In January 2014 Selim El Zyr, co-founder of Abu-Dhabi based hotel management company, Rotana, stepped down from his role as CEO and president to make way for his successor Omer Kaddouri.
Having been six months in office, Kaddouri tells Hotelier Middle East how he is taking El Zyr’s vision to new heights by improving systems and solidifying the presence of the Middle East superbrand across the GCC, while steering it into new markets to achieve the company’s target of operating 100 hotels by 2020.
In January 2014, Selim El Zyr, co-founder of Rotana, made what he described as “the most difficult speech in my life” as he handed over the reins of the company — which he established 21 years ago — to his close colleague, former Rotana executive vice president and chief operating officer, Omer Kaddouri.
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“I strongly believe that Omer is a dreamer and a doer,” El Zyr asserted on stage at his leaving ceremony at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi — the company’s original property — in January as he welcomed his successor to the role of president and CEO.
“I believe [he] can drive the company to new levels — Omer has everything it takes for success — drive, vision, passion, loyalty, charisma and modesty — which is a major plus for someone in this position.”
El Zyr, who along with life-long friend Nasser Al Nowais, the company chairman, built Abu-Dhabi based Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC “the tough way, brick by brick” — as he explained to Hotelier Middle East in an interview in December 2013 — said that it was both “a farewell and not a farewell speech”.
The Lebanese national will remain on the board as vice chairman in an advisory role to Kaddouri, spending several hours a day with the new Rotana head for the next couple of years to ensure the company continues to operate with the same vision it was founded by.
“He trusted me to take on this role,” remarks Kaddouri, who has been with Rotana for 15 years and was previously with Hilton International in UAE and London, and Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur during a hotelier career that has spanned 28 years.
“Selim has been my mentor over the past years, especially the last five years; we work very well together, we understand each other and we’ve built a strong relationship.
I know where the company needs to go and I still have him close by in case I need any assistance or advice, which is really reassuring. We have that type of relationship so these are exciting times for the company,” he added.
Back in 1992, Rotana was founded on El Zyr’s vision of bridging the gap between developer and operator in order to compete with international hotel companies.
When Kaddouri joined Rotana in 1998 as resident manager of the Al Bustan Rotana in Dubai, Rotana’s portfolio encompassed just six properties. In 2000, he was offered the opportunity to manage the Beach Rotana in Abu Dhabi with the main objective to oversee a US $8 million expansion project.
By 2010, Kaddouri was ready to move into the corporate executive team, becoming executive vice president and COO, where he played an instrumental role in propelling growth and expansion of the company and continues to do so.
“I think the past 15 years have really shaped me, and because we communicate so well in the company, share the same vision and strive to achieve the same objectives, it’s just become a very natural progression into the CEO position.
You kind of mature with the role and I’ve been involved with most of the major decisions with the previous CEO, and even when I was a general manager I was very involved with senior management,” he explains.
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