Fairmont Southampton: New Hotel Manager
Fairmont Southampton has appointed Rita Healy to the position of hotel manager.
In this role, Ms Healy will direct rooms, food and beverage and leisure operations, for the 593-room Fairmont Southampton.
Prior to joining The Fairmont Southampton, Ms Healy she was the hotel manager at The Fairmont Turnberry Resort and Club, a 392-room resort in Miami, where she oversaw the operation of the hotel, food and beverage outlets, Willow Stream Spa, beach and pool, landscaping and golf course.
In addition to her experience in Florida, Ms Healy served as director of operations for the five-diamond Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, Washington. Ms Healy began her career at The Fairmont Scottsdale, a 650-room, five-diamond property in Arizona. At The Fairmont Scottsdale she held a number of positions including director of front office operations, front office manager, associate director of conference services, national sales manager and conference planning manager.
“Rita joins The Fairmont Southampton with a wealth of experience in all areas of hotel operation,” said Norman Mastalir, managing director and general manager of The Fairmont Southampton. “Each of her positions – whether in conference services, sales, front office or resort operations – makes her the perfect fit for our resort in Bermuda. We are confident that Rita will be a tremendous asset to our operation, and we look forward to having her as a part of our team.”
Ms Healy holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel-Motel/Restaurant Management from Minnesota State University and is a certified meeting professional.
No Bermudians to fill this position???? Mmmmm……..
I was going to apply for this job but then I found out that they expected me to show up for work every work day, on time, and drug free. Forget that! That’s just craaaaazy! I’m Bermudian – I shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of treatment by an employer! Who do they think they are? How dare them! They can keep their job!
The Fairmont does and excellent job of training and promoting young Bermudians. The team at the Fairmont also work extrmemly hard to keep that hotel operating for Bermudians and attracting visitors to our Island. Lets face it, without Farimont Bermuda, our tourism would be in dire straights. Congradulations Ms. Healy we welcome you and your experience to help revitalize our tourism product and train young Bermudians to get excited about the hospitality industry!
The Facts are the Facts Andrew.. When has the Fairmont Southampton ever hired a Bermudian in that role? Where is the succession plan that ensures that those trained and promoted Bermudians you speak glowingly about ascend to the very top job?
This is not a new business / industry and the Fairmont have been in Bermuda for a few decades. Therefore, why haven’t they promoted a Bermudian to that role? In fact, why is the GM role not filled by a Bermudian?
I know this business intimately and you have to do better than speak to the Fairmonts excellent training and promotion record. When will their multi layered glass ceiling be shattered???
Well Andrew, any ideas?
Fairmont has been in Bermuda for just over 10 years. I just want to point that out – not decades.
I look at her experience and education and absolutely know that there are / have been many Bermudians that are as or better educated. However the key,for aspiring Bermudians that have a desire to manage at the top, is to be extended the opportunity to develop and grow.
Fairmont, like most foreign based hotel chains, are very good at promoting from within. If this process was fully embraced in Bermuda, it would / should have resulted many years ago in a Bermudian being hired to fill that role. Having worked in the hotel industry for years, I absolutely know that it can be done, becasue it has been accomplished, albeit restricted to one hotel, ie, the Elbow under the Wyndham.
Where is the immigration dept on this? Why haven’t ( I am assuming that they haven’t ) they insisted that there be a time line for a Bermudian to be promoted into the role? Note that the role is traditionally a temporary positon, en route to the General Manger position in another hotel in the chain, and as such, this person should not remain for more than 2 years – 3 max. In the interim, there should be one / two suitable Bermudians identified and properly trained / mentored to ensure a smooth and successful transition when this person moves on. If they are moved on. This is the secondary problem. They don’t usually want to leave and often times are allowed to remain in the role which in turn retards the progress ( if only imaginary )of a suitable Bermudian.
