Human Resources Manager
Clyde & Co LLP
Total years of experience :23 years, 2 Months
Now ongoing again supporting corporate since
mid 2021
Key Achievements
PROPERTY:
* Saved over AED 10m in payroll costs with carefully planned optimisations plans to enhance business efficiencies. Re
organizing manning and retraining to ensure business enhanced rather than affected by the changes. 2017-2020
* Committed to ensuring the luxury service and quality of guest experience is maintained.
* Fully committed to writing and controlling the Budgets for manning and HR Expenses including compensation and
benefits alignment. Saved more than 10% on previous year without compromising the business.
* Drive Training and developing focus on the guest experience to reach a score of 89.7% and Number 3 in Dubai on
LQA.
* Expert in negotiation and contracting and reaching savings without affecting quality of service or products.
* Managing strategies in the property to ensure the financial risks are reduced and business efficiencies are reached.
* Improved the quality of staff accommodation with carefully executed plans regarding the maintenance and
enhancing the quality of life for the employees.
* Drive employee engagement to new levels and focusing on what is really important to staff in order to improve the
quality of service and employee satisfaction.
* Introduced a Wellness Programme covering a 1-year span to focus on the health of employees in order to increases
motivation and reduce sickness levels.
* Drive sustainability with a Green Globe certification and involvement in many Corporate Social Responsibility
activities.
* Initiated, planned and implemented a new process management system for HR digitalization. Implemented new
system for HR and payroll.
HHRM CORPORATE:
* Developed General Manager / Hotel Manager development program.
* Identify and manage recruitment process for new General Managers.
* Identify and manage recruitment process for His Highness’s personal staff and created a personal travel team.
Ongoing support with recruitment and advice to the palace of His Highness.
* Implemented the training and development programmes for the Montenegro and Seychelles properties including
the manager’s development.
* Group policy writing to align corporate expenses, initiatives and procedures.
* Developed and inducted the General Manager into the Seychelles property and worked with him on corporate
alignment and vision.
* Developed strategies including manning guides and projective payroll costs for the new projects in both Dubai and
Abu Dhabi (new acquisitions).
* Worked with the legal team for Abu Dhabi Capital Group to advise on group optimization and efficiency planning.
* Initiated cross training for all hotels to enhance learning and development and to create a platform for succession
planning and talent management.
Director of Human Resources - Pre-Opening Team, Hard Rock Hotel Dubai Marina
withdrew from the project
Pre-opening project and part of the Executive Committee
During the tenure I was working on new strategies with the corporate office in Orlando to bring Hard Rock to the Middle East.
This included pre-opening budgets, healthcare, trade licences, immigration, recruitment of senior management, policies and
procedures, SOP’s, setting up of the hotel OSE, working on the strategy for mass recruitment and building partnerships to
make this possible.
Head of Human Resources - Pre-Opening Team - InterContinental
Responsible for:
* Senior Recruitment and on-boarding processes
* Supervising Junior Recruitment and on-boarding process
* Ensuring the Immigration and repatriation processes are followed and executed
* Colleague engagement activities; recently including a successful annual party, quarterly recognition events and
departmental competitions
* Management of Disciplinaries and Grievances both hotel and accommodation ensuring that UAE Labour Law is
adhered to taking into account the Company ‘Classification of Offences’.
* Payroll control and expense control - interpreting and justifying the monthly P&L
* Managing a team of 4; carrying out appraisals and ensuring the team are on task
* Working towards the delivery of departmental and hotel balance scorecard and KPI’s
* Colleague welfare management including sickness and colleague difficulties
* Organising accommodation for live in colleagues
* Worked with the team to launch a High Potential programme to identify talent and to nurture continuous growth
* Participated in the group HR Operations meetings and an integral part of the policy working group and have
assisted with writing and implementing several new policies in Jumierah.
* Covered the HR Director during an extended period of absence (almost 10 weeks). During this time, I worked on
several corporate projects including the salary survey, management bonus payments, management appraisal
submissions as well as attending the weekly ExCom meetings and carrying out additional responsibilities as
required.
* Successfully achieved the KPI’s set in Q4 and received bonus payment
* Nominated as Manager of the Quarter, Q1 2014.
Promoted into a corporate role during my tenure to work with the VP Human Resources for Europe
* Worked on group and people strategy including group policy and procedures.
* Dealing with the senior Employee Relations issues including legal disputes, tribunals and employment legislative projects
including TUPE.
* Policy writing and ensuring the Company brand rules and regulations were SMART and distributed within the business.
* Responsible for 5 Hotels, plus consulting in London properties
* Reported in to the Vice President HR for Europe, I was one of 2 senior HR Managers covering the UK.
* Winner of Gatwick Diamond Business Award for ‘Developing People and Skills’ 2010
* With HR Advisors in each property reporting directly into myself, I was responsible for any change management, legal and
strategic decisions within the Southern properties.
* Functional in any executive decisions relating to the commercial aspects of all my properties and liaised with the General
Managers on a daily basis to ensure the smooth running of the people management.
* Training and Development remained heavily focused, with my input concentrated on the development of soft skills with
the Executives and Departmental Managers.
* Responsible for communicating the business strategies and policies to the teams and ensuring they were implemented
within the properties.
Turnover £36m Payroll Budget £10m 801 Keys
* All aspects of Employee Relations, in particular, vast experience in disciplinary and grievance
* Training and Development of all levels of employees
* Industry awards - London Tonight runner up Concierge Team 2008
* Organisational Development and Restructuring including redundancies and business plans (made savings of £3m on
annual payroll budget)
* Recruitment & Selection including Assessment Centres
* Management of Headcount
* Assisted with launching the new Guoman Branding
* HR Team Management - responsible for a team of 2
* TUPE - permanent staff moving to agency workers.
* Union negotiation and experience of working with Unions regarding ER issues and TUPE
* Excellent working knowledge of employment law and Home Office work permit regulations
* Demonstrate an experience of best practice HR Polices and programmes, both in design and implementation.
* Managing sickness and absence levels and taking action where necessary
* Project work as required e.g. Standardising letters, policy work, handbook re-writing, Industry Awards
* Staff Welfare Management
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