Phillipa Harrison: A Global Story Rooted in Place

Phillipa Harrison believes a destination’s power lies in what makes it different, not what makes it familiar. In this episode of (C) Suite Talks, the CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority reflects on leaving Tourism Australia to help shape the tourism story of an Emirate with 7,000 years of history, striking natural beauty, and an emerging global profile.

In just over 15 minutes, she shares why emotional intelligence and humility matter in leadership, how stepping beyond your comfort zone can transform a career, and why Ras Al Khaimah’s global appeal should remain rooted in its nature, culture, and distinctive sense of place.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:03

I try and say this to as many young people as I possibly can. You know, if you travel, your worldview is challenged, and it makes you realize there's more than one way of looking at the world, and it just makes you a more tolerant person, and it I think that's so important in a in an increasingly polarized world. And we also, you know, we really contribute to the economy of where we are operating. We create jobs, we give people an opportunity to keep culture alive so that they can continue to tell their story to interested visitors, and that is so so important.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Welcome to C-Suite Talks, a podcast about what it really means to lead.

SPEAKER_01 0:48

We're talking to the people behind the titles to hear their stories, lessons, and a few surprises along the way.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Because leadership is more than just the corner office. It's personal.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

I'm doing well and it's great to be here. Thank you, Derek.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Thank you so much for being with us on the podcast. It's a real pleasure. Philippa, one of the things that makes your story unique is that you've spent your career helping places become a part of people's imagination. You led Tourism Australia as managing director after years working across international markets, distribution, partnerships, and destination marketing. Now you're bringing that experience to Russell Kaima at a major moment for the Emerito. Rack TDA is working towards an ambitious 2030 vision, growing visitor numbers, expanding hospitality, strengthening global awareness, and doing it in a way that creates long-term value for residents, investors, and visitors. So this is not just a conversation about tourism. It's a conversation about identity, leadership, growth, and how a destination earns a place in the world. Before we get started, I want to begin with the thread that connects your past work to this new chapter. You've helped position Australia as one of the world's most coveted travel destinations. And now you're helping tell the story of Russell Kheimer. What was it about this emirate that made you want to take on that challenge again?

SPEAKER_03 2:35

That's a very good question to start with, Derek. And it was honestly the privilege and honor of my life to market and represent my own country. You know, I was well known, I was comfortable, I was well respected, so why make a change? And um and the reason was I've been looking at this part of the world for a long time. I've been looking at the development, the ambition, the long-term outlook and planning of leadership. And if you've been in tourism your whole life like I have, it's a very, very exciting time in the Middle East. And so when the phone call came, I picked it up. And um, and I and I need to be honest with you and say I had never heard of this beautiful Emirate Russell Kema before. Um, and what I discovered was a beautiful place, stunning natural beauty, an authentic story to tell, 7,000 years of history, um, a place that was a regional gem but relatively unknown globally. And I thought, you know what, I want to be part of the growth story of this place, and so here I am.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Amazing. It's a lovely way to frame it uh because Russell Kramer has such a distinct landscape. It's not just trying to copy anywhere else. So I love that you pointed that out as well. Um, all right, let's go ahead and start our 15-minute conversation. Okay. Could you walk us through your typical morning from when you wake up to how you prepare yourself for the day ahead?

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Sure. So my mornings are very firmly about personal time. Um, so I've always been a very busy career mom, and so I always prioritized my girls in the morning, um, getting them ready for school, spending some time talking to them about their day, and I just found that very, very precious time. As I've got my time back as they've been growing up, that time has more come back to me. And so that time is now for me and for getting a bit of exercise in because I've realized that if I don't get exercise in in the morning, it just doesn't happen. And I also find that that is a time where you can really do some clear thinking. So while you're walking the dog or while you're, you know, lifting weights, you can really spend some time thinking about the day ahead in a way that isn't rushed. And you know, and so I always say that it's important to spend time thinking in quadrant two on issues that are important, but they're not urgent. Because as soon as you get to the office, you're dealing with important, urgent things all day. So having some time to really think about that stuff that's really important for the long term but not urgent today, it's it that that is the time that I do it in those mornings where I have a little bit of time to myself, and it really gets me ready for the day, not only the day ahead, but the months and years ahead as well.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

Yeah, a bit of me time before you get started with everything else. That's right. And by what time do you get to the office?

