Hotelier Awards 2017 shortlist: Sales Person of the Year

We reveal the six shortlisted nominees for the Hotelier Middle East Awards 2017 Sales Person of the Year category.

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!

Ahmed Hashem, senior sales manager, Fairmont Dubai

Starting his career as a telephone operator, growing up the ranks to the reservations supervisor and proceeding to sales department, Ahmed Hashem is known as the “King of Leisure” among his colleagues and partners, for constantly overachieving his targets and singlehandedly overseeing the wholesale and leisure segments at Fairmont Dubai. By initiating new strategies and tactics, he brought in new accounts in 2017, which resulted instantly in further room night productions and wholesale revenue increase.    

Ghizlane Abdanbi, sales manager - groups & corporate, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara

Ghizlane Abdanbi has achieved her target for past quarters sales as well as already for Q1, Q2 and Q4 of 2018 by closing a piece of business with five different groups coming in 2018. She has landed such high-profile clients as Chevrolet, Hyundai, Ooredoo, Omantel and Central Bank of Oman, and has climbed the sales ladder in record speed and shows no signs of slowing down.     

Jenny Kanavos, director of sales and events, Zaya Nurai Island

Jenny Kanavos successfully established the Zaya Nurai Island buy-out concept and package. She has achieved over 100% increase in revenue in group & event business in 2016 compared to 2015 and already achieved 90% 2016 total revenue for groups & events by the end of June 2017. Kanavos also successfully converts a majority of sales leads into business.

Mohammad Amjad, director of sales, Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek

Mohammad Amjad has retained major key accounts worth thousands and thousands of room nights during extensive room renovation, while increasing corporate and leisure business by targeting the SME accounts. His efforts have resulted in an increase in ADR by changing business mix and yielding from lower inventory during the renovation.

Tofayel Ahmed, events sales manager, InterContinental Jeddah

Tofayel Ahmed has signed through a big number of large symposiums with rooms for the property, and has generated substantial revenue for long-stay business as well as new accounts. He has been able to convert many new MICE accounts to signing with the InterContinental Jeddah. His efforts during Ramadan 2017 and the hotel's iftar offering have seen an increase in bookings including corporate accounts for that period, as compared to last year.