In the world of hospitality, excellence is rarely accidental. Meet Craig Jarrett, the Vice President of Operations at Sodexo Live!, whose approach to service is reshaping how hospitality is delivered across some of the world’s most iconic venues. From hotel lobbies to airport lounges, Jarrett sets the standard for what five-star service should feel like: thoughtful, seamless, and personal. His leadership style, built on the foundational principles of being firm, fair, and fun, reveals how culture and care are operational strategies.
Craig Jarrett’s hospitality journey began on the ground floor of one of the world’s most recognized hotel brands. At just 15 years old, a school work placement led him to Hilton Hotels in Swansea, UK. What started as a temporary assignment quickly turned into a defining moment.
“I ended up really enjoying myself… Upon leaving school at 16, I actually went to work at the same hotel as a general assistant, working five months in each department.”
Jarrett found himself involved in everything from housekeeping to food service to front desk. This hands-on rotation through every facet of hotel operations, and at such a young age, gave him a unique and early understanding of what makes a hospitality organization function smoothly. Through this early experience, he realized that he thrived working face-to-face with guests.
“What I liked most was being able to make an instant impact on someone during their time away from home.”
That instant impact became the fuel for Jarrett’s career. He understood that every guest is on a journey, and often, the smallest gestures can be the most meaningful. Through this, he was able to find purpose in making someone feel seen, comfortable, and cared for. He’s built a mindset of being proactive, empathetic, and service-driven. This is what served as the foundation of a career that would span cruise ships, resorts, entertainment venues, and ultimately, his role today as Vice President of Operations at Sodexo Live!.
For the most part, leadership comes from experience. But truly great leadership, the kind that inspires people, is grounded in values passed down by those who led before him. One of the most influential figures in his early career was a woman named Doreen, the Director of Housekeeping at the Hilton Hotel in Swansea where Jarrett first started.
“I remember vividly her saying, ‘Craig, you are going to go far… now when you get to the top you must remember the 3 Fs that have made this old lady successful,’”
Firm, Fair, and Fun (the three Fs) ended up being a deceptively simple framework that Jarrett has carried with him throughout his rise in the industry.
Being firm is about establishing authority and confidence. Jarrett took that to heart early on.
“People need to know you are the leader and in control.”
In high-pressure hospitality environments, where quick decisions and clear direction are critical, firmness builds structure, reducing uncertainty and keeping operations moving.
Fairness, however, is what builds loyalty and trust.
“Inconsistencies in how you manage the team is a huge issue for leaders.”
By treating team members equitably and with respect, he has cultivated workplace cultures that value communication, feedback, and integrity.
And finally, there’s fun. A principle that too many leaders overlook in the grind of operations.
“You can’t always be serious as it becomes inhumane. Look for the fun in everything you and your team do and laugh often.”
In an industry known for long hours, unpredictable days, and high emotional labor, joy becomes a leadership tool.
The issue that most leaders fall into is that they will rely too much on one or two of the Fs, and neglect the remaining. Too much firmness and you become a tyrant. Too much focus on fairness and you become a bureaucrat. And too much fun just turns you into a clown. The 3 Fs are like the legs to a stool. Each leg must be present and a similar length, or the stool won’t stand.
Jarrett brings these principles into every team he leads, every venue he oversees, and every challenge he takes on. They allow him to lead with both empathy and results, balancing the demands of large-scale operations with the needs of the people behind the scenes.
In an industry that demands constant coordination, rapid decision-making, and high emotional intelligence, Jarrett believes the only way to lead effectively is to stay close to the action. That means being on the floor instead of behind a desk.
“You can’t coach culture from behind a screen… Lead from the floor, not from the office.”
That philosophy plays out in how he spends his time as Vice President of Operations at Sodexo Live! He regularly travels between units and venues, spending time with team members at every level of the organization. These visits are opportunities to listen, learn, and lead with authenticity.
Jarrett’s leadership is rooted in visibility, approachability, and leading by example. Whether he’s speaking with kitchen staff or walking a convention floor, he makes it a point to be both physically and emotionally present, fostering openness, trust, and collaboration. He models the standards he expects, reinforcing culture through participation, not policy.
“More often than not, they have a story of what is motivating them, and it’s usually supporting family... and to feel like I can help them with that is the best feeling.”
