Life in Jumeirah
Case Study of Unique Colleagues at Jumeirah - Jumeirah Inspiring Colleagues (JIC)Paul Kenny
Aspiro participant, the only one with no hospitality-related educational background Currently working as Project Coordinator of www.jumeirah.com
Loves to learn, highly ambitiousHow long have you been with Jumeirah? What attracted you to Jumeirah?
I joined Jumeirah in November 2007 as a Management Trainee in Group Marketing. In March 2008 I joined the Distribution Marketing department as an Assistant E-Marketing Manager. What attracted you to Jumeirah?
The brand Jumeirah attracted me here. I love the idea of such a new innovative and dynamic brand and being able to grow with it. What's your educational background?
I have a Bachelor in Business, a Masters of Business in Electronic Commerce and a Prince2 certification in Project Management. Can you tell me more about the Aspiro programme?
The Aspiro programme is as dynamic and innovative as Jumeirah. It offers each individual the opportunity to progress through the company with on the job work experience and highly focused trainings which develop your skills further. The best thing is that each Aspiro individual has his/her course tailored to their own personal strengths and weaknesses. It is definitely the best programme out there to build the next generation of leaders in the industry. I have no doubt it will provide me with the platform to be a director in the future. So will you complete the usual training in meetings & events, front office, sales & marketing?
The Distribution Marketing department does involve working closely with each Group department. In the coming few months I will need to have some cross trainings in these areas to develop my knowledge of how the entire operation works. What was the selection process like?
Tough! I had a few interviews in Ireland to come over as a Management Trainee and I was told at that stage about the Aspiro programme. The actual day of testing for Aspiro was very challenging but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a full day that tested every aspect of your ability. There were over 600 candidates interviewed and only 7 were choosen for the programme. What made you think that you were going to be chosen?
After spending three months in the organization I knew I was a good fit. My aspirations to be a future leader must have come across in the interviews and I was pretty confident I was going to get it. How confident were you that you were going to be selected?
50/50 of course but I didn’t doubt my abilities, I knew I had performed to the best of my knowledge in the interviews so if they didn’t choose me I would have been disappointed. How did you learn about the programme?
When I was interviewed in Ireland for the management trainee programme I was told of this new corporate development programme called Aspiro. What is it about you that made them pick you? What made you stand out?
My personality, very open, very friendly, highly driven individual. I think one of the main reasons is that I’m not from a hospitality background. I have a slightly different mindset and I ask different questions. What is your current title?
I’m Assistant E-Marketing Manager and I’m currently the Project Coordinator for www.jumeirah.com. Can you describe your job? What’s a typical day like?
Busy! Never ending emails... Jumeirah is launching a new version of their website which will be one of the best websites on the market. It is a complete revamp of the existing site. It’s going to be over a thousand pages. My role involves the coordination of all stakeholders and the driver behind the project being delivered on time. How many are working on the project?
The entire Distribution Marketing department, Group Information Technology, Sales & Marketing and agencies from the UK & US at the moment. So once this is over, will you move to another role within Jumeirah?
I don’t think so. Once the site is implemented there will need to be somebody helping with the operations of it. What do you love most about your current job?
The challenge. It’s very fast paced. Lots of things going on which is great. Mostly though, working in the e-commerce environment everything is new, we are working with some great agencies and we are being exposed to the latest hardware and software. So you worked before?
I worked for 2 years for an online bookshop and art gallery. Now working for Jumeirah I can apply my acquired skills to a large multinational. What attracted you to this job?
My desire to learn and to be put in the online environment. I love the internet and being part of this great team has provided me with a great opportunity to learn new skills. When I came out here I was with Group Marketing which was an amazing experience. I learned so much about traditional marketing formats. As I took on some online marketing jobs I realized that this was the arena I wanted to be in. What’s the greatest challenge you’ve ever faced since taking on this role?
Probably managing my time. If I don’t manage my time, today will be gone and tomorrow it will be too late. I am nearly here six months already and that time has flown! How? Through experience over the past few months, I set daily tasks and I have to achieve them every day. What’s the most exciting day you’ve had at work?
Being exposed to the new Jumeirah.com. When you see what we have in store you will be amazed! Also the responsibility that I have been given. For instance being a Project Coordinator at 24, I am amazed that I have been empowered in such a way. In your own words, how do you think you are contributing to the success of your department and Jumeirah in the long run?
My skill set will definitely contribute to the department and delivering this project on time. For Jumeirah in the long run we will take more bookings online, thus reducing costs and increasing revenue. As a Jumeirah colleague, what do you think makes you ‘different’?
My drive and desire to succeed. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
I am a highly driven person, looking for progression through the company and am hoping to be a 27/28 year old director. Or a 30-year-old VP! What inspires you?
Goals, targets, getting jobs done. When you’re stressed what do you do?
I don’t get overly stressed. No matter what it is that’s bothering you, if you break it down into smaller tasks everything is do-able. When you get a bad day, what do you do? How do you get up? What motivates you?
Everyone goes through bad days. I am starting my career so I believe everyone has to go through lots of bad days to get to the good. The key is to learn from the bad so they don’t happen again! What are your philosophies/mottos in life?
When I focus on something, I aspire to be the best, no matter what. To be number one is my ultimate goal. Everyone fails but you have to learn from your mistakes. What do you do when fail?
I look at things and see what went wrong and just don’t let it happen again. Outside work, how do you spend your time?
I’m very sporty. I play soccer, basketball, tennis. How do you find the time?
Evenings and the weekends! You sound like a competitive person, do you enter any competitions?
I have played in lots of golf competitions from junior to senior level. I won senior player of the year at the age of 16. Why is Jumeirah such a great place to work?
The responsibility that they give you at your point in your career. I’m fresh from college and I don’t have a lot of experience but I’ve already been thrown into the deep end. I would never get so much exposure at home at this stage of my career. It’s a growing company as we know, and I want to grow fast.
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