Gül Gürsoy
Gül Gürsoy

Hospitality is changing, but not in the way most people think. It's not just about digital transformation or revamped loyalty programs. The more profound shift is psychological: how leaders build trust, how teams communicate, how culture is shaped one interaction at a time.

That's where Gül Gürsoy is focusing her energy, making her work so relevant now.

With over two decades of experience across hotel openings, people strategy, and coaching, Gül has long operated at the heart of high-performance hospitality. But today, she's leaning into a different kind of influence that blends coaching psychology with strategic HR.

A New Chapter in Coaching: More Than Conversations

Recently joining Points of You™ Türkiye as a Tribe Member, Gül has expanded her practice into a methodology known for its disarming effectiveness. Think less "corporate icebreaker," more "visual catalyst for cognitive reframing." Used globally by coaches, therapists, and leadership teams, Points of You™ leverages curated images and structured conversation to disrupt autopilot thinking and spark breakthrough insights.

For Gül, this isn't a trendy add-on; it's a strategic tool.

"In coaching sessions, when logic stalls, visual tools help surface what language often hides," she says. "They open the door to self-awareness, the real accelerator of leadership growth."

Strategic HR, Not Surface-Level Engagement

At a time when "employee experience" risks becoming a buzzword, Gül is focusing on substance. She is pursuing CIPD Level 7, a UK-based postgraduate qualification renowned for its rigour and strategic breadth. This is not the sort of endeavour pursued for status; it is intended for those who wish to challenge the workings of HR at a systemic level.

"This isn't about adding a line to my resume," Gül says. "It's about creating an HR practice that transforms outcomes, talent retention, leadership pipelines, and team resilience. You cannot achieve that without genuine capability."

Her view is clear: HR needs to evolve from policy enforcement to ecosystem design. Leaders shouldn't be gatekeepers; they should be gardeners, cultivating environments where people can do their best thinking and most meaningful work.

Coaching for a New Era of Hospitality

Gül's work reflects the emerging direction of hospitality leadership: less top-down hierarchy, more dialogue, more coaching, more learning.

In the past, talent development was often compliance-driven or generic. Gül is helping organisations replace that with tailored programs grounded in behavioural science and real business needs. Her "Talent Management for the Future" initiative is a prime example, merging classic leadership frameworks with tools like LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and visual coaching cards to create experiences that change how leaders think and act.

The results? Her team achieved a 93% engagement score. She was named Highly Commended Talent Acquisition Person of the Year by Hotelier Middle East. And her name continues to appear in global business publications, not for PR polish, but because her ideas resonate.

What's Next

Gül's future is not about chasing trends; it's about redefining what leadership feels like from the inside. Her coaching isn't formulaic. It's embodied. It's evolving. Most importantly, it's grounded in lived experience: managing complex projects across Türkiye, Qatar, and the UAE, navigating multicultural teams, and staying relentlessly curious about human behaviour.

In a time when leadership advice is often reduced to LinkedIn platitudes, Gül Gürsoy is quietly building something more meaningful: A people strategy that's both emotionally intelligent and operationally sharp.