Ready to roll in new arena
WITH A HOSPITALITY CAREER SPANNING MORE THAN 25 YEARS, FROM CHARITY WORK TO MULTIFACETED MANAGEMENT, CAZALY’S NEW GENERAL MANAGER IS WELL PREPARED,
Get the basics right – this is key advice that Jason Wale lives and works by.
After nine years as second in command at one of the Far North’s top sporting clubs Mr Wale (above) has stepped into the top role of general manager of Cazalys.
And he said those basics of what the customer wanted and providing that were the foundations of the hospitality industry.
“After all if you do good things, then good things happen, people come back, your business grows, you prosper,” he said.
GET the basics right – this is key advice that Jason Wale lives and works by.
After nine years as second in command at one of the Far North’s top sporting clubs Mr Wale has stepped into the top role of general manager of Cazalys.
And he said those basics of what the customer wanted and providing that were the foundations of the hospitality industry.
“After all if you do good things, then good things happen, people come back, your business grows, you prosper,” he said.
His working career in hospitality spans more than 25 years although he said he’d been in the industry “all my life”.
“I remember the days when the publican would work behind the bar and have a drink while … talking to the patrons while his wife was working in the kitchen cooking the meals. Everything was done in lead pencil,” Mr Wale laughed.
“It’s certainly come a long way technology-wise, also because the industry itself is a lot bigger and producing a lot bigger outcome.”
From about 10-years-old Mr Wale was helping to feed the homeless at shelters among other charity work with his family, who were heavily involved in helping the Toowoomba community.
After leaving school Mr Wale started working for a large company with a variety of business interests including hotels, nightclubs, convention centres and shopping centres.
“I basically worked my way up to be one of the managers that went between various businesses … and just oversaw the operation,” he said.
He got a taste for helping put together events after planning three John Farnham concerns “many years ago”.
While in Toowoomba, Mr Wale worked across the businesses in a broad capacity as a hands-on manager, whether it was putting together big events or assisting with everyday operations.
“I learned a lot, I learned how the industry was applied under different styles and it gave me a very broad understanding of the industry,” Mr Wale said.
Mr Wale’s charity work in his younger years ultimately sparked a desire to continue helping communities through his work and ultimately led to him Cazalys.
“I always desired to get into the club industry, it … does a lot of good for the community, whether it’s through sport or donations,” he said.
Mr Wale worked in both Townsville and Mackay before
FROM ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD JASON WAS HELPING TO FEED THE HOMELESS AT SHELTERS AMONG OTHER CHARITY WORK WITH HIS FAMILY
heading to Moranbah where he met former general manager of Cazalys Jason Salecich, who brought him to Cairns as his assistant manager.
“It was about five months before I could actually come … he held the job open for me,” he said.
The two made a formidable team executing a lot of growth for the club. Mr Wale said the highlights included the redevelopment of Cazalys about five years ago and South Cairns Sports Club almost two years ago.
“After many years of talking about and designing it and then building it … when I go back there it always makes me proud to see so many people enjoying the south-side facility,” he said.
The club had also helped redevelop Centrals Trinity Beach into a successful facility.
Now in the hot seat, Mr Wale said there were a number of exciting plans including a $25 million bid for a new grandstand. However, he was remaining tight lipped for the moment.
“There are a number of things I want to work on to progress the clubs and take them to the next level,” he said.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to be involved in hospitality is because I enjoy seeing people having a good time and I still get enjoyment out of that.
“It’s got a lot more complicated over the years and a lot more challenging. Sometimes it’s a challenge dealing with bigger organisations, but it’s also rewarding.”
The industry may have transformed, the expectation for good customer service has not.
Mr Wale said it all came down to having the right people and “looking after those right people”, he said, adding that having an amazing team helped with time management.
“Treating them like family … upgrading their skills, supporting their idea and generally providing them with the tools to do the job.”
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS I WANT TO WORK ON TO PROGRESS THE CLUBS AND TAKE THEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL JASON WALE