The hotel industry across Asia Pacific is in mourning, following the news former Accor Asia Pacific Executive Chairman, David Baffsky AO, has passed away at 81.
One of the most popular hoteliers Australia has ever seen, Baffsky led the original charge of Accor throughout Asia Pacific from 1993 to 2008 and after his departure, was the company’s Honorary Chairman, as the company continued significant growth, much of which the former lawyer started himself.
Baffsky, who is also a member of the HM Awards Hall of the Fame and who was the first ever keynote speaker at the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) in 2009, was a likeable person who could uplift any room with his addictive smile and charismatic personality.
Accor Pacific CEO, Sarah Derry, told HM that Baffsky will be deeply missed by the entire Accor family and was someone who helped create the booming business the chain has become in Australasia today.
“Baffsky was an incredible force whose leadership, vision and direction established Accor as the preeminent hotel company in Asia Pacific, and in doing so, transformed the hotel industry in the region,” she said.
“He was responsible for providing career opportunities for countless people who have built careers in the hospitality industry, and was a mentor and friend to many people in Accor and the broader industry.
“Baffsky’s talent for finding talent was extraordinary, and he exported Australian talent across the Asia Pacific region, whilst fostering local talent as well.
“During his time at Accor, Baffsky was responsible for many initiatives which are the bedrock of our HEARTIST culture, including the establishment of Accor’s Indigenous Careers Program.
“In 2001 Baffsky drove Accor to establish its commitment to First Nations, when we made our first commitment with Government on employment.”
He was also known for his significant work as Chairman of Voyages Indigenous Tourism and as a Director of the Indigenous Land Corporation where he was passionate about the growth of Indigenous employment in the accommodation sector and for Australians to have more experiences in the outback, including the purchase of Ayres Rock Resort.
Baffsky held a law degree from the University of Sydney and was the founder, and until 1991, the senior partner of a Sydney legal firm specialising in commercial and fiscal law.
He was also Chairman of Investa Property Group, a Director of Destination NSW, The George Institute, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and a board member of Sydney Olympic Park Authority.
He was a Director of SATS Limited, Chairman of Food & Allied Support Services Corporation Ltd, a Trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW and a member of the Business Government Advisory Group on National Security and a member of the Federal Government’s Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce.
In 2001, Baffsky was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia and in 2003 he received the Centenary Medal.
In 2004 he was recognised as the Asia Pacific Hotelier of the Year and in 2012 he was awarded the Chevalier in the Order of National Légion d’Honneur of France.
In the August 2021 issue of HM magazine, when Accor celebrated its 30th anniversary, Baffsky shared some of his favourite moments with the company, including the debut of what’s become one of the global brand’s most popular hotels.
“The opening of Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour in 1991 was the precursor of a planned expansion strategy for Accor, not only in Australia but for the whole Asia-Pacific region, all driven through a head office based in Sydney,” Baffsky said.
“Such was the trust from the Accor founders, which has since become more than 400 properties in the Pacific alone and many, many more in Asia.
“Many great and memorable events have taken place including the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, which allowed Accor to demonstrate its skill and expertise in the tourism and hospitality industry for the benefit of our partners and our teams.
“The tsunami in 2004 tested our teams to the limits of human endeavour and the humanitarian response to all of the social, local and political issues that arose is deeply ingrained in our DNA.
“We and our families are now all being tested by COVID and its impacts, but the fact that Accor has a truly unique culture means that there is nothing else genuinely like it in the world of tourism and hospitality to support and benefit all of our guests and all of our stakeholders.”
His hard work in launching Novotel in Australia won’t ever be forgotten and Baffsky will be remembered as someone who truly helped launched Accor onto the global stage.
“Baffsky’s legacy can be seen not just in Darling Harbour’s evolution, but also Sydney Olympic Park, where Accor’s hotels played an instrumental role in hosting the 2000 Olympics and transforming the former industrial site into a dynamic precinct,” Derry said.
“His role in transforming the hospitality sector in Asia Pacific is testimony to his passion, foresight, determination and vision, whose influence and leadership have reverberated around the globe.
“Fondly referred to as DZB by those familiar with him, his love for his family and the pride he had in his wife, children and grandchildren was very special and he would often share warm and moving stories about his family.
“He will be missed – but warmly remembered – by everyone in Accor and across the industry.
“Our deepest sympathy and condolences go out to his family: his wife Helen, and children Daniel and Catherine and their families.”
On behalf of the HM team, our deepest sympathies also go out to David’s family and many friends he had across the world.