Cornell's GM Program: Five Graduates Honored by Crown and Champa Resorts

This year saw the graduation of five trainees from Crown and Champa Resorts' General Managers Program from the esteemed Cornell School of Hotel Administration. The five participants are Areef Ahmed, Director of Operations at Meeru Maldives Resort Island, Mohamed Nazeer, Director of Operations at Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa, Ali Navaz, General Manager of Komandoo Island Resort & Spa, Mohamed Zahir, General Manager of Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, and Fathuhulla Ibrahim, General Manager of Veligandu Island Resort & Spa.

The course was broken into two sections, with the first part requiring registrants to attend online sessions from February 2023 through June 2023. In the final half, they went to Cornel University's Statler Hotel in June 2023.

The main lessons learned from the training, according to the participants, are recognizing the main obstacles and possibilities facing the hospitality industry today. The topic of the session was brainstorming cutting-edge hospitality services and products that can boost demand and meet customer expectations.

It helped me identify the strengths that are important to my unique management style. We also discovered how to provide context-specific responses to HR problems, said Nazeer, DOO of Kagi.

"I'd want to draw attention to our talks of the problems following COVID-19. This contains visitor behavior modifications that have resulted in present-day and foreseeable problems. In addition to providing me with a global network of hospitality experts, this training has given me the tools to create an action plan for a successful professional career, Vilamendhoo GM Zahir stressed.

By establishing a deeper awareness of strategic agendas throughout the program, participants gained broad industry knowledge and learnt to analyze competitive environments and make wise judgments.

"The course improved my capacity for team leadership and motivation, conflict management, and fostering a positive workplace culture. Additionally, I learned about financial analysis, marketing tactics, and how to use innovation to spur business growth, according to Navaz, GM of Komandoo.

The graduates have had an incredible opportunity to network with general managers and senior managers from around the globe while exchanging knowledge and learning from one another during this experience.

There are many valuable tools to share with the management and other team members, as well as coaching one-on-one sessions through the training department. How can we surpass the competition in terms of effectiveness and efficiency in meeting client demands and wants? According to Fathuhulla, GM of Veligandu, "today we have to comprehend and learn changing consumer interests to create unforgettable experiences to share with their family and friends through social media channels for it to last forever."

"I view it as a privilege to be a member of the illustrious Cornel family. The precious relationships from the course are what I would retain the most. To comprehend the idea of value generation and decision-making, we conducted conversations about the competing interests within a hotel. highlighted Areef and Meeru DOO.

The first undergraduate hotel management degree program was developed and implemented by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in the year 1922 with just 21 students and one professor. Now, a century later, this esteemed institution has flourished to advance hospitality education globally. Even today, Cornel continues to overcome challenges in the pursuit of perfection, sowing the seeds of grandeur all over the world.

The prior graduates of the curriculum offered by Crown and Champa Resorts speak for themselves. Mohamed Solah, the Chief Operating Officer of Crown and Champa Resorts, is one such example. Solah worked his way up the corporate ladder to reach the top of the business.

"I think the program makes it easier for you to strategically make the best managerial judgments. By allowing me to network with top industry leaders throughout the world, it undoubtedly helped me to stay on top of emerging industry trends. Meeting everyone in one place to evaluate and understand the direction the business is headed was a welcome experience.

All of the Crown and Champa Resorts graduates agree that their education has prepared them for an exceptional professional career.