Dawn Smith takes the reins of leadership

HOSPITALITY veteran and longstanding member of Sandals Resorts International’s leadership team, Dawn Smith, has been appointed general manager of the 232-room Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort and Private Island.

The resort, which also boasts the chain’s first ever and highly sought after Over-the-Water Suites, is home to nearly 600 team members.

Smith first joined the Sandals family as a front desk agent at the then Sandals Carlyle and has steadily advanced through the ranks holding posts ranging from reservationist, executive housekeeper, front of house manager, rooms division manager and hotel manager. Her excellent track record and innate ability to inspire and motivate her team also saw her becoming a highly regarded and trusted leadership consultant and advisor to both the company’s late founder and chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, as well as his son Adam Stewart who succeeded him as executive chairman.

Commenting on Smith’s most recent assignment, Stewart said, “Dawn has been a valued member of our senior leadership team for many years and I am excited to see her transition to this role at Sandals Royal Caribbean, one of our group’s premiere resorts. She has an impressive track record of guest satisfaction and boosting team morale and this is already evident in her leadership of this new team. In addition to an impeccable work ethic and a passion for hospitality, her wealth of experience, expertise and achievements position her well to continue as general manager and to play a significant role in the growth of this resort and the Sandals brand in general.”

For Smith, who always wanted to pursue a career in hospitality, her latest assignment is further proof of the power of hard work, consistency and faith.

“As Jamaicans, we are the most genuine, passionate, courteous and friendly people,” she said. “We epitomise true hospitality and have so much love to give. I always wanted to be a part of sharing this love and our culture with the world and I’m thankful that I have been blessed with this opportunity.”

As general manager, Smith intends to continue leading by example and putting her team members and guests at the forefront of all she does. She shared, “Leading by example will be critical for me in my new role. I have always been inspired by our late chairman and had a very good relationship with him and so I intend to live our company’s mission and vision daily in order to inspire our team members to focus on our core values and continue to be the dream catchers he would want them to be. I am confident that this will take our resort and by extension our company and island to even greater heights.”

Explaining her passion for team member development and a caring personality that sees her mothering many team members at her resort and throughout the luxury-included resort chain, Smith describes her leadership style as a ‘servant leader’. “I have a mixture of leadership styles; however, the one that speaks most to my personality is being a servant leader. People need to know that they have a leader who interacts with them, not to gain fame or power, but someone who listens and truly seeks to promote the well-being of those they lead”, she said.

“I naturally connect with people easily and I believe that people matter. Everyone has challenges, especially now during this COVID-19 pandemic. Listening to concerns and offering solutions can make a difference in someone’s life and therefore, whatever I do I do it with sincerity,” she continued.

It’s no surprise then that Smith’s favourite part of the job is seeing her guests and team members happy. “I love to know that both my guests and team members are happy,” she said. “And I enjoy receiving commendations from our guests about our resort, team members and our beautiful island.”

In addition to the day-to-day management of the resort, Smith is also appreciative of her role as advisor and liaison to the company’s corporate head office and values the ability to continuously share ideas and discussions with the company’s senior executives. She shared, “I am happy to be able to have frequent dialogue with our company’s senior executives and to be able to put forward ideas and suggestions to better optimise resort operations. I have always used my voice to represent our team members and guests and our brand and I am happy to continue to do this in my new role.”

Smith also loves a challenge and considers herself extremely solution-oriented. She explained, “When faced with challenges and concerns, I have a passion for resolving each situation and it gives me the highest level of satisfaction to see the outcome and the joy it brings to our team and guests.”

She remains grateful to the company for believing in her and for providing her with unlimited opportunities to pursue her passion and hone her leadership skills. Throughout her journey, she has taken advantage of the organisation’s many avenues for professional development, first pursuing an associate degree programme at Hocking Technical College in the United States, and later pursuing her bachelor’s degree in professional business management at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. In 2010, she successfully completed a master’s degree in hospitality and business management from the Global University for Lifelong Learning.

A mother of one son, Zachary, who recently graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in civil engineering, Smith said, “I always try to find time for church and family. This makes me happy and fulfilled.” Additionally, Smith who is also a Justice of the Peace, is passionate about community service and often uses her limited free time to mentor and counsel young women at Montego Bay’s Pregnancy Resource Centre, as well as others who seek her assistance for counselling and prayer.

To young women desirous of holding leadership roles in the hospitality industry, her advice is simple, “Ask God to direct your steps daily and know that nothing is impossible! Work hard, learn from your mistakes and do not be afraid to take on great challenges. Never grumble or complain when you are empowered to execute additional tasks, never give up and never stop dreaming”, she charged.