SPEAKER_03 5:49

So um I get to the office sort of between eight and nine because you know I do prioritize my family time in the morning, and then you know, I I work until until I need to into the sort of late afternoon evening as well.

SPEAKER_01 6:05

And are you a tea or coffee person?

SPEAKER_03 6:08

Well, both. So I like that. I am so lucky to say that my husband brings me a cup of tea in bed every morning, and I so I love starting I love starting with a cup of tea, but then then I um I I really enjoy a nice strong coffee to to get the uh blood flowing uh before the day starts.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

I like that. I'm also a tea and coffee person, by the way. I say both. Yes. And someone asks me. All right, moving from your mornings to your career, you have transitioned from sales and product roles to leading tourism Australia. And now, Rack TDA. Was there a moment early on where you knew destination marketing was where you were meant to be?

SPEAKER_03 6:48

I don't think anyone grows up thinking I'm going to be in the tourism industry, you know, as I didn't. You know, I just started out as a, you know, my dad um had a job where he was, he, he was, we were posted all around the world. So I I've lived in uh New Delhi and Paris and all over the world. And um, and I think you know, uh travel sort of got into my veins somehow. And so, you know, I I somehow fashioned a career in um in tourism. And I've got to say, all of the jobs that I've done leading up to this role have helped me now. They're part of the ecosystem. You know, I understand, you know, how hotels work because I've worked in hotels, I've worked for tour operators, I've also worked in distribution, on in e-commerce, uh, for retail travel, for wholesalers. So I have a really good understanding of how a destination works, what makes it successful, and I think that's an important ingredient to destination marketing. But you know, I I I did think about at some point um changing careers because this this industry seems uh almost too much fun. It doesn't seem like it can be real, you know. I I went back and uh went back to university about 20 years ago and did an MBA because I thought I'd have to have a proper career in finance or in management consulting. And what that made me realize was that you know tourism was my place. This was this was this was my industry, these people were my tribe, and I was just gonna take my career in tourism as far as I possibly could. So here I am.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Yeah, no, we're we're so glad you stopped to tourism because uh we're so happy to have you in Basel Khama leading all of this.

SPEAKER_03 8:31

And you know, tourism can be such a force for good as well, and it is an important career, and I I try and say this to as many young people as I as I possibly can. You know, if you travel, your worldview is challenged and you it makes you realize there's more than one way of looking at the world, and it just makes you a more tolerant person, and it I think that's so important in a in an increasingly polarized world. Yeah, and we also, you know, we really contribute to the economy of where we are operating, we create jobs, um, we give people an opportunity to keep culture alive so that they can continue to tell their story to interested visitors, and that is so, so important.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Yeah, I love the honesty in your answer. Because sometimes when you look back is when you realize that, oh, the path made sense. Because, like you mentioned, yeah, you don't wake up uh uh one morning and think, oh, I'm gonna be in tourism. Right.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

I'm gonna do this when I grow up.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Uh so I really like the honesty.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

You zigzag a little to get into tourism, but I've got to say it's a it's a great job.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

It's not the most conventional job that uh people think about uh growing up, right? It's usually doctor, engineer, or something like something along that line. Um but it's really nice. I love the honesty in your answer. And that brings me to a leadership question. What do you think is the most underrated skill that has helped you grow as a leader across such different markets and cultures?

