This International Women’s Day we celebrate our Quality Assurance Manager, Bhagya Muhandiramge who was recently selected into the Women in Tourism and Hospitality Insights Mentor Circle Program.
Most of our guests wouldn’t know Bhagya by sight but they would definitely be familiar with her work behind-the-scenes to ensure the resort presents and functions to an incredibly high standard.
Could you describe your role as the Quality Assurance Manager?
I sometimes ask myself the same question! My main role is to manage the maintenance department and oversee the housekeeping department to ensure all work is to a 5-star and Small Luxury Hotel of the World standard. I am also the chair of the Work Health and Safety Committee and the Health and Safety representative for the business.
This is the first time a QAM has been hired at the resort so I am still building the role and I would like to say thank you to the Resort Manager and Director for selecting and trusting me with this position.
What is the most rewarding part of the role?
I get a lot of satisfaction when I am able to fix something or come up with a solution to a problem. It is also nice when I get compliments from higher management, staff and even from guests through our feedback channels.
What are some of the more challenging parts of your role?
Every day is different and working across several teams means that I can sometimes have a variety of challenges. Keeping the team trained to deliver work to a high standard can be difficult as we have a large team, high turnover and a lot of different cultures and languages.
I don’t have a maintenance background so in lots of ways it has been it has been a big learning curve for me including learning our suppliers and trades.
You have been selected into the Women in Tourism and Hospitality Insights Mentor Circle, what are you hoping to gain from this experience?
Having moved from Sri Lanka to Australia 12 years ago, English isn’t my first language. I am looking forward to learning how to better communicate with my teams and communicate company decision making.
I don’t have a hospitality background, so I feel like I am still learning even though this is my tenth year working in the industry. I would like to explore how I can contribute to my company more and to develop myself within the industry.
