Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort recruits from within for key executive and management positions
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort has announced the promotion of Ashneel Chand and Elizabeth Rafai to respective executive and management positions.
About Ashneel Chand Mr Chand, 30, has been promoted to the position of director of Human Resources from his previous role as Training manager. With a Diploma in Hotel Management, Business Excellence and registered as a training officer, Mr Chand joined Outrigger Fiji in February, 2014.
While working as Training Manager, he completed an Advance Diploma in Leadership and Management with TAFE Sydney Institute and Fiji National University and underwent internal local and international training relating to industry service standards.
Prior to joining Outrigger, Mr Chand worked as an attaché/ trainee in the training department at Tanoa Hotel Group and rose to the rank of Training and Development officer.
He has been recognised as ‘Manager of the Month’ at the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort staff awards on a number of occasions and has been nominated for the ‘Employee of the Year’ award.
He has also been the manager nominee at the annual Outrigger Enterprises Group’s global Po’okela Excellence in Leadership Awards, competing with colleagues from other destinations around the world.
About Elizabeth Rafai Former assistant executive housekeeper, Ms Rafai, 40 has been promoted to the position of Training manager.
With a Diploma in Hotel Management majoring in Food & Beverage and Accommodation from the former Fiji Institute of Technology, Ms Rafai joined Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort in November 2016 as Assistant Executive Housekeeper.
She graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Commerce double major in Management and Human Resources from the University of the South Pacific.
Ms Rafai’s career in hospitality began as an attaché in the Housekeeping Department with the Holiday Inn.
She rose to the rank of Executive Housekeeper/Human Resources manager at the Yatule Resort before joining Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort.
Resort General manager Peter Hopgood said that he was extremely pleased with both Ashneel and Elizabeth’s exceptional progress at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort.
“Both of these individuals show incredible passion, determination and resilience and have achieved so much at a relatively young age,” Mr Hopgood said.
“Their success stories should be an inspiration to young Fijian’s to set themselves goals, further their education and work their way up the ladder in the career or their choosing.”
About the training With a staff of 600 employees, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort has a very strong training and development programme at all employee levels.
Training is seen as an investment rather an expense in order for both the guests and the employees to have the best possible experience.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort has been recognised at the 2018 ANZ Fiji Excellence in Tourism Awards in the Accommodation Deluxe category for three consecutive years and recognised globally at the Outrigger Enterprises Group Annual Po’okela Excellence in Leadership Awards (Best Team and Outrigger Way Awards) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr Hopgood said that he was delighted that Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort was developing its own people to a level at which they could contribute to the success of the organisation. “We have a very structured recruitment process called Talent+ in place. “Managed offshore, the process enables us to find the right behavioral fit from prospective candidates for the organisation.
“We spend a considerable sum of money on this programme to ensure we have the right mix of candidates joining the Outrigger brand.
“As the general manager of Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, I have encouraged, motivated and inspired my team across all levels to set goals in life, grab the opportunity when it presents and keep reviewing it as you progress through.
“My own humble beginning in the industry has always been a reminder to myself to observe and identify growth and tenacity amongst the team that I lead.
“Today I am overwhelmed when I watch young people with so much potential willing to step up,” he said.