In an industry prone to burnout and turnover, Jarrett’s people-first leadership is a stabilizing force. He’s driven by meaningful work, strong relationships, and purpose. Simply by showing up, he proves that power of human connection in a leadership role.
At the core of Craig Jarrett’s leadership is the clear and compelling purpose to make people’s lives better, regardless of whether they’re guests here for a night or employees on the clock.
From Jarrett’s perspective, one of the most overlooked but critical parts of the travel experience is in airport lounges. While most see them as a pause between destinations, Jarrett sees the potential for creating a unique emotional impact.
“I love the airport lounge experience and also loyalty programs, so this role is perfect for me. We have so many opportunities to make the lives of our guests that much better by providing them with a tranquil experience, great food and beverages in a relaxing environment before they continue their travel.”
To Jarrett, airport lounges are more than a place to rest. They’re moments to reset and create lasting impressions.
“How awesome would it be that someone visiting one of my lounges on a layover gets such a great experience that it makes them decide to return to that city for a vacation in the future?”
This purpose-driven mindset forces him to focus on more than just the logistics seen on most operations leaders. It puts an emphasis on shaping lasting memories with everyone he interacts with, and he takes pride in crafting those moments, often traveling to meet a colleague in person to learn what drives them.
“It’s usually supporting family... and to feel like I can help them with that is the best feeling,”
Every interaction is a chance to uplift, leaving both guests and staff feeling seen and more valued than when they arrived.
Sodexo Live! is the operational backbone of some of the most iconic venues and experiences around the world. This could be anywhere, including massive sports stadiums, convention centers, airports, and cultural landmarks, Sodexo Live! is consistently there, working behind the scenes.
“It’s a bit of everything really. You’ll find us behind the scenes at massive sports stadiums, cultural attractions, convention centers, and lounges in some of the busiest airports in the world.”
Sodexo Live! is involved in everything from a first-time NFL fan’s unforgettable game day to a business traveler’s brief escape in an airport lounge to a gala guest’s elegant dinner service.
Despite operating at a global scale, the brand maintains a personal, heartfelt approach.
“We’re delivering these big experiences, but it never feels transactional. There’s heart in everything we do.”
Even while delivering thousands of services daily across venues with different formats, paces, and demands, Sodexo Live! maintains a uniquely personal, intimate feel.
In an effort to avoid the stale repetition, Sodexo Live! embraces local context and emotional nuance, adapting its service to each setting. What sets the company apart is not just operational reach, but a consistent commitment to delivering human, thoughtful, place-based hospitality.
Craig Jarrett and the people at Sodexo Live! believe that excellence in hospitality goes far beyond polished presentation or operational precision. Genuine care, while being less tangible, is a far more powerful differentiator when it’s embedded into every aspect of the guest experience.
“Sodexo Live! isn’t just another hospitality brand. We show up in some of the most iconic venues in the world, but what sets us apart is how personal we make it feel.”
In an industry where speed and scale can often take precedence over sincerity, Sodexo Live! remains deeply committed to the emotional side of service. From the very beginning of training, team members are taught to be on the lookout for the human moments that exist between check-in and check-out, between entrance and exit.
This heart-led approach is a daily practice, almost ritualistic, for the Sodexo team. It shows up in the way staff greet guests, in the precision of a plated dish, in the attentiveness of a lounge attendant who senses when a guest might need something before they even ask. Every small moment is an opportunity to create something meaningful.
The philosophy that hospitality should feel personal, not procedural, is what defines Sodexo Live! in a crowded market. Under Jarrett’s leadership, the mantra “there’s heart in everything we do” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a value commitment ingrained in every team member’s heart.
For every event, dinner service, or airport lounge experience delivered by Sodexo, there’s always an operation running behind the scenes. According to Jarrett, this is where the real magic happens.
He describes the dynamic as “theater.” There’s a complex backstage operation, making sure everything is running smoothly, but the guest only sees the polished performance.
While the guest enjoys the show (the event, service, etc.), Sodexo functions more like the unseen and overlooked stage crew. You don’t see them, but you’d notice if they were gone.
“What the guest sees is the show. What they don’t see is the crew making it all come together behind the curtain.”
This “backstage crew” includes chefs, servers, planners, and technicians working to ensure that nothing feels chaotic during the guest experience, and everything feels natural, almost magical.
