The third time seems to be the charm for Assistant Resort Sales Manager at Beaches Turks and Caicos (BTC), Rhonda Francis.
Born and bred in Grand Turk, Rhonda started her first employment stint with the BTC resort in 1996 as customer service representative, served as a wedding consultant in 2004 and then as junior sales executive in 2009.
Having experienced the different opportunities for growth with the resort, Rhonda chronicled her journey within the organisation like that of the butterfly with the different stages of development.
“My first two times working on resort saw me exploring the many passions that I have had over the years and finally when I came back in 2009, I knew then that this was my niche. The opportunity to build a career here at BTC is never boring. There are always new experiences to benefit from,” Francis shared.
The Clement Howell High School graduate has never been shy in her different leadership roles.
Said Francis “Throughout my career, I have always wanted to lead and learn and this is something that Beaches continues to provide for me. There are many courses that I have had the privilege of completing that have helped in my personal and professional development. With every course offered through the Sandals Corporate University (SCU), I choose to be engaged and challenge myself for growth.”
Junior Sales Executive Nadine Jacinte, when asked about the leadership qualities of Rhonda shared, “as a leader, Rhonda has been more of a mentor to me than that of a manager. She is patient with the members of the sales team and is always willing to guide us on what is expected within the industry.”
Rhonda was quick to point out that in order to be successful in the hospitality industry, leaders must be able to adapt and adjust.
Said Francis, “leadership is challenging. Although life in leadership roles can be lonely and difficult, know that the more impact leaders have on their team, the more successful each team will become, especially within this industry.” Hotel Manager, Ghislain Boutelle, noted that for him, Rhonda’s greatest strength is her interpersonal communication style.
“She is able to creatively influence clients with her charisma. She knows her skillset and guides colleagues on what is needed to produce a flawless event to the satisfaction of her guests. She is a creative visionary who is able to share with others, concepts and ideas that are exceptional.”
Having worked in the sales department for almost 10 years, Rhonda’s greatest wish is for continued growth and development of leaders within the industry, “with the mentorship programme that we have in this organisation, the opportunity for younger professionals to grow more in the Management Training Programme (MTP) should be on a larger scale. We have many young persons who have displayed the willingness to be groomed for leadership at the resort and corporate levels. With the expansion of the MTP here at BTC, we will be seeing the increased number of leaders within this resort.”
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