The Tribune

WITH Sandals Resorts International’s management succession plan in full effect, several Bahamians are poised to play an integral role as the company’s next tier of senior managers.

Through a structured and streamlined leadership development plan organised by the company’s corporate university, top performing team members are groomed on a path for future leadership.

Sandals said the programme is in keeping with the its history of investing in the development of young people, many of whom are now trailblazers in regional and global tourism.

Among those making a mark in this select programme is former Sandals Royal Bahamian hotel manager Kressville Ritchie, who has been on an extensive exposure course in Jamaica at Sandals Negril and family-based resort Beaches Negril.

Mr Ritchie said: “This exposure to note best practices for the tourism industry not only for Sandals but for the Caribbean on a whole, has been a tremendous learning opportunity. I look forward to the next step in gathering further experience across the region, noting the different ways in which we successfully operate as the tourism mecca of the world with the aim that this knowledge will be put to good use when I return to Bahamas.”

Fresh out the gates, on the other hand, is Delino Moss who through Sandals’ Management Trainee Programme, has excelled as a top performer among his cohort, successfully completing the intensive two-year programme.

Moss has recently been named operations manager at Beaches Ocho Rios in Jamaica, having gained valuable exposure in every area of the hotel operations including food and beverage, human resources and training, accounting, rooms, loss prevention and security, and sales.

Yet another Bahamian rising star is Sandals Royal Bahamian’s former photoshop manager, Shawn Thompson.

Having excelled in his position in the Bahamas, Mr Thompson has been training in the post of acting operations manager while he hones his leadership skills at Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals Montego Bay in Jamaica.

To date, his track record, work ethic and ambition to succeed has placed him in line for further upward growth, the company said.

When Donathan Johnson, joined Sandals in 2000 as a member of the water sports team, he had dreams of making his mark in the company.

Steadily focusing on his dream and making successive leaps to his current post of environment health and safety manager, Mr Johnson is again primed to join the succession planning programme in preparation for future leadership posts.

Noting the impact of such a programme and the development of team members, Wayne Cummings, Sandals’ director of business processes and administration, said: “As a growing Caribbean brand, Sandals Resorts is very proud of the thousands of talented Caribbean nationals working across the chain.

“The selection process for the varying levels of management development programmes, while rigorous, is rewarded by a strong pool of talent from which to choose, that makes the future for the expansion of our company, a bright and exciting one”.

The Sandals succession planning strategy programme is currently on yet another recruitment drive as it has recently advertised for a new cohort of management trainees.

Candidates considering the programme are required to be at least 21 years old, in possession of a first degree or 2-3 years hospitality experience, and be service-driven with strong communication and organisational skills.