Sands launches int’l leadership initiative
Sands China launched a first-of-its-kind ‘Sands China International Strategic Leadership Programme for Integrated Resorts,’ yesterday – a platform which focuses on the training and development of team members.
The customized program will send team members from the local management to study at Católica Lisbon in Portugal, Cornell University in the United States and locally to the University of St. Joseph.
According to the gaming operator, team members will receive leadership development over the course of five months, enabling them to take advantage of the areas of industry expertise of the three educational institutions. The latest initiative of Sands China Academy is aimed at developing its local leaders and has 25 team members participating.
Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd, reiterated that the gaming operator would continually work alongside the MSAR and educational institutions to assist the growth of its team members.
“We firmly believe that what’s good for their [team members’] future is good for the future of Macau,” said Wong.
One of the employees chosen by the company to participate in the strategic leadership program, Kelly Ip, is working under the Special Events and Promotions Department for the company’s five properties. Ip told the press, on the sidelines of the launch of the program, that such initiatives would allow local team members to mature professionally and contribute to the region’s competency.
“This is a tailor-made program for Sands China [so] I will be able to learn a lot of things especially from different professors from university. It’s my honor,” she said.
“The program is a new way for us to look at things differently because we’re in Macau and we’re facing different challenges everyday, so if we don’t have time to step out of Macau and look outside, it’s not good for us to develop ourselves,” Ip continued.
The employee believes that the 25 team members will be able to establish a better outcome for their given responsibilities and will have the opportunity to be part of Sands China’s team members.
Sands China has also recently launched the Manager Competence Development Programme, a nine-module training series dedicated to developing middle management and their ability to build teams for dynamic operators. With its career mobility opportunities, the company has offered nearly 18,000 promotions, involving 10,000 local team members – with over 2,400 promoted to managerial roles to date.
Also, according to the gaming operator, nearly 60 percent of its managerial leaders have been working with the company for more than 10 years.
