Hotelier Awards 2017 shortlist: GM of the Year

A category at the Hotelier Middle East Awards which always generates a lot of debate: here are the eight candidates in the race to win the title of GM of the Year 2017.

This category is one of the four this year which has eight candidates, in a nod to the calibre of the entries received.

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!

Andreas Searty, cluster general manager, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Hilton Dubai The Walk, Hilton Dubai Creek

In 2013, Andreas Searty moved to Dubai to become the cluster GM of the three Dubai Hilton properties. He has been in charge of driving the three hotels’ performance and profit, reimagining the hotels’ outlets and has finalised the addition of two international brands to the F&B portfolios of the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah property. Searty is also a key driving force in the opening of Hilton Dubai the Palm, set to open in Q4 2018. Leading from the front, he can be seen daily at the properties, doing the rounds and talking to both staff and guests. He has created and implemented a number of initiatives that have helped the cluster become one of the most profitable in the region.

Bill Keffer, general manager, JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

Throughout his tenure at JW Marriott Marquis Dubai to date, Bill Keffer has led a team of more than 1,500 associates to provide exceptional and memorable experiences and drive revenue across all departments, leading Marriott International to award him the Operational Excellence General Manager Award in 2016 in Middle East and Africa. He is also greatly respected within the market as an industry leader and is a regular spokesperson for the hospitality landscape in Dubai. Keffer has led the significant increase in F&B revenue YOY in a saturated market, where new outlets and concepts are constantly opening. F&B outlets at JWMMD have also won 16 regional awards in the last 18 months. He has led RevPAR Index Growth YOY in a challenging declining market, where supply is ever increasing, and has improved associate satisfaction & engagement from 2016 to 2017.

Charles Saliba, general manager, Crowne Plaza Sohar

Charles Saliba was given the opportunity to lead the Crowne Plaza Sohar Oman as its general manager in 2015. He led reclassification of the Crowne Plaza Sohar from a four-star to a five-star hotel. He consistently built up the image of the hotel and forged mutual trust and confidence with the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) by highlighting achievements of the hotel. It was an 11-month journey of making sure that the stringent regulations set by the MOT were met. The hotel also achieved an increase in the overall experience score in the hotel guest survey. The property attained all the set targets in Q2 2016. The following quarter, the hotel was awarded with an InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) quarterly trophy which is only given to the best performing hotel in IMEA. Saliba has also patiently groomed mid managers to take over senior roles and used his expertise in coaching and mentoring them.

Darren Darwin, general manager, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort

Darren Darwin led the opening of a flagship resort within the Anantara brand, achieving and surpassing pre- and post-opening budgets and KPIs, and exceeding financial expectations post budget for revenue and GOP. He has led the introduction of an extensive array of indigenous mountain experiences, both on and off the resort, allowing guests from around the world to discover a new part of Oman, resulting in high levels of guest satisfaction, the highest score in the Middle East with booking.com and number 1 in comp set Oman. Darwin has personally driven the local community relationship with engagement and sustainability practices, and also ensured employee satisfaction and retention with a relatively low turnover. Internal promotions were the highest in the region, supporting development.   

Omar Souab, general manager, Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort

Omar Souab was promoted to hotel manager at the Fairmont Dubai before joining Fairmont Fujairah Beach Resort, where he oversaw planning, directing and coordinating the pre-opening operations across the resort. He opened the property a month ahead of its scheduled opening date, and led the hotel to surpass industry benchmark standards for performance over a pre-opening time-frame of four months, with limited inventory and facilities. In his capacity as general manager, Souab has led the hotel teams to achieve substantial results across multiple performance indicators. The resort has earned a positive welcome from UAE and GCC residents and international travellers alike, with the hotel currently holding the first position in Dibba on TripAdvisor and a Guest Satisfaction Score of 85%.

Philip Jones, general manager, Mövenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach

Philip Jones joined Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in 2012 as general manager in Hanoi, Vietnam, becoming one of the hotel chain’s youngest general managers at the age of 37. He returned to Dubai to take the helm of Mövenpick Jumeirah Beach Residence on 1 January 2016. In his current role, Jones increased hotels GOP year on year through a well-executed profit protection plan, and increased employee NPS year over year in the annual Employee Engagement Survey. Furthermore, he has been instrumental in improving the hotel’s RGI over the competitive set. When it comes to guest satisfaction, Jones’ role as a leader is equally important. He dedicates time to meet and greet guests and is very often around public areas interacting with guests. Moreover, he personally replies to all comments on TripAdvisor and puts his personal email address for direct interaction.

Richard Collins, general manager, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai

Richard Collins joined the property as its general manager in October 2015, shortly after the opening of the extension. He led the increase of hotel revenues, and F&B revenues, leading to the hotel on track to overachieve the year with the highest revenue so far. The hotel has also gained 21.2% in market-share year to date, as well as jumped one step up in our ranking in the comp set (STR), with profitability up this year already.

Tariq Dowidar, general manager, InterContinental Riyadh

Tariq Dowidar successfully led the US $25 million renovation project which involved the health club, lobby, restaurants, tea lounges and meeting rooms, while also managing to increase guest satisfaction survey scores. He has played an important role in increasing employee satisfaction  numbers, with the improved facilities leading to revenue growth, along with being the RGI leader in the region.