The convergence of executive leadership and authentic cultural exploration represents one of today’s most fascinating career narratives. When a seasoned customer experience professional decides to trade boardroom strategies for barstool conversations across continents, it signals a profound shift in how modern leaders approach personal fulfillment and professional reinvention. The whole passion moves towards Cultural Tourism.
Ankit Poothia’s upcoming journey of cultural tourism—50 bars across 20+ countries in 60 days—exemplifies this emerging trend of “experiential tourism” that prioritizes deep cultural connection over traditional sightseeing. His transition from Fortune 500 CX leadership to cultural storytelling reflects a broader movement where executives seek meaningful experiences that blend professional insights with personal passion. This transformation coincides perfectly with World Tourism Day 2025’s focus on sustainable cultural exploration and authentic local engagement.
The timing couldn’t be more significant. As Asia’s bar scene continues to dominate global rankings—with establishments like Bar Leone in Hong Kong and Lair in New Delhi making waves on the World’s 50 Best Bars lists—Poothia’s cultural tourism journey positions him at the intersection of hospitality excellence and cultural documentation. His unique perspective as a CX professional offers unparalleled insight into how hospitality venues create memorable experiences and foster human connection across diverse cultural contexts.
Welcome, Ankit Poothia, Global Exec
Q1. Ankit, let’s start where most people are curious—tell me about yourself beyond the executive titles and LinkedIn profile. What drives you as a person?
AP: From the beginning of my career, I’ve been driven by the idea of differentiating myself, not for the sake of being different, but to keep learning and stretching beyond what’s comfortable. In my very first role, there were 300 customer care specialists, and when a new MIS & Quality team was created, I took the leap and became one of just 15 to join. That risk became a turning point, showing me the value of curiosity, adaptability, and looking at challenges from fresh angles.
What’s guided me ever since is a simple philosophy: love whatever I do and give it my best. That mindset has helped me thrive across industries and roles, but more importantly, it’s made me someone people can depend on to take on challenges others might avoid. I’m naturally curious and have always approached problems by asking, what hasn’t been tried yet? That willingness to see differently and act boldly is why I’ve been trusted to lead, to innovate, and to build solutions that outlast the moment.
It’s also what drives me now in this new chapter. Whether in the boardroom or at the bar, I see life as a series of challenges worth leaning into, not just to achieve something, but to experience it fully and inspire others along the way.
Relationship with “home” and “travel”
Q2. Growing up in India and working globally for 24+ years, how has your relationship with “home” and “travel” evolved? What does each concept mean to you now?
AP: Growing up in India, “home” was always about roots, family, culture, and the sense of belonging that shaped me to stay open, respectful, and humble as I crossed borders across the world over the last 24+ years. My parents, teachers, and mentors instilled in me values, resilience, and the ability to adapt no matter where I am.
Travel, on the other hand, has evolved from simply seeing new places into something much deeper. It was never about ticking destinations off a list, it’s about discovery, connection, and perspective. Every city and culture I’ve experienced has left a mark, and that constant exchange has broadened my ability to understand people, build mutual trust, and expand the horizon of what’s possible.
Today, “home” keeps me grounded, and “travel” keeps me expanding. One gives me identity and stability; the other fuels my curiosity and drive to keep exploring. Together, they’ve shaped how I live, with roots strong enough to anchor me, and wings wide enough to take me anywhere.
Adventurous Cocktail Guy
Q3. Before we dive into your corporate journey, I’m curious about this “adventurous cocktail guy” reputation among friends. When did that passion first emerge?
AP: In 2017, I stumbled across an article on CNN.com about The World’s 50 Best Bars. I was surprised such a list even existed, but what truly intrigued me was what qualified a bar to be called “the best.” That discovery sparked something in me. At the time, I was already travelling extensively for work, often across continents, so I made a simple commitment: wherever work takes me, I’ll visit one of these bars and experience it for myself.
Since then, I’ve visited more than 20 bars from the list and travelled to nearly two-thirds of the cities that regularly feature them. But more importantly, my perspective shifted. Bars were no longer just drink stops, they became cultural storytellers, windows into the soul of a city, its people, and its creativity.