This industry does not require rocket science on a resume and if the person is reasonably educated ( college level ), trained appropriately and moved incremently to more senior roles, they can be very successful. This is the case in many chains in the US , Canada and Europe. Therefore why not Bermuda? Maybe we lost our ability to learn after we graduated from reputable schools or displayed little interest in developing and being promoted or we enjoy being in middle management or higher wages is a turn off or we are just silly Bermudians that need to dumb down our aspirations.
If a Bermudian can be an accountant ( partner even ),lawyer ( Partner and or own their own firm ), manager in reinsurance, fly an airplane, guide a massive ship through Bermuda’s treacherous waters, design huge buildings, teach calculus than surely they can reach the level of Hotel Manager at the Fairmont Southampton. Surely!!!
Sigh!!
Touch’
All good points Tony.
Bermudians WALKED over AGAIN!!
What do this woman know about Bermuda?
Learn to speak English first! We might ask the question. What do YOU know about running a hotel?? Or good service for that matter.
Andrew I must disagree with you. I am young Bermudian who was interested in Hospitality and the Fairmont has turned me away many times. Not directly though. They pass you around from manager to manager to HR personal to another manager until you get frustrated with the entire process. They wouldnt let me in the door. Despite have worked at Four Ways Inn, Ascots, and other fine dinining institutions. I have a college degree and re applied and went thru the same thing….so when I see this it frustrates me.
And another thing. People always say they train Bermudians etc but its never for TOP management positions, always middle level managers to keep them quiet and content. We want TOP posts because we are ready and can do it. All I am asking for is a chance..just let me in the door..
They have a rather interesting personality assessment that could deny you a position if you don’t pass . You could have excellent references but they mean little if you fall short on this less than transparent test. What say you Butch Furbert? Where are you on the matter Kim?
In my youth, which was a longt time ago, I spent a few years here (I’m Bermudian)training in the hotel business. I then went away to broaden my horizons,worked in a couple of countries and then returned, with fantastic experience under my belt, and did extremely well thereafter.
A couple of thoughts……….
Whilst away I worked for a large multinational for a couple of years. As junior managers in that organisation we knew from experience (with that company) that we could actually climb the ladder faster if we left the company and returned after a few years and slot back in on a higher rung than our peers who had stayed where they were. It made no sense to us young’uns but it was true. Makes no sense to this day….but that’s the corporate world for you. One can’t fight it, it’s facts of life, the real world, and if you work the system one can get ahead. Now, working for that company put me in good stead when going for my next position and that’s when things took off for me. (I didn’t go back to the multinational).
My advice to any Bermudian who wants to get ahead in the hotel business is to get some grounding here and then go away for at least 5 years. We all have the right to work in the EU, some of us can work in the US or Canada or further afield. Now, it’s not about race as I’m sure some will say, it’s about experience.
The work is not easy when one is away,no one treats you with kid gloves. Sure there are challenges but the rewards are great. Besides, living away is actually a lot of fun as well.
Get the experience and when you are ready to come back to Bermuda, watch out for the ads. If there is something you fancy, go for it. I applied for a position at the Southampton Princess, didn’t get it, but did get the next job at another hotel, and life being what it is that was the better move.
Think outside the box. It’s a rough tough old world but high risk….high reward. Somethings one just has to do for oneself.
Utter rubbish. There are numerous Non Bermudians that have risen up the ladder in the hotel industry on the backs of their Bermudian acquired experienced. FACT!! Can name them but won’t cause there is no need to.
Having worked for major hotels in the US I can tell you that what I learned was no better than what I was exposed to under very competent GM’s in Bermuda. You have to work the same hours, adhere to the same standards and provide an equally good end product.
Again this is tried and tested rubbish…It is a timed honoured delaying and denying tactic that I was certain wasn’t used any longer in that industry..Save it for people that don’t know better.
Also know that Fairmont’s GM gained his experience only in the Fairmont chain. Also aware of many Bermudians that have returned to Bermuda with much the same experience that you say is required to get to the top and were denied real meaningful opportunities. FACT!!!