CTO of Zenner.ai
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Who are you and what do you do?
Daniel Green, CTO of Zenner, a travel intelligence and assistance platform that keeps travelers safe, engaged, cared for, and feeling Zen.
1. What was the journey that brought you to your current role?
I’ve spent my career working on computer systems where time is of the essence, starting in live theater (where the show goes on no matter what) through to building real-time data models to predict global political and economic stability. Combined with almost two decades of monthly business travel, Zenner sits at the intersection of my passions and experiences and was an exciting natural fit when starting a new venture.
2. How do you get things done?
Build the right team, and then share (not just delegate) the work. I think the best managers serve their team as coaches and mentors. A great team, with autonomy and trust, can perform miracles.
3. Who are your role models and why?
One of the greatest decisions I made was to join Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) a global non-profit of 14,000+ entrepreneurs. Through EO I was introduced to the concept of servant leadership and have often seen examples that show it’s possible to do good for yourself, your company, your customers, and your community at the same time.
4. What’s the one secret about your field or industry you wish everyone knew?
Travel is almost always an emotional experience for the person who is traveling. What might seem like a small, or trivial issue, might be extremely stressful or upsetting for the person experiencing it. When things go off-script, people need compassion, and more than anything, they need solutions.
5. What are your predictions for the industry for the next few years?
Humans are incredibly resilient, and they have short memories. The recovery of the travel industry will be slow and painful, but at some point, the events of the pandemic will be anecdotes and memories and travel will return and exceed the records set in 2019.
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