But what makes Sodexo Live! truly exceptional is how much energy goes into preparing for what might never happen. Jarrett and his teams are constantly thinking three steps ahead. They’re anticipating crowd flow changes, food traffic surges, inventory shortages, sudden weather disruptions, and anything and everything else that could put the event at risk or put stress on the guest.
“We’re always…prepping for things that most people will never notice unless they go wrong.”
The goal is simple, yet demanding: make the complex feel simple, and make the pressure behind the scenes never reach the guest.
Most visitors will never know the volume of moving parts, but they’ll remember how calm, clean, and comforting the experience felt.
While it’s no surprise that the guests’ expectations for hospitality has recently gone under rapid shifts, it does beg the question. Who makes the change happen so that the hospitality industry rises to the occasion?
According to Craig Jarrett, today’s guests want more than convenience. They want intuitive, personalized, and emotionally intelligent service that blends digital ease with human warmth.
“Guests are different now. They expect more—not just in terms of cleanliness or safety, but in personalization, speed, and how intuitive the service feels.”
The pandemic accelerated a move toward digital-first hospitality. Tools like QR code menus, mobile check-ins, and touchless payment systems aren’t perks anymore. It’s forced the industry to treat these features as basic expectations, just as a guest would expect their bed to be made with clean sheets.
But while the demand for technology has grown, so has the desire for authentic human interaction.
“We’ve had to double down on the human side too. People want warmth. They want a smile that feels genuine.”
Effectively, the hospitality industry is becoming something of a cyborg. It can no longer be purely transactional or purely automated. It must have both the human touch paired with automated and accessible tech efficiency.
Jarrett refers to this duality as “smart and soulful.” It’s not like what many companies are doing, replacing people with machines and AI, but about empowering people with technology that frees them up to focus on empathy, connection, and service that feels personal to each guest.
However, these industry shifts are often like venturing into the unknown, and come at an uncomfortable cost. They require continuous training, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. Hospitality teams must be taught not only how to use tools, but how to read the moment and discern when technology is the right solution. They need to be able to make on-the-fly decisions on when to offer a digital shortcut and when to slow down and have a conversation.
When done right though, the result is a guest experience that’s seamless without being sterile, efficient without being cold, and modern without losing the timeless touch that makes hospitality meaningful.
In many organizations, sales and operations exist in tension with each focused on different metrics, timelines, and definitions of success. This results in the all too common dance of sales making promises to get revenue, and operations caught in the crossfire of trying to fulfill those orders.
But for Craig Jarrett, the true magic happens when those two worlds merge into one cohesive engine, working in alignment rather than opposition.
“It’s the Jekyll and Hyde of hospitality—or maybe any industry—and seldom do the two sides see eye to eye,”
But instead of accepting this disconnect as inevitable, Jarrett took a bold step: he merged the teams.
By unifying sales and operations, Jarrett eliminated the finger-pointing and misalignment that often plague large organizations. The goal was simple but powerful: stop selling the dream and delivering the nightmare.
Jarrett believes this alignment begins with a mindset shift.
“Ultimately, regardless if operations want to admit it or not, they are salespeople themselves,”
Every detail of service, every interaction, every execution, impacts a customer’s decision to come back, recommend, or invest again.
“It’s far easier and much cheaper to sell to a past client than to find new ones.”
To do this right, there must be constant, honest, and open communication.
Sales must understand what’s operationally feasible, and operations must embrace the challenge of pushing boundaries to exceed and even redefine expectations.
“Ultimately it all comes back to communication and ensuring that sales know what is possible and sell correctly, and operations always challenge themselves to see what's impossible. Only then do you truly know you have reached the maximum potential of what you are doing.”
Under Jarrett’s leadership, sales and ops are no longer competing interests. They are two sides of the same guest promise, delivered with clarity, consistency, and heart.
When it comes to branding, most companies focus outward (refining messages for guests, clients, and the public). But according to Jarrett, some of the most important stories are shared within the organization itself, where culture is built and purpose takes root. The stories that the guest never hears, but inevitably feels in every interaction.
The most overlooked opportunity in the hospitality industry right now is internal storytelling.
“We spend so much time crafting brand messages for guests, but we forget to tell the story inward to our teams.”
For Jarrett, storytelling isn’t just some marketing trope. It’s a tool designed to be leveraged by real leaders.
When team members understand the why behind what they do, they show up with more purpose, more pride, and more heart. It creates an internal clarity, and helps craft a cohesive identity that turns checklists and SOPs into moments of genuine connections and remarkable experience.
