Management Team

DATO'AZMAN SHAH DATO' SERI HARON
CHAIRMAN

Dato Azman Shah Dato Seri Haron is the Chairman of Alangka-suka Hotels & Resorts Berhad, which owns and manages the Holiday Villa hotel chain operating in Malaysia and abroad.He was educated in Australia and Japan and has received extensive training in general hotel management in the U.S.A.He has held various senior appointments in major hotels and founded the Holiday Villa chain of hotels.

Prior to this, he was the Managing Director and shareholder Central Holdings Management Services Berhad, the company which manages the three Holiday Villa hotels in the Klang Valley, namely Holiday Villa Inn On The Park, Kuala Kumpur,Holiday Inn City Centre Kuala Lumpur and Holiday Inn Shah Alam over two decades.It was during the leadership of Dato Azman that brought the three Holiday Villa hotels to great heights.For his fine achievements he received numerous awards and accolades, among them were Holiday Inn International Torchbearer’s Award (The Holiday Inn System’s Worldwide Performance Award for the Top 50 Hotels), Gold Award for Inter-Hotel Performance and productivity, Tourism Gold Award for Hotel Performance and Service - 1st class category by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism.

Dato Azman was the President of the Malaysian Association of Hotels for over a decade and member of the Malaysia Tourism Board for over two years. He was also the President and Board member of ASEANTA(Asean Tourism Association) and AHRA, and he has contributed a lot in the promotion and expansion of tourism activities in the ASEAN region.

He is currently the President of Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF). He is also a board member of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and a member of PEMUDAH (The Special Task Force To Facilitate Malaysian Business). He sits as the Advisor for the Consultative Panel for Hospitality Industry, National Productivity Corporation, Chairman of Association of Hotel Employers Peninsular Malaysia and Committee Member of Orphanage Homes, Yayasan Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim (YATIM) and Pertubuhan Pendidikan Anak-Anak Yatim Selangor (Rumah Bakti). He is also a board member of the Trust Fund Committee, International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC).Dato Azman Shah also holds directorship of numerous other companies.

In recognition of Dato Azman Shah’s immense contribution and excellent service record, he was conferred with state honorary awards by two Malaysian state rulers - Ahli Mahkota Selangor Award (AMS) by His Highness, The Sultan of Selangor and Datuk Paduka Tuanku Jaafar Award (DPTI) by His Highness, The Yang Di Pertuan Negri Sembilan.

Datin Mavis Masri Azman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Holiday Villa International, also sits as a board member of Advance Synergy Berhad, a public-listed company with the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). Datin Mavis’s marketing and operational insights have proven valuable in the company’s development and expansion programmes.

Datin Mavis has more than 30 years of fruitful hotel experience in managing, consulting and development. She brings extensive knowledge and expertise to the company, mastering highly specialized fields including project development, franchise operations, hotel management, strategic and development consulting, financial evaluation, owner support services, appraisals and acquisition analysis.

Prior to the current porfolio, Datin Mavis Masri was the Director of Marketing of Central Holdings Management Services Sdn Bhd. She was one of the first Asians to complete the General Manager’s programme at the Holiday Inn University, in Memphis, USA in 1976. In 1982 she completed a summer course on Hotel Development & Design at Cornell University, USA and had undergone hotel training in Singapore aand Canada. She was awarded the “Best Marketing Person of The Year “ for Holiday Inn Hotels, Asia Pacific in 1985. This prestigious award recognises and honours individual that has made outstanding contributions in the field of marketing, innovation, creativity and strategic alliance in the marketing of products and services in the hospitality industry.

Datin Mavis Masri spearheaded the creation of the quality management systems, the MANJA Program, for the Holiday Villa group of hotels. The MANJA Program implemented in all areas of the hotel operations as the means to achieve total customer satisfaction and employee motivation through the practice of continuous improvement, involving all levels of employees in the organization. This unique quality management system has led the company, Antara Holiday Villa, being shortlisted amongst more than 30 conglomerates nationwide for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Quality Award, Malaysia in1996. This quality management program has also earned the management company the Special Award, Quality Management Execellence, 1997, by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia.

For two consecutive years, 2002 and 2003, Datin Mavis was shortlisted and nominated for the Malaysia’s CEO Of The Year Award. This annual award was jointly organized by the Business Times, Malaysia and American Express Corporate Services. Nominees for the Award were recognized for their outstanding performance in areas of visionary leadership qualities, financial management, marketing management, operations management, human resources development, community, environment and nation building involvement.

