EDUCATION
Master of Arts, Hotel Restaurant
and Institutional Management, Beverly Hills University, Beverly
Hills California, 1983
Certificates by the Educational
Institute of the AH&MA, East Lansing Michigan, USA
(1-6 obtained from 1979-1981)
- Hospitality management
Diploma
- Achievement for Hotel &
Motel Operations
- Achievement for Food and
beverage Operations
- Specialization in
Housekeeping Management
- Specialization in
Engineering & Facility Management
- Specialization in
Administrative Development
- CHA, Certified Hotel
Administrator, 1985 (The highest professional honour the
Hospitality Industry awards to a General Manager)
- CFBE, Certified Food &
Beverage Executive, 1998 (The highest professional honour
the Hospitality Industry awards to food & beverage
managers and that designation will recognize their
holders as one of the world’s leading Food &
Beverage professionals
- Specialization in Marketing
and Sales Management ( honours), 1999
- Specialization in Club
Management, 1999
- Resort and International
Hotel Management, 1999
EXPERIENCE
Present-1987:
Al Afandi Est.,
Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia; Marketing Manager & Advisor to
the General Manager for Tourism Affairs.
- As Marketing Manager for
‘Al Buhairat City’, one of the largest residential /
tourist projects in the Middle East, I was involved in
Market Research, Project Development and Strategic
Planning as regards the project in general and the
Commercial and Tourist activities (including three main
hotels) in particular. The Planning for these commercial
& tourist activities was in collaboration with AWA ,
Arthur Erickson and economic consultants and resulted in
feasibility studies for these activities.
- As part of my planning and
marketing responsibilities, I prepared the marketing
strategy and process and brought in the company sales
worth over US$ million 200.
- I was involved in market
survey and demographics for the area as regards
occupancies and rates for the tourist industry and their
application to the activities in the project.
- Similarly, I was in charge
of the Advertisement campaign, using radio, T.V,
newspapers, magazines, outdoor advertisement and direct
mail.
- I was a major contributor to
many local and Middle East newspapers and magazines,
focusing on the project, internal tourism and the tourism
industry.
- Participants in many
Seminars and Exhibitions reflecting the importance of
internal tourism and the Hospitality Industry in the
Kingdom.
1987-1978:
Saudi Amoudi Group,
Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia; Property & Catering Manager
- Responsible for the Housing
and catering for over 5,000 employees, working in the
project ‘Saudia City’. The project included 3,377
units and was self reliant on infrastructure (power,
telephone, sewage and water treatment).
1978-1976:
Saudia Hotel,
Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia; General Manager
My work encompassed a wide range of
responsibilities and activities, basically grouped under seven
functions:
Planning
- Goal setting; by
establishing objectives and programmes that will
accomplish the mission and satisfy the owners.
- Gathering intelligence for
short and long term planning and decision making
purposes.
- Forecasting; anticipating
future occupancies to be used for revenue estimates,
staff planning and resource allocation.
- Budgeting; planning periodic
operating and annual capital budgets.
- Marketing and selling;
analysing market trends, determining potentials and fair
market share, determining selling targets for product
line divisions (rooms, restaurants, banqueting,
conference, etc)
- Product and service planning
to reach new market segments and stay ahead of
competitors.
Organising and Staffing
- Departmentation; organizing
line and staff departments to meet operational or
functional requirements of the hotel and re-organizing
when necessary.
- Recruiting and hiring; to
fill vacant managerial, staff and operational positions.
- Building on diversity;
taking positive action to staff according to
qualifications, regardless of gender, race, political
persuasion or religion.
- Compensation administration;
maintain the equitability and competitiveness of wage and
salary plans, incentive compensation plans.
- Employee training; improving
skills and professionalism in the job.
- Management development;
develop and train qualified local personnel as potential
candidates to replace expatriate managers upon their
transfer or promotion to other properties.
Co-ordinating
- Co-ordinating internal
efforts; meeting daily with the hotel operations
committee for checking on daily activities and review
special problems and weekly with the executive committee
to co-ordinate policy related matters and operational
issues.
- Co-ordinating special
projects (renovations, expansions, new products etc).
- Co-ordinating external
efforts; transmittal of operational reports to and
periodic meetings with the hotel company’s divisional
headquarters. Co-ordinating special events with sister
properties.
Directing/Communicating
- Directing; providing day to
day direction for senior staff; leading the organization
through a culturally appropriate style of management that
is understood, respected and accepted by employees.
- Team building; encouraging
co-operation among employees to work together to achieve
common goals.
- Building and maintaining
staff morale.
- Communicating; making use of
formal and informal channels of communication to transmit
directives and ideas within the organization.
- Internal marketing; selling
employees on the importance of providing service
throughout the hotel, not only to guests, but also to
other employees whose work is part of a team effort.
Controlling
- Controlling costs; variable
and semivariable costs of labour, food and beverages,
operating supplies, selling and marketing,
administration, plant operation and maintenance, etc.
- Controlling inventory;
maintaining par stock levels in housekeeping, food and
beverage, and repair and maintenance supplies to meet
operational needs and avoid losses from spoilage,
obsolescence, or over-stocking; anticipating local or
international conditions to ensure adequacy of supply
sources.
- Controlling production;
controlling food and beverage production to avoid waste
or stockouts.
- Assuring quality control and
standards.
- Controlling internal
security
- Accounting and financial
reports; prepare for senior management at divisional
offices regarding monthly, quarterly and annual forecasts
and budgets, market reports, staffing plans and business
plans.
Evaluating
- Reviewing operational
statistics; reviewing the hotel’s daily, weekly and
other periodic reports to determine ctions needed to
accomplish goals.
- Pricing; evaluating
competitive rates/prices in the local and distant markets
and establishing competitive but fair rates/prices to
maintain optimal or maximal occupancies and
profitability.
- Environmental assessment;
changes in competition and the operating environment;
making use of market intelligence and SWOT analysis
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to revise
or make new tactical or strategic decisions.
- Staff appraisals; measuring
the strength, deficiencies and progress of individuals
and human resource development programs within the hotel.
Representing
- Internal representation;
serving as the spokesperson for the hotel company on all
matters concerning internal operations, inside groups,
the hotel owner or his representative, employee
committees or trade unions.
- External representation;
serving as the company’s representative in dealing with
outside groups, i.e Government officials, civic groups,
financial institutions, suppliers, travel agents, guests,
and the general public.
- External selling;
representing the hotel in trade shows and conventions,
calling on key accounts and working with major
wholesalers or travel agents directly.
1972-1976:
Holiday Inn,
Westwood,
California USA; Banquet & Asst. Food &
Beverage Manager
- I started my practical
experience in the Hotel industry and climbed my way to
the position of Banquet Manager, getting involved in
marketing and sales.
- In ’76 I was promoted to
Asst. Food & Beverage Manager in this 350-room hotel,
next to Beverly Hills, California.
AFFILIATIONS
Member of the
American Hotel & Motel Association
LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE
Speaks Arabic, English, French, and
Spanish.
INTERESTS
Swimming,
Reading
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