Four managers of New Zealand’s largest hotel operator, Accor, have won awards in highly coveted categories at the 2019 New Zealand Hotel Industry Awards, held in Auckland on 20 June 2019, during the New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference, co-hosted by Horwath HTL and Tourism Industry Aotearoa.
In the presence of all the industry veterans and leaders from across the region, Jeremy Healy of Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour was bestowed with the prestigious General Manager of the Year award, while Novotel Auckland Airport General Manager, Paul Columbus took home the award for Senior Hotel Executive of the Year.
The awards judges said that both the winners stood out for their leadership and displaying a passion for their work that saw them go beyond the call of duty.
During the award ceremony, Jeremy was described as a consummate hotelier, whose drive for excellence has been consistently demonstrated in the hotel’s performance, be it profit, employee satisfaction, exceeding guests’ expectations or sustainability measures.
Speaking about the winner of Senior Hotel Executive of the Year, the judges commented that Paul embodied the complete package of a senior hotel executive. An ambassador for the New Zealand tourism industry, he has consistently achieved outstanding financial performance while leading his team by example and being committed to innovation and excellence.
Paul is a member of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development’s Destination committee, and is in his fifth year as Auckland regional hotel sector chair for TIA, playing a key role in Auckland’s hotel industry.
Adding more accolades under Accor’s belt, Building Futures Project Manager for the Group’s New Zealand Regional Office, Nicolette van Lieshout was named Hotel Industry Administration Employee of the Year, while General Manager of Novotel & ibis Rotorua, Edward Judd accepted the award for Hotel Industry Regional Hotel Employee of the Year.
Simon McGrath, Accor Chief Operating Officer Pacific said, “On behalf of the entire company, I congratulate all the winners and nominees in the 2019 New Zealand Hotel Industry Awards. We are extremely proud of our deserving winners and finalists as they are the not only our leaders but are important role models for the next generation of hospitality talent.”
Accor would also like to acknowledge its award finalists, Jim Moore of Novotel Queenstown Lakeside who was a finalist in General Manager of the Year and Israel Guido of Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour who was a finalist in Senior Hotel Executive of the Year award category.
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