Rey Trimidal, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Rey Trimidal, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

These five finalists will compete for the HR Person of the Year 2012 title in the Hotelier Middle East Awards to be held on October 31 at The Ritz-Carlton DIFC.

Below you will find extracts and testimonials from the shortlisted nominations for each of the five candidates...

Rey Trimidal, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr
About Rey
Rey Trimidal graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Mindanao State University, College of Health Sciences, Marawi City, in his native Philippines in 2006, and went on to continue his studies at the Cebu Normal University, Graduate School, Cebu City where he was awarded a Master’s in Nursing. With a heartfelt desire to use his newly gained skills to first help others, he put off immediately starting a career in order to volunteer for a 5 month period with Operation Smile, an international charity which provides free, lifesaving surgery to children with facial deformities including cleft lip and cleft palate. Rey went on to work at Dr. Ignacio M. Cortes Hospital in Mandaue City as a Volunteer Staff Nurse and then as an Operating Room Nurse in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Centre. In 2007 he entered the academic world as a Clinical Coordinator and Nursing Instructor at the College de San Antonio de Padua in Davao City, where he was responsible for clinical learning resources as well as monitoring and evaluating the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing students. He went on to hold positions as a Clinical and Nursing Instructor at the University of Cebu, Lapulapu and at the Mandaue College of Nursing in Cebu City. Keen to continue using his skills to give back to the community, from 2008-2010, he volunteered as a part time reviewer for the international nursing licensing exam in the KAPLAN-International Center for Studies & Education. Leaving his home country and moving to the United Arab Emirates in May 2010, Rey entered the hospitality industry for the first time, joining the team at Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi in the position of Health & Safety Coordinator. As a result of his hard work and determination, he was promoted in April 2012 to his most recent role as Occupational Safety & Wellness Advisor.

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Above and beyond…
A hard worker by nature, Rey constantly extends himself above and beyond the call of duty. Regardless of how busy he is, he can be counted on to keep calm in the busiest of situations, and serve with a smile. His colleagues comment that while his days are always busy, he is never too busy to show he cares. In addition to his numerous existing responsibilities, he is always willing to lend a helping hand to others, from organizing colleague events, to assisting in sorting through hundreds of CV applications, or helping the Housing team move new colleagues into accommodation. Most noticeably, he goes above and beyond his responsibilities in the care he extends to his patients and colleagues, and in his willingness to help others. A dedicated nurse, he is committed to taking care of his patients, well beyond expectations. One of his regular tasks involves scheduling medical appointments for new hires at the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi's (HAAD) clinic for visas, which is widely known as not the most glamorous of locations. Since his arrival, Rey has worked tirelessly to build relationships with HAAD, and as a result of his efforts to cultivate this relationship, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr was invited as one of the first hotels to conduct the visa medical screenings in their new private facility. This has made a significant difference for the transition experience of new colleagues arriving in Abu Dhabi. Understanding the challenges of being away from their homes and families, Rey offers support and guidance to colleagues, often times personally accompanying them on visa medical screenings to ensure that they are well taken care of. On one occasion, a colleague needed to undergo surgery and was extremely worried. Rey went the extra mile, accompanying the colleague from the initial doctor's appointments, guiding him through the process, up until the door of the operating room, and he continued to offer support through the recovery process until the colleague was able to return to work. Rey’s medical background enables him to apply clinical knowledge on physical conditions and implement strategies to improve health and wellness of the colleagues. A second area that Rey has gone above and beyond in is improving the isolation rooms for colleagues. Those suffering from contagious illnesses are put into an isolation room in the colleague accommodation village to avoid the spread of sickness. Prior to Rey's arrival, the responsibility for providing meals to these patients lay with the individual departments. He quickly took it upon himself to ensure that these colleagues were taken care of and received their meals on time, three times a day. As the hotel has such a diverse employee base from all over the world, he also works to ensure that individual tastes and cultural preferences are taken into consideration and meals are adapted accordingly. Rey often delivers these meals himself, outside of his own working hours, lifting their spirits with his companionship and encouragement. He continues to work to improve the conditions, and is currently liaising with the technology team to install Wi-Fi access in the room. Rey is always willing to offer help when needed. In October 2011, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr was selected as the host venue for the prestigious Abu Dhabi Film Festival. One of the mandatory requirements from the Civil Defense for this high profile event was that a nurse be available during all activities. Rey had arranged for a contracted nurse to be present during the opening ceremony function; however, at the very last minute, the hospital pulled out of the agreement, placing the hotel in a very difficult situation. When the Director of Rooms called Rey for assistance, he was en route to Yas Island to attend a Janet Jackson concert. Without a moment's hesitation, he asked the taxi to turn around and immediately headed back to the hotel, missing the concert. Rey worked at the function himself as a nurse, allowing the event to go ahead as planned. A few months later, a large number of new hires were expected to arrive from Uganda as part of a recruitment drive. Volunteers were needed to assist in meeting the group, and again, Rey was one of the first to put himself forward to help. Understanding the daunting experience of arriving into a new country himself, Rey met the group in Dubai International Airport welcoming them into the country, as well as driving them to their new accommodation in Abu Dhabi. Not only involved in all hotel departments, Rey is also heavily engaged in the community and serves as a great brand ambassador. Within the last year alone, he has led three blood donation drives, with 204 volunteers, with each drive collecting over 60 units of blood. In October 2011, he also led efforts in organizing a Breast Cancer Awareness education campaign for colleagues, and by reaching out to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital, he also managed to arrange complimentary breast cancer screenings. As a result of his hard work and dedication, he was awarded the prestigious 2011 Company Star Employee of the Year, which recognizes individuals who excel in their performance and embody the Fairmont company service values and promises. This award is selected by the Executive Committee, from those who have been nominated as stars of the month during the year.