Storytelling helps align diverse teams across departments, job roles, and geographies under a shared mission.
“The real magic happens when your team feels like they’re not just part of the service, but part of the story.”
And when that happens, guests can feel it too. There’s a noticeable difference when staff take pride in their role and feel emotionally invested in the outcome.
Some of the most iconic hospitality venues in the world come with more than just walls and workflows. They come with history, reputation, and a deep emotional connection to their communities. These legacy spaces are both a privilege and a responsibility. The challenge? Modernize without compromising their soul.
“Respect the roots, but don’t let them box you in.”
Jarrett understands the weight that historic venues carry, but he also knows that honoring the past shouldn’t mean being anchored to it. His approach is to strike a delicate but essential balance between preservation and progress.
“What’s the essence here, and how do we honor that while modernizing the experience?”
Rather than relying on outdated methods or being bound by “how it’s always been done,” Jarrett leads with the guest of today in mind. He evaluates what modern travelers and eventgoers expect in terms of personalization, efficiency, sustainability, and emotional connection, and then looks for ways to weave those needs into the venue’s existing character.
Sometimes that means subtle upgrades, like introducing new technologies in a way that complements architectural design. Other times, it calls for bold moves that require courage and a willingness to rethink established norms. But in every case, Jarrett’s goal is the same: to evolve with intention.
Under his leadership, innovation is never about change for the sake of change. It’s about elevating the guest experience while maintaining the emotional integrity of the space. By doing so, he helps ensure that these venues become more compelling, more memorable, and more aligned with what modern hospitality truly demands.
As the hospitality landscape continues to evolve, Craig Jarrett has a clear vision for where it’s heading, and what today’s leaders must do to stay ahead. The days of standardized service and one-size-fits-all experiences are coming to an end, if they aren't over already. In their place is a new model that blends intelligence with emotion, technology with humanity, and global consistency with local flavor.
“Personalization is no longer a luxury—it’s an expectation.”
Guests today want service that recognizes who they are, what they care about, and what matters to them in the moment. Whether it’s a familiar snack in an airport lounge or a seat near a window because that’s their preference, modern guests are expecting brands to remember them.
One major driver of this expectation is a broader shift toward purpose-driven experiences.
People want to feel a connection beyond just to a brand, but to the place they’re in.
“There’s a real push toward personalization and local authenticity. Guests don’t just want good food. They want to know where it came from and why it matters.”
Local sourcing, regional flavors, and storytelling around cultural identity all play a growing role in how guests evaluate hospitality experiences.
Sustainability, too, has moved from the background to the center of the conversation. From food waste and packaging to energy use and supply chain ethics, guests are looking for brands that align with their values.
“If you’re not thinking about how your operation impacts the planet, you’re behind.”
While values are important to guests, there also needs to be innovation on the tools and technology that play a part in the guest experience. Technology is reshaping how guests engage with spaces, from mobile check-ins and real-time updates, to loyalty integration and AI-powered personalization.
Still, Jarrett cautions against allowing technological innovations to replace human connection.
“Tech should enhance, not replace, the human touch.”
Ultimately, the future of hospitality won’t be defined by who has the most gadgets or trendiest gimmicks. It will be led by those who understand how to be both smart and soulful.
For industry veterans, they've seen it all. It takes something truly remarkable to stand out in the seasoned years of their career. For Craig Jarrett, that moment showed itself during a business trip in Las Vegas.
“I’ve been in more black cars than I can count, and honestly, most of them blur together. But this one didn’t.”
The difference? A ride with drvn: a premium ground transportation service that, in Jarrett’s words, “felt curated.”
From the very beginning, communication stood out as exceptional. drvn’s messaging was clean, specific, and thoughtfully timed, unlike the vague or overly templated updates he’d experienced with other providers.
The company even provided gate-specific and baggage claim instructions, taking the guesswork out of where he should go to find his chauffeur once the plane landed, allowing Jarrett to move through the airport with ease.
But what truly elevated the drvn experience was exactly what Criag practices in his own work: operational efficiency with a strong human element.
Jarrett’s chauffeur, Zsolt, arrived sharply dressed, exuding professionalism and pride in his role.
“Zsolt was probably the smartest dressed person in the airport.”
The interaction was a perfect balance between presentation, local knowledge, discretion, and service. Zsolt was even able to give deep insight into local attractions, shows, and popular points of interest.
