Jumeirah Group creates new senior operations roles
Dubai-based Jumeirah Group has created two new positions to broaden its senior operations team.
The group has appointed Alejandro Helbling as vice president group services and Uwe Faust as group culinary director with immediate effect.
Group COO Marc Dardenne said in a statement: “Alejandro and Uwe bring to Jumeirah not only expertise gained from years of international experience working at the top of their respective professions, but an instinctive and true understanding of hospitality. Their leadership and strong creative skills will enhance our operations capabilities as well as significantly contribute towards achieving the group’s growth ambitions.”
Helbling’s career in hospitality spans more than 20 years having worked in several international locations.
He will oversee Jumeirah’s group services reporting directly to Marc Dardenne, group chief operating officer. Adhering to global operational practices across its international portfolio, parameters such as quality, health, safety and environment, F&B and rooms will be under Helbling’s purview.
Helbling started his hospitality career in Boston, USA in 1989 and has built his profession with hotel companies working in senior operational roles in Argentina, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Chile, Dubai, Canada, Spain and Puerto Rico. The Argentinian born Helbling joins Jumeirah Group from the Capella Singapore hotel, where he was general manager.
In addition to completing an executive development programme at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland Helbing also holds a Diplôme d’Etudes Techniques Supérieures en Hôtellerie et Restauration from the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. He is fluent in Spanish, French and English.
Click through to learn more about the appointment of Uwe Faust and his responsibilities...
Faust will report to Helbling and joins the culinary management team, overlooking Jumeirah’s 215 food and beverage outlets across the group.
The group has, in recent times, made significant investment in its restaurants including the launch of a number of collaborations with Michelin starred chefs such as Nathan Outlaw (Burj Al Arab Jumeirah) and most recently announced for 2017, Tom Kerridge (Jumeirah Carlton Tower).
Faust has a Master’s Degree from the Hotel School Munich and has worked all over the world in countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, India, South Africa, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Qatar and Turkey.
The German national was also previously based in Dubai and opened The Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa and The Address Downtown.
He has over 20 years’ experience as executive chef with a number of luxury hotels including Armani, Shangri-La, Oberoi, Peninsula, Raffles and Mandarin Oriental.