This passion didn’t stay with me; it spilled over. I began sharing my experiences with friends and colleagues, often encouraging them to join. They loved it, and their perspectives changed too. People started asking me for recommendations, often surprised by how much thought, local identity, and emotional depth could be poured into a single cocktail.
For me, it became about more than drinks. It became a way of approaching experiences, with curiosity, respect, and a focus on quality over quantity.
Patterns in Approaching Challenges
Q4. Your 24-year corporate journey spans customer experience, operations, and digital transformation. Looking back, what patterns do you see in how you approached challenges across these different domains?
AP: Looking back, the common thread across all these domains has been how I approach challenges. I’ve always tried to see them as opportunities to learn, differentiate, create solutions, and leave a lasting impact. Early in my career in Reporting & WFM, that meant raising my hand to set new foundations and drive efficiencies by challenging the status quo.
As I moved into operations, the pattern became about scale and execution, taking complex problems and breaking them down into global solutions that could work across teams, geographies, and cultures, driving consistency while maintaining local intimacy. And in digital transformation, the focus shifted again, to reimagining how things could be done, often by questioning conventional thinking and finding new ways to use technology to unlock value.
What’s been consistent throughout is curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to lean into challenges others might not even notice. Whether it’s CX, Operations, or Digital, I’ve found the best outcomes come when you combine discipline and execution with imagination and openness. That balance has enabled me not only to deliver results, but also to build trust, to be the person people rely on when the challenge is complex, ambiguous, or high-stakes.
Fortune 500 Roles
Q5. In your Fortune 500 roles, you’ve advised on customer experience across 40+ countries. How do cultural differences influence customer expectations and service delivery? What surprised you most?
AP: Guiding teams on customer experience across geographies has taught me that while the fundamentals of good service: respect, empathy, and consistency are universal, the way they’re expressed is deeply cultural. In some countries, customers value speed and efficiency above all else; in others, personal warmth or detailed explanations matter more. Even something as simple as tone of voice, level of patience, or style of interaction can dramatically shape the experience.
What still surprises me most is how often companies or leaders underestimate these nuances. A strategy that delights customers in Singapore might frustrate them in Texas; it’s a bit like trying to serve sushi at a Texas BBQ. The key is not make it one size fit all and to adapt them with cultural literacy by blending global consistency with local intimacy.
That said, regardless of culture or the maturity of a customer’s journey, at the core all customers want the same thing: someone who can help them resolve their question & issue. The differences shape how you deliver it but the universal need for resolution is what truly unites customer expectations worldwide.
WFM-as-a-Service
Q6. When you pioneered “WFM-as-a-Service” as a revenue engine, what customer experience principles guided that innovation? How did you balance operational efficiency with human connection?
AP: When I pioneered “WFM-as-a-Service,” the guiding principle was simple: help clients when they needed it most. At the time, many of them struggled during peak periods like holidays and asked for quick reviews of staffing plans. Instead of treating it as a one-off favour, I extended unconditional support, making sure they felt backed not just with data, but with genuine care.
What started as ad-hoc assistance quickly turned into something more. Clients kept coming back for small but regular support, and over time we shaped it into a structured service model. It actually began as a holiday staffing favor and ended up as a $25M revenue engine, not exactly what I expected from picking up the phone one December. That balance, combining operational efficiency with the human connection of “we’ve got you covered”, is what transformed an idea into a solution that still thrives today.
Corporate Boardroom or a Neighborhood Bar
Q7. From a customer experience perspective, what makes a hospitality venue—whether a corporate boardroom or a neighborhood bar—create lasting emotional connections with people?
AP: From a customer experience perspective, lasting emotional connections come from genuine care and interest in people. Whether it’s a bar where a mixologist takes time to understand your preferences and tailors an experience with you at the centre, or a boardroom where executives truly listen and respect different perspectives, the principle is the same: people feel valued when they are heard and when the experience is shaped around them.
What I’ve learned from both worlds is that connection isn’t built on process alone, it’s built on trust and personalisation. In a bar, it might be a bartender remembering your story from last time; in a corporate setting, it’s creating space for diverse voices to shape the future of the business. Both settings are also about storytelling and atmosphere and the best venues, whether physical or organisational, make you feel like you’re part of something bigger.
COPC Inc.
