Name: Derek DeCross
Title: Senior vice president, global sales
Company, city: InterContinental Hotels Group; Atlanta, Georgia
Number of employees: 375,000 at 5,500 hotels and corporate offices around the world
Recent project: We celebrated reaching the milestone of 200 InterContinental Hotels and Resorts open around the world.
First job: Unpaid? Probably pulling weeds for my mom. Paid? I was a cook and a carhop at a Sonic Drive-In at age 15.
Little-known fact about you: My first hotel job was playing piano in lobbies and bars.
Your Business
What innovations/initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? The hotel industry will continue to balance human-centered hospitality with smarter use of technology. Technology will enhance personalization across the guest journey—making booking, check-in, in-stay experiences and post-stay engagement more seamless—while never replacing the meaningful human interactions that define hospitality. Expect increased personalization through data-driven services, more contactless and mobile-enabled options that still support genuine service, and solutions that connect guests to local experiences.
Brand evolution and growth will also shape the next few years. New brands and refreshed brand positioning will respond to shifting traveler preferences. At IHG, that includes a stronger push into the luxury segment: relaunching the Regent Hotels & Resorts brand, celebrating our 200th InterContinental opening, and expanding Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants into Asia. These moves reflect traveler demand for distinctive, locally attuned luxury and lifestyle experiences.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? Stay curious and keep learning. Build relationships across your organization and with external partners—those connections accelerate your effectiveness and open doors. Understand that in hospitality you’re either serving the customer or supporting someone who is; do your work with purpose, passion and pride. Maintain a positive attitude through challenges and be intentional about the impact you want to make.
Derek DeCross as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: One of my earliest memories is a nonrevenue flight on a Boeing 747 between DFW and ATL when I was three—my father worked at Delta Air Lines. Family trips to Scotland and Costa Rica stand out, and any trip to Italy with my wife feels especially magical. Each trip offers something unique, but those moments traveling with family linger the longest.
One travel tip you cannot live without: I travel often and became a very light sleeper after my first child was born. I rely on a white noise app to maintain consistent background sound—it’s a small change that makes a big difference for restful sleep on the road.
Best advice for business travelers: Frequent travel is a privilege that connects people, supports commerce and bridges cultures. Amid meetings and deadlines, remember to appreciate the opportunity to experience new places and cultures. Treat travel as more than a grind—use it as a chance to see the world and gain perspective.
About InterContinental Hotels Group
IHG Business Edge launched in August 2018. Tell our readers about the program. IHG Business Edge is a program built by and for small and midsized enterprises (SMEs). We involved SME customers throughout the design, pilot and launch to ensure the program met real needs. The result is a self-service hotel program that simplifies travel purchasing and rewards SME travel managers and travelers at more than 5,500 IHG hotels worldwide. It’s designed to be practical, easy to use and directly relevant to the challenges SMEs face when managing travel.
What stood out among the insights received through customer feedback? Customer feedback highlighted that SMEs are diverse, with varied needs across regions and roles. We learned that companies want more than a simple discount—they want benefits that deliver real value to travel managers and those who travel. Balancing perks for administrators and for travelers was essential. That insight pushed us to create flexible benefits and tools that support different types of businesses, internal stakeholders and traveler expectations.
What perks are associated with the IHG Business Edge community? IHG Business Edge offers more than a typical discount program. Members earn expedited status in IHG Rewards Club, receive a dedicated company portal with curated content tailored to their needs, and access a spending and savings dashboard to manage travel expenses. The portal also enables peer engagement on relevant topics. In short, members gain a holistic business travel resource: competitive rates plus tools and content that help manage travel strategically and efficiently.