As COO of Roya International, a Dubai-based consultancy, Gerhard Hardick is used to giving travel and hospitality firms honest advice.

Occasionally, his views also appear in the public space, such as when he famously urged regional hotels to downsize their middle management.

Hardick has more than 30 years of regional and international experience in the field. Through his work with chains such as Hilton Hotels, he has amassed a swathe of experience that he uses to advise companies on operations, sales, marketing and finance.