Twenty-two Sandals managers are now fully poised to change the game as advanced and innovative leaders, after being the first of some anticipated 500 team members to graduate from an immersive training initiative, earning them highly accredited Diplomas in Hospitality Leadership.
The programme, fully funded by the Sandals Corporate University (SCU) is offered in partnership with the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism, Florida International University (FIU) and Accelerating Leaders, an institution specializing in executive education programmes for successful service management.
This six-month programme, custom-designed for Sandals, incorporated a hybrid model with both face-to-face modules as well as online classes comprising of 16 interactive courses leveraging workshops, discussion groups, case studies and industry best-practices. Entry and mid-level managers are challenged to apply new knowledge, gain advanced skills and create positive behaviours as they prepare for increasing leadership responsibility. These managers are pinpointed to help champion the Sandals 2.0 vision of expansion and continuous achievement of excellence in the industry.
The recently held ceremony, hosted at Sandals Ochi Rios Beach Resort, was attended by the graduates and their families, members of the SCU advisory board, Sandals and Beaches executives and representatives from FIU and Accelerating Leaders.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the advisory board of the SCU, Wayne Cummings, commended the graduates for sticking together and finishing strong. “Over these last several months, I know you’ve all had to go to work every day in your various operations, as well as attend classes, study and complete many assignments. The high standard that has been set for the other cohorts to come has truly been a marvel to behold,” he expressed.
The graduates were also applauded by the two main developers of the leadership programme, Dr. Christopher Muller, founder of Accelerating Leaders and Dr. Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism, FIU. Dr. Muller in his address, emotionally stated how special it was to witness them graduate knowing that they now have greater clarity and insight to become better leaders.
He ended by saying, “I also want to thank you for the honour of serving these past few months. Your enthusiasm in each lesson, your riveting questions and thirst for learning was a refreshing experience for me.” Dr. Cheng also lauded the graduates on surpassing the expectations of the programme and reminded them that the aim was not just to impart knowledge but to foster a culture of continuous growth, innovation and leadership excellence.
Students were recruited from the company’s corporate office as well as resorts across Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Curacao.
Sandals Resorts International’s Applications Project Manager, valedictorian and proud member of the inaugural graduating class Mellissa Brown-Fletcher, gave a riveting address on behalf of her colleagues. She shared, “we came in as managers and were developed into leaders. I know our families, operations and communities will be affected by who we will become and that ripple effect is going to be infectious throughout the countries we operate in.”
Beaches Turks and Caicos Executive Chef and a member of the graduating class, Craig Nazareth while lauding the material taught, shared that it was worth the challenge. “The information garnered from this programme is relevant to the direction that the industry is going. This was a proactive move by the organisation and for this cohort to be the first makes this even more memorable. This new knowledge will serve the team members, our resorts and our guests much better,” Nazareth explained.
Kids Camp Counsellor from Beaches Turks and Caicos Maxine Salmon noted, “this company believes in training and allowing its team members to grow in their respective areas. This leadership programme has equipped all of us to be agents of change as we continue to advance the path of progress and help to build the other tier of leadership around us. It was a phenomenal experience and one that has made us better leaders for the industry, our country and our personal growth.”
Executive Chairman for Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart, in his keynote address shared how proud he was of the graduates and the success of the programme, “it is such a dream come true to be here today with Dean Cheng and his team holding hands with me and my team in recognition of a vision that began right here in 2009 at this resort. For me, I look in this room and I see so many of you I have interacted with over the years and we’ve experienced some great things together. The fact that you’re here in this moment is an indication of your commitment to the future and that’s exactly what I’m looking for. You have committed to yourselves, your countries, to this region, to this organization but most importantly, you have committed to the future.”
Team Members in the second group comprising of managers from Sandals Resorts across the Eastern Caribbean are currently completing the programme and will graduate in April 2024. The SCU anticipates that by the end of 2024, another five cohorts will earn their diplomas.
Comments