All of this resonated with Jarrett, demonstrating the values, in action, that Jarrett brings to the workplace. All of this contributing to the hallmark of five-star hospitality.
What made the ride so memorable, Jarrett explained, was how intentional it felt. Nothing was random. Every detail, from timing to tone, suggested that drvn was delivering a thoughtfully crafted and tailored experience, and not just trying to complete “another” ride.
The result was something rare: Jarrett took to LinkedIn to publicly share his praise, calling out both the brand and its people by name. In an industry where service professionals often go unnoticed, and executives are hard to impress, drvn had achieved something special.
Many event leaders think that the experience starts at the venue door and ends when the event is over. While it’s true that the event itself is the reason people came, their ride to the event is where the experience truly started, and is eventually when it truly ends.
Craig Jarrett views this as a critical but often overlooked portion of the guest experience.
“Ground transportation is massive. It’s often the very first impression and the very last one.”
Whether it’s an airport pickup, a hotel transfer, or a ride to a convention center, transportation frames the entire guest experience. When done poorly, it creates stress, confusion, and frustration. When done right, ground transportation acts as both the appetizer and dessert to the main course (the event).
“If that part of the journey is chaotic or uncomfortable, it sticks with the guest, even if everything else was perfect. But when it’s done right, it sets the tone.”
In the world of premium hospitality, where brands invest heavily in the food, the décor, and the service, it’s all too easy for transportation to be treated as an afterthought rather than a branded touchpoint.
But when transportation is viewed for what it truely is, a part of the brand, it needs to be truly great. Great service doesn’t just avoid mistakes, it is used as a lever to set a positive first impression, and a lasting final impression.
For Jarrett, transportation is an extension of the hospitality ecosystem, no different than the greeting at the front desk or the quality of service at dinner.
That’s why Jarrett believes hospitality leaders need to be more proactive in how they approach partnerships with transportation providers. it’s about finding one that aligns with the brand's standards and spirit, as drvn did during his own recent experience in Las Vegas.
What defines five-star service? For Craig Jarrett, it’s not about opulence, luxury, status, or perception. It’s about effortlessness. It’s the kind of experience where everything just works, where the guest feels cared for without having to ask, follow up, or even think about it. You just know it’s going to get done, and get done well.
“Getting the job done means the task was completed. Five-star means I didn’t have to think about it, worry about it, or follow up. It means there was care in the delivery.”
That level of care is exactly what Jarrett experienced with drvn. That’s because drvn is a company that redefined his expectations for ground transportation.
From the moment the booking was confirmed, drvn delivered an experience that felt intentional, fluid, and built around the guest. From clear communication to the driver’s polished presence, every touchpoint was a reflection of professionalism and effortlessness.
What stood out most was something deeper than logistics: emotional intelligence. Jarrett believes the best service professionals know how to “read the room.” In transportation, that means knowing how to read the backseat.
Is the passenger looking for silence or conversation? Do they need reassurance or space to decompress?
The most refined chauffeurs, Jarrett says, can adapt their presence based on the energy of the guest, creating an experience that feels tailored rather than scripted.
drvn’s ability to deliver that kind of moment shows that five-star service doesn’t have to be loud. It just has to be felt. When it’s done right, even the ride between two points becomes a powerful part of the story.
Looking ahead, Craig Jarrett sees a future where hospitality and transportation are treated as fully integrated parts of a single, seamless guest experience.
“We’ll see smarter integration. Systems that talk to each other, loyalty programs that bridge across services, and personalization that feels seamless.”
Jarrett imagines a world where a guest’s travel preferences follow them from the moment they book a ride to the moment they check out of their hotel.
“Imagine checking into your hotel, and the car that picks you up already knows your preferred temperature and music.”
This level of personalization at scale requires hospitality and transportation providers to work together more strategically, logistically, and technologically. It’s not enough for each brand to deliver great service in isolation. The whole thing needs to be coordinated from start to finish as one complete and seamless experience, because that’s what they truly are. They are all different chapters of one continuous story.
Jarrett believes companies like drvn are ahead of the curve precisely because they approach transportation as an experience powered by technology.
“They’re not just thinking about transport. They’re thinking about experience.”
The future of hospitality will be built on integration, data, and human service.
For leaders like Jarrett, as technology accelerates and expectations rise, hospitality and transportation must move together as a single unit. Like a powerful and unified force of nature.
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