Headed by Mr C F Chee as the Director of Finance and Administration, this Division is entrusted to oversee the group’s financial planning, internal control system, cash and bank management, audit and tax as well as the overall corporate financial management. In addition, it is also accountable in the preparation of the budget planning and development process for the group of hotels.

Holiday Villa’s superior reporting systems included the integrated financial reports of all portfolio brands and information business decision tools that aid operations in driving higher profit margins.This allows the management the accessibility to the vital information on cash flow forecasting, narrative financial management summaries and capital expenditure tracking. Financial and managerial accounting systems that privide accurate information promptly are the foundation for making smart decisions and recognising and responding to changes in business volume.

This Division is responsible for supervising the complete hotel financing and accounting functions at all properties managed by Holiday Villa International, including implementing the proper internal controls and processes aimed at safeguarding the hotel’s assets.

This Division is led by Mr C S Lee as Director of Organisation Development. He is responsible in all the areas of the group’s human resources development, change management, process and systems implementation, manpower development and training strategies. The Division is also responsible for the implementation of the risk management program within the group of hotels.

The Director involves proactively in the setting up of the competency framework for the Holiday Villa group of hotels. This enables the company to support the hotel management so as to implement the executive competency framework for the purpose of manpower recruitment, selection, lateral job movement, promotion and development. This Division also functions as an internal consultant for Holiday Villa to undertake organisation review of its business unit and to make recommendation to the senior management about the structure, systems, processes and policies of the hotel.

The Organisation Development Division plays a leading role in the development of programs that enhance the productivity and quality of the human resources via job redesigns, skill recognition, job enlargement, and on job training. The Division offers advice to the members of the management and staff on issues related to career development within the hotel/group, in order that the staff may fully develop to their potential for the benefit of the hotels.

This Division, always strives to build and maintain a proactive, passionate and productive culture. Headed by Mr Kenneth de Silva, Director of Business Development and Special Projects, he is assisted by a team of highly experienced and dedicated business development personnel based in each hotel property - London, Sydney, Bali , Muscat, Khartoum, and Phnom Penh as well as the central sales and marketing team.

The Business Development Division is responsible for the growth and development as well as the implementation of business strategies of each hotel in accordance to the company’s buisness plan. The Director constantly reviews and analyses current business trends and he ensures that the hotel group and all the international sales offices achieve the quantifying goals as desired.

In addition, the Director is responsible in the formulation of marketing support activities as well as identifying cross selling opportunities between appropriate hotels within the group.

Headed by Mr K C Ng as General Manager, Human Resources, this Division is responsible for the management of compensation and employee benefits programme, staff recognition programme, industrial relations, manpower planning and recruitment. Holiday Villa subscribes to its philosophy that honours the employees through effective communications, proactive employee programmes and benefit programmes

The General Manager, Property and Maintenance is responsible for the overall general maintenance of the building property as well as product quality.

The maintenance team evaluates and analyses all the hotel group’s “Villa Care” programme and its implementation. In addition, the Division makes recommendations to the senior management team on facility standards, upgrading works and energy control systems.

Along with these functions, the Division is also responsible for hotel pre-opening activities, technical assistance and support for the smooth operations of the hotel.

MR AHMAD KAMAL MERICAN
REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER

Mr Ahmad Kamal Merican is the Regional General Manager for five Holiday Villa properties namely, Holiday Villa Cherating, Holiday Villa Apartment Suites Kuala Lumpur, Diwangkara Holiday Villa Bali, Holiday Villa Phnom Penh and City Villa Kuala Lumpur. With his vast knowledge in hotel operations, he is responsible for the smooth running of the daily operations of the five hotels and ensures that the management team in each hotel property work effectively and efficiently in achieving the goals and objectives.

MR ROLAND LOW
REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER

Mr Roland Low the Regional General Manager is responsible for the group's division in China. He is responsible to constantly seek for opportunities on behalf of the company for procurement of feasible hotel management contracts in this region.

MR HOSSAM SUWAILEM
REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER

Mr Hossam Suwailem is the Regional General Manager - Middle East/Sudan who is responsible for the operations and management of Grand Holiday Villa Khartoum, Sudan as well as looking after the company's growth in the Middle East. He also ensures that the hotel is operated smoothly and achieve excellence in operational performance, profitability, efficiency as well as effectively achieving the hotel's goals and objectives.