YES , WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES , BUT THERE ’ S NOTHING LIKE AN AUTHENTIC CONNECTION THAT GENUINELY MAKES ( GUESTS ) FEEL AT HOME . THE EMPLOYEES MAKE THAT HAPPEN .
Four Seasons Resort Nevis
YOF
Thomas-Henry says she is Four Seasons ’ only regional vice president who ’ s a West Indian native , and she sees herself as a role model to her staff .
“ It ’ s showing the team here that it does not matter where you begin ,” she says . “ The runways ahead for you are what you create for yourself . There ’ s nothing better than seeing it . I ’ m proud to come from this part of the world . And I ’ m proud of all the hard work that I ’ ve done that led up to where I ’ m at in my career .”
CULTURAL TIES Her own role model is her mother . The single mom of five children earned her GED , got a college degree and became a teacher . “ I ’ ve been very fortunate to have that as a backdrop and foundation of how I view myself , how I built my life , how I viewed my career and my progress from there ,” Thomas-Henry says .
Her approach to luxury is grounded in the guest experience and hiring employees who are passionate about the job . “ There is no substitute for having employees who are engaged , who feel valued and who are given the bandwidth and the runway to be themselves , to create master experiences and to really show off their talent ,” she says .
ITIES
People who visit the Caribbean see the beauty of the region but often overlook the culture , she says . “ They miss out on the richness of the people and the uniqueness of the culture of the incredible men and women who are so tenacious and so prideful of the culture ,” she says .
But customers return because of the personal connection . “ Yes , we have beautiful beaches , but there ’ s nothing like an authentic connection that genuinely makes them feel at home . The employees make that happen ,” Thomas-Henry says .
She says there is also a connection between the resort and the community , so everything they do matters on an island of 12,000 people . “ We have to make sure whatever we put in place creates opportunities for the future ,” she says .
One of her goals is community outreach : She plans to work with some of the homeowners living in the Four Seasons Resort Nevis ’ residential component . “ I absolutely intend to be part of the fabric of this island , making it more visible … We have some amazing homeowners here who are also willing to give back to this island in a very , very meaningful and critical way ,” she says .
YES , WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES , BUT THERE ’ S NOTHING LIKE AN AUTHENTIC CONNECTION THAT GENUINELY MAKES ( GUESTS ) FEEL AT HOME . THE EMPLOYEES MAKE THAT HAPPEN .
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