Tamara Davis
Director of Catering and Conference Services
Where are you from?
I come from Jamaica.
How long have you been with Ritz-Carlton and for how long in Bahrain?
I have been with the Ritz-Carlton for 13 years in total; five at the former Ritz Carlton Rose Hall in Jamaica and eight years here in Bahrain.
What drew you to this role and this company?
I love interacting and learning from persons of different cultures and backgrounds, and what better way to do what you love on a daily basis. I choose to work with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as it’s the number one luxury hotel brand worldwide.
Did you always know you wanted to work in this sector of the business and how did you become involved?
Yes, from my teenage years I knew that I wanted to work within the hospitality industry, so I did my degree in tourism management. I started my career in food and beverage, then opted for a transfer to the events department, as I love the intricate details that go into planning an event, seeing dreams come to fruition, and creating memorable experiences for my guests.
Does your role encompass event planning and what is the largest event you have staged?
Yes, my role encompasses event planning. We plan and execute all events: conferences, weddings, meeting dinners for both guests staying with the hotel and those from outside. The largest event that I have staged is UNESCO’s 42nd Session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting. It was for approximately 2,500 people per day, for 10 days.
What has been your most challenging event and how did you address the issues?
Each event has its own challenges. The one that stood out the most was staging a dinner and dance for a company based in Saudi Arabia a couple of years ago. They had contracted a band from overseas to play at the event. I had assisted and guided them by providing details of documents that they needed to submit to the local authorities so that the band members could arrive smoothly. On the day of the event, which was a Friday, I was called by the organiser of the company that all the band equipment was seized at customs. I immediately jumped into action and called the customs authorities, but got no answer. I called my colleague, a government relations officer for assistance to explain the situation. He headed to the airport, even though it was his daughter’s birthday party that day, and eventually, after several hours, he was able to retrieve the band’s equipment. The event was a huge success, the band was well received, and my colleague made it back in time to attend the latter part of his daughter’s birthday party.
What would you advise someone wanting to get into this side of hospitality?
Make sure that event planning / hospitality is your dream job, be passionate about everything you do, never stop learning and improving yourself.
Amanda Williams
Associate Director of Public Relations
Where are you from?
I am from Virginia in the USA originally, but have lived in both Washington, DC and most previously, in Miami for many years.
How long have you been with Ritz-Carlton and how long in Bahrain?
I’ve been with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC since 2016, starting with the Miami Beach resorts before transferring to Bahrain in October 2017 to assume my role here.
Having come from outside the hospitality sector, what drew you to this role and this company?
I’ve wanted to work for The Ritz-Carlton ever since I was a child. I just never knew how I could be a fit, coming from an art history background. However, as I started to study the brand I found that the company’s marketing pillars, as it relates to traveller experiences and artful details, are very much parallel to how I approached marketing and PR campaigns at the Smithsonian, where I was working at the time. Through that art and design lens, I saw The Ritz-Carlton to be like the Metropolitan Museum of Art (METT) where your rooms are always on permanent display, your contemporary experiences are pulled through by the creations of your chef brigade, who are all artists in their own right, and your curated programming is expressed through unique guest experiences.
Has it been as you were expecting or have you encountered surprises along the way?
Yes and no. While the role of Public Relations has evolved in the last 10-15 years, much of the base elements have remained, which is good for someone like me who came from a traditional PR background. However, what I found out when I joined the company in 2016 is that my role is not just securing stories, but even more so how we pull that story through to our digital channels and through social media. We’ve learned as well that social media and its influencers are just as important as engagement with traditional media and journalists, which is more and more becoming part of the media mix to share the traveller experience. You honestly can’t do one without the other.
What is the most enjoyable part of your role?
I have so many to name. I love to really think ‘out-of-the-box’ and fire up something unique that we’ve never done before, and I thank my leaders for giving me this creative freedom to go for it in my brainstorming sessions with my team. This is what I believe is the secret to great storytelling.
May Lyn Ramos Gulmatico
Director of Human Resources
Where are you from?
I come from the City of Smiles in the Philippines, Bacolod City.
How long have you been with Ritz-Carlton and how long in Bahrain?
I just recently celebrated completing 18 years with The Ritz-Carlton, out of which nine were in Bahrain until August 2010, and I am humbled to be back since October 2018.
What drew you to this role and this company?
I have been attracted by the many challenges of this role, how much integrated the role is to our ladies and gentlemen (in service) and overall hotel business. I am a people-person and it is a joy for me dealing with different kind of employee relations, situations and opportunities. The company has enhanced my passion for people.
How many staff are you dealing with?
Over 700 ladies and gentlemen.
What is the most challenging aspect of your role?
HR is considered as a business support and a business partner for any organisation. It is paramount for me and my team to have that in mind at all times. We are not just an administrative division, but also an inspiring and very influential one.
The challenging aspect of my role is to inspire and positively influence adaptability to change, development, conformity with laws and policies, innovation and improvements, and most of all, to eliminate any employee uncertainties and boost employee engagement.