Q8. You’ve influenced industry standards at COPC Inc. and served on Domo’s Executive Advisory Board. How do data-driven insights complement or sometimes conflict with intuitive customer understanding?
AP: Data-driven insights are shaping customer experience better than ever before. They help us understand opportunities and pain points, cut through the noise of hundreds of systems, and reveal patterns across thousands of transactions that humans alone could never see.
But leaders and organisations shouldn’t trade a purpose-driven understanding of customer needs for data alone. Data shows you where to look, but it doesn’t always explain why it matters. The real focus has to be on what you’re solving for the customer, how you reduce effort, improve journeys, and create experiences that feel easy and meaningful.
That’s where data and intuition complement each other. Data gives you scale and clarity; intuition keeps you anchored in empathy and purpose. Together, they ensure that solutions not only make sense on paper but also resonate with people in practice. Data helps you see the noise; purpose helps you make sense of it.
Creating Cultural Belongings
Q9. Your journey will document how bars shape cultural identity across continents. From your CX background, what specific elements will you analyze to understand how these venues create cultural belonging?
AP: Of course, I’m absolutely interested in what’s in the glass, these are some of the most creative cocktails in the world, the kind most people only dream of trying. But what excites me even more is what happens around the glass: the human connection, the storytelling, and the sense of belonging that these venues create.
From my CX background, I’ll be looking at things like: how do these teams keep pushing the boundaries of mixology? What inspires them to design experiences that go far beyond taste? Why do patrons choose these venues, is it because of the title on a list, or because of something more personal that makes them come back?
I’m also fascinated by the common threads. These bars might be separated by thousands of miles and countless cultures, but there’s something universal in how they connect with people. I want to explore how they anticipate expectations, create loyalty, and turn a simple night out into an unforgettable memory.
So yes, the cocktails will be incredible, but for me, they’re the gateway into a bigger story about culture, creativity, and connection.
Unconventional Path
Q10. Many executives struggle with career transitions, especially leaving stable, high-paying roles for passion projects. What frameworks or decision-making processes guided your choice to pursue this unconventional path?
AP: I’ll be honest, this wasn’t an easy call. Even my close family and friends looked at me like, “Wait, are you really doing this?” And I don’t blame them, walking away from a stable role to chase a passion project isn’t exactly the safe option. It took me a while to decide, but once I did, I knew I was all in.
For me, it comes down to how I’ve always lived: I put experiences above objects. I’ve spent 24 years working across countries and cultures, and this project is really just an extension of that curiosity. On the surface, it looks like I’ll be traveling the world sipping fancy cocktails. But the truth is, I’ll be busy chasing stories, connections, and perspectives you don’t find in boardrooms.
So while most people might see this as a break, I see it as the best kind of classroom. The cocktails are just the spark, what excites me is the chance to learn, share, and maybe even shape what I do next. And honestly, if you can mix work, play, and a bit of adventure into one journey… why wouldn’t you?
Leadership Lessons
Q11. As someone who’s scaled teams across 40+ countries, how do you anticipate leadership lessons translating to solo travel and cultural documentation? What skills transfer, and what new competencies will you need to develop?
AP: Leading teams across 40+ countries has given me a toolkit that’s surprisingly relevant to this journey. Skills like listening deeply, adapting quickly to cultural nuances, and building trust with very different groups of people, those translate directly into solo travel and documenting cultures. In a way, being a good leader and being a good traveler share the same mindset: curiosity, respect, and the ability to connect with people on their terms, not yours.
This also isn’t my first solo travel, in fact, about 75% of my trips over the past 20 years have been solo. I’ll be drawing on the same principles I’ve used in business travel: be humble, be curious, and be open to new cultures, people, and ideas. That approach has always helped me build deeper connections and translate them into value, whether for business or for myself.
An Honest Reflection
What’s different this time is that I’ll be combining all of those experiences and skills into something new, connecting with people, documenting what I observe, and sharing stories that aren’t yet written. And I’ll be honest: I’m a bit nervous too. This is a completely new industry for me. I’m neither a cocktail connoisseur nor an influencer, yet I want to do justice to the experience and provide an honest reflection of what I see and feel.
So I see it as an evolution. The leadership lessons I’ve lived, and the solo travels I’ve made will help me navigate the journey, but the journey will also stretch me in ways corporate life never could. For years I used my analytical side to shape business stories — now I get to use my creative side to tell human ones. It will teach me to be both the leader and the traveler, the storyteller and the subject.
