Hotelier Awards 2017 shortlist: IT Person of the Year
Hotelier Middle East is pleased to reveal the six finalists in the IT Person of the Year category for the 2017 edition of the Hotelier Middle East Awards.
If you'd like to meet last year's winners of all categories, click here to find out more...
Click through to find out who has been shortlisted this year... and take a look at last year's event in the video below!
Anita Julie Lobo, cluster technology manager, IHG Kuwait
Anita Lobo identified hardware / software that are due for end of life, and eliminated vulnerabilities and process duplication to provide a safe and secure hotel network. She helped reduce maintenance budget and gave employees the right tools to increase productivity. She took the hotel to the top five for overall internet connection in the MEA region among IHG hotels. She was also the driving force behind launching 2.7 Symphony, becoming the first hotel in the country to deploy this system.
Khalid Omari, director of IT - Jordan, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts - Jordan
Currently, Khalid Omari oversees the smooth operations of the five properties of the Mövenpick Jordan, in addition to occasionally offering his technical expertise to support the other Movenpick hotels in the Middle East. He has upgraded the PMs system from Premises version 4 to V9 cloud with multi property scenario which make the properties more controllable, and also clustered the reservation office by upgrading the telephone system, reducing missed calls substantially. He also upgraded the POS system from Premises 9700 system to Symphony 2, helping all functions related to F&B as well as finance.
Krishnaraj Jayaram, IT manager, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara
Krishnaraj Jayaram moved to Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara as pre-opening IT manager. He set up fully functioning IT systems and completed all staff training in time for the resort’s opening and on budget, and reduced the cost of internet with his negotiation skills. Due to climate conditions and initial unusual open-air hotel network design, he had to design a special enclosure to protect network rack and monitoring systems resulting in almost 0% IT-related issues. In his previous role, he was shortlisted for IT Person of the Year in 2013.
Mirza Ehsan Ulhaq, IT manager, Crowne Plaza Jeddah
After Mirza Ehsan Ulhaq joined Crowne Plaza Jeddah, he transformed the systems into a professional setup by installing corporate standard applications, new network infrastructure, new servers and computers. Since then he has implemented new digital systems, upgraded bandwidth, door locks, CCTV systems, AVs and projector systems. He got green in all categories of corporate TechReady tests, and maintained a good score in guest feedback. Focusing on colleague development, he worked with his assistant to be promoted at a sister property.
Snebu Samuel, IT manager, InterContinental Abu Dhabi
Snebu Samuel manages all the IT, networking and computer-related jobs for the hotel. He played the key role in managing IT expenses and managed to save a substantial amount for the hotel. Samuel also played a major role in helping to open two new outlets at the property (Cho Gao & Belgian Café Terrace), along with firewall security upgrades, WIFI and IT security upgrade. He believes that it is possible for IT to be a revenue-generating department, by managing the expenses and generating savings.
Zufri Sally, assistant IT manager, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel
In the last year, Zufri Sally has revamped the WIFI infrastructure and increased guest satisfaction by 30% in the hotel, while reducing maintenance costs. He was also made a member of the Executive Committee. He also installed more than 30 digital signs in the hotel, which has helped direct hotel guests and allowed for quick flexibility for conferences/functions.