SPEAKER_03 9:57

This one is so easy for me, and it's a subject that I'm really, really passionate about. Um, and that is the concept of emotional intelligence. And the good thing is it's it's a skill that you can learn. It's not in necessarily an innate thing. Some think people are better at it than others, but um it is so, so important because IQ is important as a leader, but EQ is what gets you all the way and really makes you an effective leader. And so if you don't know what emotional intelligence is, I would encourage anyone listening to this to read up on it. It is it is such an undervalued skill. It's about regulating yourself and your emotions, understanding the impact that they have on others, but also being attuned to the way that people around you are feeling. And it is the way that you get the best out of people. Um, and and and you know, most communication is non-verbal, as you know. So if you're attuned to the way people are feeling, how to moderate and how to motivate them, then then you're going to be much, much more effective in your role.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

No, I I love the I love that response again. Um I feel like this is one of my this is one of my favorite questions to ask on the on the podcast, just because every leader has a very different perspective on this. And for you, I think it's so relevant because in tourism you have to interact with very different audiences. I I think, and it's emotional intelligence is very, very important because I think at the heart of tourism, it's people.

SPEAKER_03 11:28

That's right. We are a relationships-based industry, but we also have to understand what makes multiple cultures and markets tick, what is going to drive them. The thing that drives a Russian visitor to Russell Kmer is going to be quite different to what drives, say, an Indian visitor to Russell Kmer. So you need to you need to understand that and and and work with partners to to really succeed in that endeavor.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

Yeah, no, thank you. Uh we've covered leadership, growth, and the bigger picture. Now let's get to know you a little better.

SPEAKER_03 12:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Welcome to our wheel of questions. A lighter segment where the wheel chooses the direction. So, Philippa, would you mind doing the honors?

SPEAKER_03 12:11

My pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

All right. So, Philippa, if you weren't leading Rack TDA, what do you think you would be doing instead?

SPEAKER_03 12:25

Okay, definitely developing properties. I have an endless appetite for home design.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

That's interesting. Okay. Wow, have you done anything like a formal education in it?

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Or like is something that's actually the one time that I left tourism that I was lured out of my industry was um to go and work for a property developer in Australia.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow, that's very interesting. Okay. I mean, I can see that uh there is a creative side to that as well.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:54

All right. Can you give the Wheel and other spin? Yes. This is uh this is one that I really like asking again. Do you take breaks? And what does rest actually look like for you?

SPEAKER_03 13:08

I absolutely take breaks. I think everybody should. I think you're a better, better leader if you uh are rested. Um so for me, short-term walking, I find it like meditation. Um I think it's you know, I've mentioned clear thinking, and I think walking does that for you. But I also prioritize a week at a wellness retreat every single year, and I just come out refreshed and re-energized. I think everybody should do that.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Wow, that's that's really great because we've been in conversation with many leaders, but some of the leaders have always told us that it's sometimes hard for them to take breaks. So the fact that you're able to prioritize that as well is so important, and I I I really think that's great that you do that.

SPEAKER_03 13:48

You schedule it in and you manage expectations.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Yeah, yeah, no, for sure. Uh can we have another spin? Who outside the tourism or business world do you admire the most?

SPEAKER_03 14:05

I don't think there's any uh particular person that I think right. Uh but but I at the moment I'm really liking what I hear from Mark Carney, who is the PM of Canada.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:17

I think he is a rational voice uh in a in a fairly irrational political world at the moment. So I like what he has to say, and I've got to say he has good emotional intelligence, I'm sure of it.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

What part of um his example do you find most useful in your own leadership?

SPEAKER_03 14:36

I think it's the um it's the honesty um and the just being a calm voice um when when things are heightened. I I really like that and I really appreciate that in somebody. Somebody who can just take the um uh take the energy and the the tension out of a situation by just being calm.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah. Oh that's really good. Okay. Can you give another spin if you don't mind? What's the best piece of carrier advice you've ever been given?

SPEAKER_03 15:13

Um it sounds a bit trite, but it's um challenge yourself and don't stay comfortable. I think people should say yes more often to things that terrify them and get and you know some really good things come out of that. And I think it's uh particularly important for women. There are studies that say if a man uh knows 30% of a job, he'll go, right, I can do that and jump in and good on him.

SPEAKER_04 15:41

Right.