Testimonials
Colleague Testimonials: “I have nicknamed Rey, ‘Rey of Sunshine’ because he is always smiling and brightens any room when he walks in. No matter how busy he is, Rey offers a calming influence to those who work around him, and his great sense of humour is sure to brighten anyone’s day. Working with Rey is a pleasure and I have every confidence in him when it comes to confidentiality with medical issues. In addition to his own responsibilities as Occupational Safety & Wellness Advisor, Rey is always willing to help his colleagues in the Human Resources team and is a definite asset.” Jane Yrenaya, Assistant Director, Human Resources

“I have always known Rey to be cheerful and dependable. His ability to work efficiently under nerve-racking and stressful conditions speaks to his hard work, perseverance and dedication. He is easy to talk to, a good listener and a caring colleague who would never say no to someone who needs a hand. It is indeed an honour to know and work with such a fantastic person.” Joy Banas, Environmental Health & Safety Manager

"This morning (March 16, 2011) one of our in house guests became very sick and unstable after taking her prescription medication. Rey stayed with the guest for over two hours, providing her with assistance and support, never leaving her alone in the room. He refused to take a break from his position as he was so concerned for the guest. His selfless actions and concern for this guest were truly inspiring and a great example for others. ” Dewj Turker, Duty Manager, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

“Rey has been a great colleague and advisor, and has helped me grow to where I am now. When I first took on the role as Hotel Nurse in Fairmont Dubai (Fairmont Bab Al Bahr’s sister property), Rey always offered support and advice to any of my concerns, guiding me on how to become an effective hotel nurse. I don’t believe that Rey knows how to say ‘no’ to requests, and is always willing to extend help!” Punay Pepito, Hotel Nurse, The Fairmont Dubai

Guest Testimonials: "Rey, Thank you for all your care and attention. Should you wish to visit England I would gladly provide my home for you to stay in.” Valerie Stanton, Guest

“Dear Rey, I just wanted to write and express our thanks for your thoughtful and careful attention when Mary was so afflicted with the stomach pain. You were absolutely great and I know we both truly appreciated it. I have sent along a further letter to the hotel manager to commend yourself and all the staff for making our stay so comfortable and special.” Shawn Day, Guest

“Rey is truly a good man. It does not matter to him whether you are well known or not, he is always willing to help others. He is a hard worker and a gifted nurse, yet still extremely humble. I can see that he values unity and works tirelessly to achieve his hotel's goals. Our jobs are closely related in terms of taking care of the health and wellness of the staff, and he is a great inspiration to me in my own role.” Cheryl Anne de Nuevo, Head of Health and Safety Office, St Regis Saadiyat Island

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