Pillars of Continuity: A CTO's Strategy for Navigating Tech Trends in Hospitality IT

Matt Schwartz, CTO of Sage Hospitality Group, underscores the importance of foundational pillars in the ever-evolving field of IT, drawing a parallel to the enduring structures of ancient Greece. Upon joining Sage in 2015, Schwartz established five key strategic pillars that guided Schwartz's IT strategy, enduring through various technological trends. Schwartz details the integration of AI into these areas, enhancing data analysis, personalized guest experiences, cybersecurity, associate productivity, and guest services. He advocates for AI's role in future innovations, including hiring processes and advanced technical support, urging IT leaders to identify their own foundational pillars to navigate constant change.

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with saying, "Change is the only constant in life". And no functional discipline changes more frequently and more dramatically than IT. So how do hospitality CTOs keep up with all of this change? Well, similar to the ancient Greek structures like the Parthenon and the Acropolis that are still standing today, the key to longevity is to have strong, foundational pillars.

In 2015, I took the helm of the IT team at Sage Hospitality Group. I identified five focus areas – my pillars for success. After securing buy-in from the CEO and the board, these pillars became the foundation for our IT strategy. For the past nine years these pillars have remained constant, they have become my de facto agenda, even as the hype cycle around new technologies such as blockchain, NFTs, cryptocurrency, and, more recently, AI, have dominated discussions. True foundational pillars stand the test of time, especially as technology fads come and go. Here are my five pillars:

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