Bar Leone and Handshake Speakeasy
Q12. Looking at the World’s 50 Best Bars list, establishments like Bar Leone and Handshake Speakeasy represent different cultural approaches to hospitality excellence. What CX principles do you expect to find consistently across diverse cultural contexts?
AP: Even though places like Bar Leone in Barcelona and Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City are worlds apart in style and culture, I expect some CX principles to be universal. First is intentional design, every detail, from the way a cocktail is presented to how a guest is welcomed, is thought through to make people feel special. Second is personalisation, whether it’s a bartender remembering your favourite flavour profile or a team anticipating what you need before you ask, it’s about tailoring the experience to the individual. And third is emotional connection, the ability to make guests feel seen, valued, and part of a story bigger than just a drink.
Cultural differences shape the how. In some places, it’s precision and ritual; in others, it’s warmth and conversation, whether it’s the quiet whisper behind a speakeasy door or the loud buzz of a Barcelona crowd. But the why is the same everywhere: to create a moment that stays with you long after you’ve left. That’s the essence of great hospitality, or good CX, whether in a bar or supporting customers through a complex journey.
World Tourism Day 2025
Q13. Your journey coincides with World Tourism Day 2025’s focus on sustainable cultural exploration. How will you ensure your documentation contributes positively to the cultural narratives of the places you visit?
AP: The places I’m visiting, the cities and the bars, already stand out on their own. They don’t need me to define them; my role is simply to amplify what they already offer. My focus is to share their stories through one lens: that of an individual traveling across continents in a single journey, weaving together experiences that might otherwise be seen as separate.
In doing so, I want to show how these venues are more than just stops for a drink, they’re cultural storytellers, creative hubs, and reflections of their communities. By connecting them in one narrative, my aim is to add perspective, not overwrite what’s already there.
For me, contributing positively means approaching each place with humility and curiosity, giving credit to the people behind the craft, and celebrating the richness of local culture. It’s about shining a light, not casting a shadow. Think of me less as a critic, more as a curious traveler connecting dots across continents.
If World Tourism Day is about sustainable cultural exploration, then my contribution is to show how bars, often overlooked as “just nightlife”, can be powerful cultural ambassadors when you experience them with openness and respect.
Closing
Ankit Poothia’s transformation from Fortune 500 CX executive to cultural explorer represents more than a career pivot—it embodies the evolving definition of leadership in our interconnected world. His unique positioning at the intersection of business acumen and cultural tourism curiosity offers unprecedented insight into how authentic experiences transcend professional boundaries.
As experiential cultural tourism reshapes how we understand travel and cultural engagement, Poothia’s 50-bar journey becomes a masterclass in applied customer experience principles across diverse cultural contexts. His documentation will likely reveal universal truths about hospitality, human connection, and cultural identity that transcend geographical boundaries while celebrating local uniqueness.
The timing of this cultural tourism adventure, coinciding with World Tourism Day 2025’s emphasis on sustainable cultural transformation, positions Poothia as both participant and analyst in the future of responsible travel. His professional background in scaling global teams and understanding diverse customer expectations provides the analytical framework needed to decode cultural hospitality patterns meaningfully.
A Compelling Case Study
For organizations and individuals contemplating similar transitions, Poothia’s cultural tourism journey offers a compelling case study in reinvention without abandoning professional identity. Instead of discarding decades of expertise, he’s applying proven methodologies to new contexts—demonstrating how executive skills can enhance rather than hinder authentic cultural exploration.
His cultural tourism story resonates particularly as corporate executives increasingly seek purpose-driven experiences that align personal passion with professional competence. In an era where authentic leadership demands genuine human connection, Poothia’s bar-hopping adventure becomes a metaphor for modern executive development—stepping away from familiar contexts to gain fresh perspectives on universal human experiences.
The hospitality industry, customer experience field, and cultural tourism sector will undoubtedly benefit from his unique documentation. More importantly, his journey exemplifies how senior professionals can contribute to cultural understanding while pursuing personal fulfillment—a powerful example for the next generation of leaders seeking to integrate passion with purpose in their career trajectories.
