SCARBOROUGH,
Tobago – September 13, 2011 – The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort,
set to
open in November as Tobago’s newest leisure resort, is pleased to
announce the appointment of Vince Angelo as general manager.
Additionally, Devanand Drepaul has been named financial controller and
Famida Malik is the resort’s director of human resources and
training.
Ithmiaz Kader has been named as the resort’s executive chef.
“In
preparation for opening the Magdalena Grand, we’ve been able to hire
more than
225 employees locally and start building a solid team of leaders,” said
John
Murphy of EFM Hospitality Solutions. “At a time when many hotels and
resorts
are cutting back or even being forced to close, we are fortunate enough
to be
in a position to provide jobs to the local community and beyond. We are
delighted to have a management team who bring an excellent blend of
both local
and global experience and skills which will enable Magdalena Grand to
distinguish itself as a leading resort in the Caribbean.”
“We’re
very pleased with the caliber and talent of employees we’ve been able
to hire
and the pace at which we are progressing,” stated Kenneth Mohammed,
vice
president, Corporate Support Services at Evolving TecKnologies and
Enterprise
Development Company Limited. “The hiring process has been a positive
step
towards our November opening.”
Vince
Angelo
joins the Magdalena Grand team from the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in
the
Bahamas, where he was hotel manager for four years. Prior to
that, Mr.
Angelo held positions with Wyndham, Marriott and Hyatt hotels
throughout the
United States.
Devanand
Drepaul
comes to the Magdalena Grand from the five-star Carlisle Bay in
Antigua, where
he managed a team as the financial controller. Drepaul’s other prior
experience
includes working at several hotels in London and Moscow. Famida
Malik is a seasoned
hospitality industry executive who is a qualified trainer and expert in
service
standards, revenue management and operations. Ms. Malik has
worked for
major international hotel brands, including InterContinental and Le
Meridien, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Executive Chef Ithmiaz Kader
joins the
culinary team from the Park Plaza
Westminster in London where as executive chef he oversaw a team of 40
employees. Prior to that, Chef Kader was executive chef at the
Hilton
Curaçao. He has won numerous awards throughout his career
including being a semi-finalist for the UK National Chef of the Year in
2002 and 2006, as
well as a
gold medallist at the 8th Culinary Contest
of the US Meat Export Federation 2008. Additionally, Kader was the
personal
chef for the Dutch Antilles Football Club in 2008.
Tobago, sister island to Trinidad, is the quintessential Caribbean
island with secluded beaches, quaint villages and award-winning
eco-attractions
that include the
Main Ridge Rainforest, the oldest protected reserve in the western
hemisphere.
In addition to offering sun, sand, sea and diving, Tobago also provides
many
cultural, historical and ecological points of interest that appeal to
visitors.
For
more information, please call 868.660.8500 or email [email protected].
Magdalena
Grand Beach Resort
Opening November 2011, the 200-room Magdalena Grand Beach Resort will
be
Tobago’s premier leisure and business resort.
Located on 20 acres of tropical surroundings, the full service resort
will
feature five fine and casual dining options, an
18-hole golf course, expansive beachfront, swimming pool with cabana
beds, as
well as generously sized and flexible meeting/event space. For more
information, please call 868.660.8500 or email [email protected].