Meet Sam Khalef, the visionary behind MYBOS, a game-changing facility management platform that’s revolutionising the way hotels and buildings operate worldwide.

With an impressive track record of driving innovation and growth, Sam has taken MYBOS from humble beginnings to a global tech powerhouse, supporting over 680,000 users and 1.5 million work orders across more than 2,800 buildings.

From his early days of managing a 500-unit complex in Australia at just 22, Sam Khalef has propelled MYBOS to global success, marked by its official launch in the UAE market and partnerships with some of the world’s top 100 organizations. Today, MYBOS operates with a strong foundation from its Australian head office, where around 50 team members (including most of the leadership and development teams) drive innovation and growth. To support its international footprint, the company also collaborates with outsourced partners, ensuring seamless delivery across international markets.

In this exclusive interview with Rihlat Travel News, Sam shares his expertise on harnessing the power of AI, navigating market expansion, and prioritising user-centric innovation – offering valuable insights for anyone looking to make a lasting impact in the tech industry.

Can you tell us about MYBOS and who your core clients are in today’s market?

We are a building and facility management solution that’s geared towards servicing hotels, residential, and commercial properties – handling everything from maintenance and repairs to daily operations and asset care.

If you think of a high-rise apartment building or a commercial property, you have a lot of assets in there that require maintaining, preventative maintenance, work water management, and also communication. We wanted to build a more cohesive solution that would not only automate a lot of these admin-heavy and time-intensive tasks, but also give users real-time data insights and visibility.

You founded MYBOS at just 22 years old. How did that experience shape the initial vision for MYBOS, and how has the market evolved since you launched the platform? 

22 is a long time ago (Sam laughs). When I first started the business, there was nothing really on the market at that point. SaaS technology had just started, and so I was really early in that stage where what was really important to me was the end-user. Being a facility and building manager back home in Australia allowed me to understand the customer requirements and pain points. 

There’s a range of products on the market that do a lot, but what makes us very different is our understanding of the end-user. That experience of having that behind us allowed us to scale really well.

MYBOS has expanded its operations to five countries, including the recent growth in the Middle East. Why the Middle East now, and what strategies have you employed to adapt the platforms to different regional markets? 

After achieving a significant milestone of over 50% market share in Australia and New Zealand, we’re now focused on international growth, with the UAE serving as our strategic launchpad. Our long-term ambitions extend to Europe, the UK, North America, and the USA. A key advantage is that our facility management solution is broadly applicable across different markets, requiring only minor adjustments to suit local needs. This universality has enabled us to scale rapidly and efficiently into new territories.

While our headquarters is in Sydney, Australia, we’ve now opened our newest head office in the Middle East and have a Regional Sales Manager based in the UAE. Breaking into a new market is always a challenge, but we’re genuinely excited about it. It takes me back to the early days, when I was 22 and facing the same hurdles of starting from scratch. It’s a reminder of what it takes to grow, and it’s something that absolutely needs to happen.

MYBOS emphasises simplicity in its design. How do you balance adding new features with maintaining an intuitive user experience?

Understanding the customer persona is essential to the success in any technology business. We’ve learned from other successful technology companies around the world that it’s not about doing a million different things, but mastering one thing, and doing it really, really well.

For us, it is thoroughly understanding our end-users, which is crucial to drive adoption rates and delivering value on the ground. To ensure this, our entire team is aligned on the importance of ease of use, user experience, and customer-centricity.

When introducing new features, we strive to strike a balance between innovation and consistency, ensuring that our product evolves without compromising the personality and experience our customers’ trust. Before deploying any new feature or update, we put it through rigorous testing, design refinement, and flaw assessment to ensure a seamless user experience and maximize adoption rates.

With the rise of AI and IoT sensors in building management, how is MYBOS integrating these technologies to enhance its offerings?

Sensors have become a big buzzword in our market, much like AI. But when we look back five years, we didn’t necessarily see a huge adoption of IoT sensor products. AI’s impact has been much more immediate.

Sensors definitely have a place, but cost is a challenge. In many building management settings, there just isn’t the budget for widespread sensor deployment. That said, AI can be integrated at a relatively low cost anywhere in a building or facility of any size, making it much more accessible across the board.

I do see growth in both areas, but sensors will likely be limited to high-end properties that can afford systems like Schindler PORT or IBM’s smart building platforms. At MYBOS, we’re exploring more cost-effective, battery-operated, plug-and-play sensors. They’re still in testing, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the market will respond.

What leadership lessons have you learned transitioning from a start-up founder to leading a multinational company?

I’m still working through the learnings. We’re very much in that transition phase into business growth, and there’s still a lot of navigation. Starting out as a solo founder, I was doing everything: sales, onboarding, and running the full 360 operation. The next big step was learning how to recruit and bring people in to help carry the load. Your team becomes everything.

In the beginning, you tend to take it all on yourself and figure things out as you go. But as you grow, you need to pass that knowledge on and trust your team to run with it. Hiring the right people makes a massive difference. Right now, it’s all about building the right team. We’re still learning with each step. It’s not perfect, but we get better every time.

Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for MYBOS in the next five years, and are there any new markets you’re exploring? 

We’re always exploring how to break into new markets. Yes, expansion can be costly and may set you back at times, but it’s essential to stay on the offensive. To keep growing, you need to constantly identify and crack new markets.

One of the biggest advantages of expanding globally is the wealth of insight and resources we gain. We’re learning from markets like the UAE, the USA, Europe, and of course, Australia. That global perspective helps us build a stronger ecosystem for our customers. Seeing our brand establish a presence on the international stage is incredibly rewarding—it gives real purpose to the journey.

The UAE is our newest market, and this year was our first time participating at the Arabian Travel Market. We went in without big expectations, but the experience exceeded anything we could’ve imagined. With over 50,000 attendees, we generated hundreds of qualified leads and connected with thousands of potential partners and customers. The Middle East has been very open and receptive. We enjoyed being part of it and are already looking forward to returning next year.

How do you foresee the property management industry evolving, and how is MYBOS positioning itself to stay ahead of these changes?

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to evolving any product. You need to pay close attention to what competitors are doing, how different markets are shifting, and where the broader industry is heading. Our team plays a key role in monitoring these trends, which directly informs our product roadmap. This ensures we stay competitive while also aligning with our business goals and the aspirations we have for growth in new markets.

It’s definitely a balancing act. It’s not always easy. We’re constantly reviewing, reworking, and reassessing. But that’s the reality of running a growing business. Staying adaptable is essential to sustaining our momentum and operating the way we do.

Can you share with us some of the properties or brands that you’re working with in other markets, and hoping to adopt as a customer in the Middle East?

Hotels weren’t our initial focus. We started strong in residential facility management. But, over time, many hotel managers who’ve come from residential backgrounds, brought MYBOS with them. That’s how the hotel sector became a major growth area for us.

In Australia, we work with major brands including Accor and Minor Hotels, and under them you’ve got dozens of multi-brands like M Gallery, Sofitel, Novotel, and so forth. We also support Crown, The Star, and Meriton – Australia’s largest build-to-rent and hotel operator, with whom we’ve worked for nearly four years. We also support facility management for major brands like Chanel, Hyundai, Mirvac, JLL, National Facilities Management, Multiplex and Lendlease.

It’s really exciting to see where we can take those relationships next, especially here in the Middle East. I’m really proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited for what’s ahead as we continue to expand MYBOS into new markets and shape the future of property management globally.