George Fares, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
About George
Lebanese born George Fares started his career in 1988 as Chief Supervisor in Chicago Beach Hotel (currently occupied by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel). Later on he progressed his career with Chicago Beach and was appointed as Engineering Operations Manager during the pre- opening of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in June 1997. Soon after, in November 1997, George’s role was expanded to Facilities Manager for the Jumeirah Facilities Management that catered to Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Wild Wadi Water Park and Burj Al Arab. During this tenure he was responsible for the maintenance of the physical plant and building; he also supervised the facilities and undertook expenditure projects for enhancement and renovation. As a result of his dedication, commitment and success, George was promoted to the position of Resident Engineer for Burj Al Arab in May, 1999. This was another exciting career phase for George- a preopening team member of the hotel which was not only the pride of Jumeirah but also a landmark and icon of Dubai. In April 2003 George was promoted as Chief Engineer for Jumeirah’s next development project - Mina A’ Salam Hotel. He successfully opened the hotel by coordinating effectively with all the contractors and implementing the standards that are in compliance with Civil Defense and local authorities. In 2008, George’s responsibility was expanded to the whole of Madinat Jumeirah Resort, including Al Qasr and Dar Al Masyaf with 600 rooms and villas. He also looked after Conference and Incentive facilities of the resort and Souk Madinat Jumeirah, retail and food beverage outlets.In June 2010, George was promoted and appointed as Director of Engineering for pre-opening of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray wher he maages till now a team of 56 colleagues.
Above and beyond the call of duty…
George continuously audits and reviews systems and standard operating procedures to ensure best practices pertaining to health and safety are in place. He has the ability to stimulate new ideas and see them through implementation. His “can do” attitude sets him apart from others and he faces every challenge with a smile. Opening of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray was a challenging task, as the project was inherited from another management company and there was a tight schedule for Jumeirah to open the hotel for trading. George had the most challenging job, as the hotel had to establish and meet all the guidelines pertaining to Fire Life and Safety outlined by local authorities. George introduced the recycling system of waste water which is treated and recycled in house in the hotel premises to be used for irrigation. He liaised with Culligan Waste Water System and had this implemented in the mechanical plant room. The system recycles water from guest room shower, bath tub, wash basin and laundry. The recycled water is used judiciously for irrigation and bathroom WC flush by a separate pumping system. This meets 50% to 70% (based on occupancy) of water requirement for irrigation purpose. The recycling of water has also lead to huge savings on the West Crescent of the Palm. During the opening of the hotel, there were challenges with the steam and sauna rooms in the Spa. This was due to the non-availability of the spare parts and services, as the company which had manufactured the equipment had no local agent or supplier in the Middle East. In this critical situation, George travelled to Austria in October 2011 and visited a designer company to draw conclusion and engage in a direct contract with them. He studied and understood the details of the system for an efficient operation of the equipment. He also managed to procure the spare parts through establishing effective relationships with the end client. The spa in Jumeirah Zabeel Saray also features a Snow room with the real snow s generated inside. This posed further challenge to the hotel as the manufacturer ended the maintenance contract with the local agent. In April 2012, George flew to Germany and visited the manufacturer and the senior leadership of Innovag. He influenced the key executives to train him in the operations of the machine and purchased spare parts with them. He shared his knowledge with fellow colleagues and now has fully skilled colleagues who can handle the breakdown of the machinery by themselves. Being an ardent fan of Green Earth concept and Executive Committee member of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, he spreads awareness about the 3R’s among new colleagues in all the divisions of the hotel. He also pioneered the team for Earth Hour on 31st March 2012 and contributed towards the saving of 461.7 kw of energy. George is an inspiring leader. He is full of energy and ensures that he motivates his team to the fullest. He manages projects competently and that helps him to get stunning success in each endeavor of his. He has also managed and supervised several National colleagues during his tenure and supported their all round development. He is a perfect role model for beginners and an asset to Jumeirah.
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Testimonials for George
“Working with Mr. George since 2006; I have known him as a person with the spirit of taking challenges which others do not dare to accept and make it fruitful. He is empathic towards his colleagues and motivates his subordinates to make them confident to work in all kind of situations with made them immune to professional pressure, ready to take challenges with courage and with a sense of non – surrender…winning is one and only target. And all of the colleagues willfully follow him where ever he moves.” Stephan Schupbach, general manager, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
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