MANY say that a daughter’s first love is her father and for father-daughter duo at Sandals South Coast, Orville and Danielle Bryan, love has always been the foundation of their bond.

An avid footballer, Orville found himself playing for the Sandals Negril team after he was invited by the then general manager in 1989. However, little did he know that this passion would lead him down a pathway to a career of over three decades with Sandals Resorts.

A part of the Sandals family since November 1989, Orville was committed to his duty to the watersports department at Sandals Negril where he operated as a beach and watersports attendant. After a decade at the resort, he was promoted to watersports manager at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay. After dedicating three years to the team there, he returned to the Negril region where he worked for seven years, this time at Beaches Negril. He then transitioned to Sandals South Coast in 2014.

While busily excelling at work, Orville was also developing his strengths and knowledge in fatherhood at home. The father of five shared that though his job involved many early mornings and late nights, he made it his duty to always go home to his family at the end of the day even while he was working in Montego Bay and living in George’s Plain, Westmoreland.

“Family has always been a priority for me as much as work is and so I have always tried to find that balance between both. I remember there was a break-in in my community once while I was away from home and since then I have made it my duty to never sleep out unless it is out of my control,” he shared.

Though not new to fatherhood, Orville noted that his last child, human resource administrator at Sandals South Coast Danielle Bryan, was one to cleave to him and could be considered a ‘daddy’s girl,’ a phrase she has also noted that her older siblings would often use as banter.

Reflecting, both recalled life growing up and agreed that Sundays were extra special in the Bryan’s home, as this was when most of their bonding activities took place. From the weekly adventures that led Danielle to finding an owl that she took as her own, to her father teaching her to ride her bicycle, these little moments were the glue that would later hold them together.

“A core memory for me was following my dad to the barber shop on the weekends while my mom went to the market. Many people would expect as a young girl I would be with my mom, but I enjoyed spending those days with him. After he was through, we would walk to the market to meet my mom and we would count the cars and the goats along the way,” a beaming Danielle shared.

She expressed that he was always supportive of her and this was emphasised when she chose to change from studying tourism at Knox Community College to business at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

She also mentioned that he assisted her in getting an internship at Sandals South Coast in the human resources department and after her outstanding performance, she was employed permanently in 2021.

Now working at the same resort with her father, Danielle conveyed that his love for his job and the many opportunities that it has afforded him were two of the main driving factors in her choosing Sandals Resorts as the company to grow with. She also admitted that at first it was a bit awkward sharing the same workspace as her dad, because she was well aware of his excellent reputation and work ethic.

“My dad has been with this company for many years and there are many team members that see him as a role model. He is a manager on resort and is steadfast in ensuring that his team in and outside of his department are compliant when it comes to excellent guest service, therefore upon joining the team, I knew I had to live up to the standard that he had set,” she added.

As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and Danielle has emulated the same qualities as her dad, dedicated to the task at hand and committed to being the best at her job.

The now 26-year-old woman is expecting her first child and confessed that she intends to pass on her father’s values to her young one. While Orville is happy that she thinks he did a great job raising her, he also believes that she has some independent traits that will make her a good mother.

“She is always jovial and is able to make everyone around her feel loved and appreciated. She naturally has a nurturing spirit and this is evident through her love for animals. I have no doubt that she will be a terrific mother,” a proud Orville shared.

For dad, his hope is that the relationship between him and his daughter will continue to flourish and to be there to support her through this new parenting journey. When it comes to work, this father figure to many of his team members shared that he will continue to work alongside them to ensure they achieve their career goals.

While Danielle is focused on motherhood, she made it clear that it is her desire to continue growing in the Human Resources Department. She enjoys engaging her fellow team members and connecting with them on a deeper level and wants them to show up at their best for both themselves and their guests.