easy to use a product that is going to be efficient and not affect the guest or staff experience in a negative way.

Looking at the bigger picture, what trends are you seeing specifically in boutique lodging and how are you adapting your focus to stay ahead?

You must deliver technology that feels invisible and effortless for the guest while enabling authentic, memorable stays in our hotels. We don't want to
make the guests work to operate a room.

In luxury lifestyle hotels, we win when the technology disappears into the experience. We're letting the guests feel more seen, more local, and more in control of their stay. They want to have human services and human contact, but at the same time, they want it to be effortless.

It's about making things simpler for the guest. Our clientele often have these technologies in their homes. They want to experience the same functionality but with a good luxury stay. And when I say luxury stay, it's not like your Ritz-Carlton or Raffles where you've got this plush butler and fancy gadgets – it's more about the experience of simplicity.

When it comes to choosing who to work with, what do you look for when evaluating a new technology partner or solution?

The company has to be strategically aligned with us. They've got to understand that I'm not a cookie-cutter technology guy. Some products are made for Hiltons, some for Marriotts, some specifically for big box hotels and not for boutique hotels.

Strategic alignment and flexibility on integrations are key with partners.

Partners need to integrate with the technologies in our hotels – PMS, CRS, CRM, point of sale, HR – there are many integration points that are critical.

The longevity of the company matters, too. You don't want to go with a company that says, “I've got this great new product that's
going to be the game changer.” It might be, but I don't want to be the first one to try it – at least not with everything. With Zero
Trust, that technology had been around for years but was never introduced to the hospitality world. I took that as a challenge because bringing it into hospitality would
change the industry due to the security, flexibility, and compliance benefits.

Having a good partnership is essential. Aruba, for example, listened to our trends, and what we want to do as a hotelier.

A true partner looks at Nobu as a collaborator using its product. They will be willing to innovate on top of the innovation they've already presented. It comes down to transparency and alignment with each other's goals. When I find a good partner willing to put in that effort – and it's not just about money – that creates an unlimited relationship.

Looking ahead, if you had unlimited budget and time, what tech dream project would you pursue?

As time goes on, hotels are going to become smarter and need to feel more alive. You stay in a hotel, and it just feels like a room in a building, whereas in another hotel you might feel ‘the vibe,’ you feel the aura of people experiencing the hotel. Preserving warmth and defining true hospitality is key to good hospitality. As for a perfect tech dream project, I couldn't tell you that because we're still defining AI, still defining integrations. Vendors will need to be innovative and put more R&D into their products, rather than settling for a cookie cutter product that “works for this brand, so why do I need to adapt it for that brand?”

Eventually it's going to be more expensive for hotels and owners who don't want to spend the money. Some are willing to invest because they know their clientele is asking for certain experiences. I think ‘smarter hotels’ will be the number one priority in the near future.

At the 2000 HITEC, there was the “Guestroom of the Future.” That room was literally like the inventor from Gremlins, a room of all these cool things, but when you pressed the button, it didn't work. I have plenty of dreams and expectations that might not be possible to implement, but making a hotel feel alive with ease of operations is going to be key. It will help us become more effective as operators.

It’s been great chatting with you! Before we wrap up, is there anything you’d like to add that we haven’t touched on?

I’ll admit it—I consider myself a bit of a trendsetter in the hospitality industry. Many brands simply don’t have the flexibility or support to execute the kind of innovations I’m able to implement. I’m fortunate to work with ownership that not only understands the value of forward-thinking solutions but actively supports the introduction of new technologies and products that push the industry forward.

I believe I’m making a significant impact on the hospitality industry – not in small ways, but in meaningful, transformative ones. People are paying attention, and when I implement something new in our hotels, others often ask how they can adopt the same in theirs. That was especially true with the Zero Trust project – once
we rolled it out, there was immediate interest in how we achieved it.

But the truth is, I didn’t do it alone. I aligned with the right partners who believed in the vision – not just mine, but a shared commitment to what’s best for our guests and our employees. That collaboration is what brings innovation to life.