SPEAKER_03 15:42

A w woman typically needs to know 99% of it before she'll put a hand up. And there's been several studies over the years. So you know, I'm very it it's true, and and so I'm very uh keen that that people always challenge themselves and always do things that make them just a little bit uncomfortable, and um that's how you really sort of progress, particularly from a career point of view.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Yeah, no, that feels very relevant to your journey as well. You have taken on big roles at very big moments, yeah. Uh and I'm sure, like even Russell Kheimer, when you I mean you got the call, I'm sure it was something that was that's new territory for you to explore.

SPEAKER_03 16:19

Yeah, I did, I I'll be honest, I did have a few. Oh my gosh, what have I done with this? But then that comes out, you know. I'm I'm sitting in this incredible Emirate doing an amazing job. And so that wouldn't have come if I hadn't said yes to something that made me feel a little bit uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_01 16:36

Yeah, no, for sure. Uh I'm gonna ask you um one question that I also wanted to really ask you. Okay. Um interviewing someone for your team, what are your top green and red flags?

SPEAKER_03 16:48

So I think for me, red is um tenure. You know, if somebody has not just one or two, but several short tenures in their career, you know, I'm talking a year, a year and a half.

SPEAKER_04 17:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:04

I think that that is a bit of a red flag to me that it's somebody who's not particularly committed to an organization or or they bail when the times get tough, and there's always going to be tough times in a job. So for me, that's a little bit of a watch out. And it doesn't mean that I exclude people, it just means I need an explanation.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

Um, and then green for me is really around humbleness. I I really like people who are um who have humility in the way that they express themselves and their achievements. And I I think that's important because ego gets in the way of a lot of decisions. And I think somebody who's humble will will maybe put that aside. Ego's good, don't get me wrong, but but um somebody who's going to make the best decision for the organization or for the moment, rather than thinking about um their ego, is likely to be somebody who's a bit more humble. So I think that's a really uh really strong quality that I look for.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Yeah, I know for sure. That is definitely a very strong one. Um, also because in tourism, I think the work is very collaborative.

SPEAKER_03 18:08

100%, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

So it definitely makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

We are a relationships-based industry and we need to uh we need to get along. So, you know, having a bit of humility in um in your approach really does help.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

No, I love that. All right, Philippa, our time is almost up, but before we close, I want to ask you about your vision for the Emirate. Russell Kheima is in a defining chapter. The Emirate is growing its tourism profile, expanding its hospitality offering, and building a destination story rooted in nature, culture, adventure, and long-term value. When the story of Russell Khaima's transformation is told 20 years from now, what do you think will stand out as the decisive turning point? And how would you like your contribution to be remembered?

SPEAKER_03 18:55

So I think the turning point has already happened. And I think it was um there's gonna be many moments in the next three to five years that that seem like really big moments. But the turning point was when leadership decided that they were gonna double down on tourism, that tourism was going to be a big contributor to the GDP, and they set the plans in place for that. And so now we're seeing that that start to roll out, and that's really exciting. Um, and I guess in terms of my contribution, I'd love to be remembered for being part of bringing that vision to life, and from taking Russ Al Kema from being this beautiful regional gem that we have at the moment to be being a globally renowned part of the UAE's tourism story, but also for being globally renowned for our nature, for our culture, for our adventure, but also for being responsible for redefining what luxury means in the UAE. Yeah. And that luxury being about a sense of place, about wellness, and about personal connection. So if I can play a small part in that, I'll be very, very happy indeed.

SPEAKER_01 20:12

No, that's a that's a very powerful note to end on. Uh, what I'll take away is that Russell Kama's tourism story is not about becoming like anywhere else. It is about recognizing what already makes it special. As you mentioned, the mountains, the coastline, the heritage, the adventure, and a pace of travel that feels deeply connected to place. It's a story of growing with confidence while staying true to yourself. Philippa, thank you again for joining us. It's been a real pleasure having you on C-Suite Talks.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

My pleasure, thank you, Derek.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

Thanks for joining us on C Suite Talks, where we bring global and local insights from the heart of Russell Khima to the world.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

Be sure to follow, share, and tune in next time for another 15 minute conversation about what it really takes to lead.