Phill Savage

I’ve spent over ten years in web development, technical SEO, and digital strategy. As Director at Ace Marketing Solutions, much of my work focused on the hospitality sector—building web platforms and managing search visibility for global brands like Hyatt Corporation alongside regional hotel groups.

Along the way, I also spent a lot of time in open-source security research, finding vulnerabilities in WordPress core and WooCommerce. I've always enjoyed dissecting complex systems to see where they break down under pressure.

Managing large-scale web builds meant constantly coordinating with distributed teams, external vendors, and remote agencies across different time zones. And no matter the company size or stack, remote collaboration always hit the exact same walls. Communication fell apart in Slack, roadmaps drifted, and people got burnt out on camera-off calls.

I spent years trying to solve those bottlenecks with better software, stricter SOPs, and automated workflows. But after a while, the lesson was clear: you can’t fix a human connection problem with another software tool. The quickest way to clear up team friction and get everyone moving in the same direction is still putting people in the same room.

That’s what led me to my current role as Retreat Director at Offsite Thailand. Working alongside Boutiq Hospitality in Chiang Mai, we host retreats that help remote and hybrid teams get out from behind their monitors, fix their communication issues, and build real trust face-to-face.

If your team is dealing with remote friction or planning your next offsite, feel free to connect on LinkedIn or check out Offsite Thailand.