Club Med appoints two Asian-Pacific General Managers
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Club Med appoints two Asian-Pacific General Managers
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Category: Asia Pacific - Careers -
Appointments
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-03-18
Two new General Managers have been appointed by Club Med and their appointments certainly mark a significant milestone in Club Med history as one is from Singapore, the other from New Zealand – and they are amongst the first in Club Med history to be appointed from the Asia Pacific region.
“They are going to contribute to Club Med’s future. It reflects our ambition and the talent of our teams. It embodies the progress of our strategy. It encompasses today’s and tomorrow’s Club Med: the world-wide specialist in all-inclusive, friendly and multi-cultural vacations, which we are building day by day,” said Henri Giscard d’Estaing, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Club Med.
“Their appointments personify the multi-cultural nature of Club Med. For the first time, General Managers are from Singapore and New Zealand,” said Olivier Sastre, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Gino Andreetta, Vice President, Village GO Human Resources worldwide."
“This diversity also shows in their professional background and talents. We are proud of their appointments and wish them all the happiness in the world with their teams and our guests,” he added.
The first Asian female General Manager is Merlin Chelliah, 32, a Singaporean, who has been with Club Med since 2005.
Merlin is described as “a dynamic leader who always tries to find new ideas for events”. She has also proved to be an exemplary worker who possesses initiative and is a popular team member. Merlin has worked in Club Med Resorts on Bintan Island and Bali, both in Indonesia, as well as Kabira in Japan. Club Med she confesses, is her passion and, not afraid to take risks and new responsibilities, she is willing to go beyond her limits to ensure guests have a great time.
The first New Zealander
The other newly-appointed General Manager Ben Martin,32, hails from Auckland, New Zealand. He joined Club Med in 2001 and will commence duties at Club Med Sahoro in Japan in May 09 , he is currently the acting General Manager of the beautiful Club Med Lindeman Island Whitsundays.
In the past seven years, he has worked in Club Med Resorts on Lindeman Island, in the Whitsundays; Bali, Indonesia; Kabira, Japan; Phuket, Thailand; Cap Skirring Senegal, Africa; Bodrum, Turkey and Trancoso, Brazil. “I am very proud of my achievement. It is a goal I set for myself when I first heard that there had never been a General Manager from my country. I have worked very hard to get here and have had some amazing people help me reach my goal. I feel very honoured and grateful,” said Ben. He looks forward to working with truly multicultural teams, the opportunity to travel the world, discover new talents and skills, and meet amazing people
BECOMING GENERAL MANAGER OF A RESORT: The process
At Club Med, team members who display the leadership qualities of a General Manager are first identified by the Resort’s present Manager. To become a General Manager, the G.O's (Gentils Organisateurs) as they are known, have to constantly prove themselves throughout their careers as department heads.
Each year, over 20 potential General Managers around the world are pre-selected.
The potential candidates are then assessed. Nominees are required to display technical competence, financial savvy as well as managerial qualities and strong inter-personal and social skills. Personality, charisma and a multi-cultural spirit are also taken into consideration. Nominations for the position of General Manager are eventually made in Paris and validated by the CEO of Club Med.
Members of the team who have been appointed General Managers have to undergo a training and development stint to prepare them to take the helm at the Resorts that they are eventually assigned to.
THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER OF A RESORT
The General Manager is the head of the Resort. His or her role is to ensure, along with their team, that guests who come to the Resort for a vacation encounter friendliness, generosity, a good atmosphere and safety.
They have to be able to convey the Club Med spirit to guests as well as members of his/her team. It is a position that requires qualities that go beyond mere know-how.
They are responsible for Resort life, which they organise and manage. They must demonstrate strong leadership skills and the capacity to encourage and motivate their team to give their best and work together to give guests a happy holiday that they will long remember.
An exceptional feature of being the General Manager is the opportunity to grow and improve, while helping team members to do the same.
AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
More than a profession, working for Club Med is a great life experience.
It is an excellent opportunity to stretch oneself to achieve quality and perfection. It is also an exceptional chance to live in, discover and experience magical places, and to get to know different countries, cultures and peoples.
Club Med offers its team members an opportunity to grow at their own pace, by broadening their skills through training and by continually evolving.
And because the world is so vast and an infinite source of new experiences, every place you discover and every person you meet will improve and enrich your life more and more with each passing day.
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