IN the spirit of openness and partnership, Sandals Resorts recently shared key strategies with human resource (HR) professionals from across Jamaica, outlining how it navigated the crisis and supported its team members after Hurricane Melissa hit the island last October.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, the resort brand delivered a significant response. Beyond providing relief supplies, immediate financial assistance, housing and wellness support, Sandals facilitated local and overseas reassignments and work opportunities for team members from resorts that were temporarily closed.

The company also kept its employees on payroll immediately following the passing of Hurricane Melissa, including throughout the closure period to facilitate the completion of extensive restoration and upgrades.

The company’s hurricane response and support to its team members drew widespread attention, including from the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ), which invited Sandals’ Corporate Director for Human Resources Ryan Matthew, to speak at its 45th Annual HR & Leadership Conference in February.

The two-day event was held under the theme, ‘Resilient Leadership, Strategic Impact: HR at the Heart of Jamaica’s Rebuilding.’

Matthew told the gathering of HR professionals that coordinating the hurricane response was motivated by the company’s core belief in protecting its most valuable assets – its team members.

“At times when we talk about resilience, people often think about infrastructure, financial recovery, supply chains and operational excellence. But for us at Sandals, resilience goes far beyond the operational side. It’s about the people at the centre of making everything happen. They are the heart of who we are,” Matthew explained.

He outlined the company’s ‘Project Recovery’ — an initiative developed after the hurricane to guide how Sandals would support its team members and restore operations.

According to Matthew, once the storm passed, the priority was to account for and assist every employee, which required assembling teams to check on those who had lost communication.

He explained that the company’s overall approach centred on visible leadership, decisive action, and a clearly structured recovery plan.

“We took a project-based work stream approach,” said Matthew as he noted that this provided the framework for every major decision that followed.

“Project Recovery guided everything we did after the hurricane. It focused on several key areas: team member support and relief; humanitarian aid through the Sandals Foundation and Government coordination; operational restoration and resort reopening; corporate services stabilisation to get our corporate office functioning again; and business continuity across corporate services.”

Matthew brought his presentation full circle by linking these operational pillars back to the conference’s theme of rebuilding and leadership, emphasising that the most effective recovery strategies are those rooted in people.

“Resilient leadership starts with resilient teams. Leaders must show up with confidence, with grace and compassion. And if there is one thing I want you to take away today, it’s this: people are at the heart of recovery,” declared Matthew.