Dr. Manida Xongmixay-Lau, Vice President of Business Solutions & Member Experience at Okada Manila, has carved a distinguished path in the hospitality and gaming industry. Her journey is one of resilience, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to mentorship and innovation. Beginning her career as an intern at Grand Hyatt Macau, she gained early exposure to the industry, laying the foundation for what would become an illustrious career. Soon after, she took on a front desk role at Hyatt Regency Macau, where she honed her skills in guest services and front-line operations, gaining firsthand insight into the critical elements that drive customer satisfaction.
Seeking to expand her expertise, she transitioned into human resources at HTH Corporation in Hawaii, where she spent over 15 years developing talent, enhancing workplace culture, and implementing HR strategies aligned with business goals. Her professional journey also included roles as a life insurance agent and faculty member at a small business college in Hawaii, further enriching her leadership and communication skills.
In 2006, she embraced new challenges by transitioning into information technology and later into casino marketing, two fields that demanded a deep understanding of both technical acumen and strategic marketing expertise. She played a crucial role in the openings of two world-renowned integrated resorts—Venetian Macau and City of Dreams Macau—where she gained extensive experience in launching large-scale operations. Her journey continued with the successful launches of Studio City Macau and City of Dreams Manila, further honing her project management and operational leadership skills.
Dr. Manida joined Okada Manila in 2016 as part of its opening team and has remained a driving force in its operations. Throughout her tenure, she has focused on fostering innovation, elevating guest experiences, and mentoring team members to achieve excellence. Her career is a testament to her belief in lifelong learning, embracing challenges, and staying agile in an ever-evolving industry. Each role has reinforced her passion for people-centric leadership, continuous improvement, and making a lasting impact on both organizations and the teams she leads.
Driving Business Solutions and Member Experience
As the Vice President of Business Solutions & Member Experience at Okada Manila, Dr. Manida oversees the Member Experience team, which is responsible for the call center, hotel reservations, and outbound sales, all of which cater to the esteemed Reward Circle Members and business partners, including Junket Operators. Her role demands a strategic approach to ensuring seamless customer engagement while optimizing business operations.
Beginning in 2025, the Business Solutions division will take on an even more significant role as the bridge between Information Technology and all company divisions. This division will be the first to evaluate and provide recommendations for all technical project requests. The primary goal of Business Solutions is to centralize requests, eliminate redundancies, optimize budget utilization, and enhance workforce efficiency. Through close collaboration with the Information Technology team, Dr. Manida ensures that projects are strategically prioritized to maximize return on investment and streamline operations.
Navigating Challenges with Strategic Leadership
For any business leader, balancing an ever-growing list of demands with limited resources is a constant challenge, and Dr. Manida is no exception. One of the biggest hurdles she faces is managing a constrained budget while addressing the countless changes necessary for growth, particularly in manpower.
To navigate this challenge, she and her team focus on maximizing efficiency and output by leveraging the resources available. One key strategy is cross-training team members across various functions within the division. This not only ensures operational continuity during manpower shortages but also provides team members with valuable growth opportunities, equipping them with diverse skill sets and a broader understanding of the business. By fostering a culture of flexibility and adaptability, she ensures that the organization remains agile and prepared for any challenge.
Harnessing Innovation and Technology for Member Engagement
The landscape of customer engagement is continuously evolving, and Dr. Manida understands the critical role that innovation and technology play in staying ahead. One of the primary challenges faced by Okada Manila is hiring multilingual talent, which is essential for delivering a seamless customer experience to a diverse clientele.
To address this, the company is actively exploring a new call center system integrated with AI-powered technologies. This system is designed to enhance customer service and member engagement by bridging language gaps, improving response times, and providing a more personalized experience. However, while technology serves as a powerful tool, Dr. Manida firmly believes that it should complement, not replace, the human element in service.
In addition to leveraging AI, she continues to invest in team development by encouraging foreign language learning. By equipping employees with multilingual capabilities, Okada Manila not only enhances the quality of customer interactions but also ensures that team members are prepared to meet the evolving needs of a global market. Striking the right balance between technology and human expertise allows the organization to maintain the warmth and personalization that customers value while leveraging innovation to drive efficiency.
Building High-Performing Teams Through Leadership
Dr. Manida’s leadership philosophy centers on continuous personal and professional growth. She believes that learning is a lifelong journey, and she fosters an environment where team members are encouraged to seek assistance and collaborate openly. In her view, no one has all the answers, and the best solutions emerge from collective wisdom.
She also values the importance of learning from mistakes. Rather than fearing failure, she sees it as an opportunity for growth, allowing individuals to refine their skills, adapt, and become better professionals. By fostering a culture of resilience and openness, she encourages innovation and continuous development within her team.
Empowering Employees to Prioritize Customer Satisfaction
One of the ways Dr. Manida keeps her team motivated and engaged is by encouraging creative thinking and fresh ideas. She holds monthly coffee sessions with small groups from each team, intentionally excluding supervisors and managers to create an open, comfortable environment. These sessions allow employees to freely share ideas, concerns, and recommendations while gaining transparency on company decisions.
By engaging in these conversations, she gains firsthand insights into employee challenges while strengthening her connection with the team. She also uses these discussions to explain company policies and procedural changes, ensuring that employees understand the reasoning behind strategic decisions. This two-way dialogue fosters trust, collaboration, and alignment, empowering team members to contribute actively to the company’s success.
Balancing Professional Growth and Personal Well-Being
Dr. Manida considers herself a lifelong learner, gaining insights not just from structured training but also from daily interactions, challenges, and experiences. She embraces both triumphs and setbacks as valuable opportunities for growth, recognizing that success reinforces strengths while failures cultivate resilience and adaptability.
Beyond personal learning, she values shared knowledge and actively listens to her team and peers. She believes that great ideas can come from anyone, regardless of title or tenure. By fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual learning, she empowers her team while refining her own leadership approach.
The Future of Customer Experience in Luxury Hospitality
In the evolving landscape of luxury hospitality, Dr. Manida firmly believes that the human touch will always remain essential. Hospitality is fundamentally about genuine connections, personalized service, and emotional engagement—elements that technology alone cannot replicate.
While AI, automation, and data analytics play a crucial role in enhancing efficiency, she emphasizes that these tools should serve as complements to human service, not replacements. The most successful hospitality brands will be those that strike the perfect balance between leveraging technology and preserving the human connection that makes guest experiences truly memorable.
Advice for Aspiring Leaders in Hospitality and Business Solutions
Dr. Manida’s advice to aspiring leaders is to be strategic in adopting new technologies. With innovations emerging daily, businesses must carefully evaluate which tools align with their operational needs rather than blindly adopting every trend.
However, she also stresses that the greatest investment any organization can make is in its people. Technology is only as effective as the professionals managing it. Without skilled, knowledgeable teams overseeing these tools, even the most advanced systems will fail to deliver meaningful results. Continuous learning, upskilling, and investment in human intelligence are critical for long-term success.
Defining Success: A Legacy of Leadership and Mentorship
For Dr. Manida, success is not merely about climbing the corporate ladder—it is about making a lasting impact. She takes pride in mentoring and sharing her knowledge, knowing that her contributions help shape the careers of others. Beyond her professional achievements, she considers raising a smart, responsible son to be one of her greatest accomplishments.
Ultimately, success is about the lives we touch, the knowledge we share, and the legacy we leave behind. Through her leadership, innovation, and commitment to people, Dr. Manida Xongmixay-Lau continues to redefine excellence in the hospitality and gaming industry.
