The rising stars at Mantra Legends

Mantra Group’s Rising Stars converged on the Gold Coast this week for some sun, surf and professional development.

From Front Office Managers, Reservations Agents and Accountants to Sales Executives and Rooms Division Managers, the Rising Stars are a select group of aspiring employees who are identified as future leaders of the organisation across Australia and New Zealand.

The Rising Stars program provides team members with the tools, training and growth plans to help them achieve their short and long term goals. Since its inception in 2010, the Rising Stars program has seen over 70 employees graduate and enjoy career growth in their respective fields.

This includes four team members who have progressed to the role of General Manager following their time in the program: Andrew Freak now GM at Peppers Bluewater Resort Lake Tekapo; Daniel Ap-Thomas now GM at Mantra on Frome Adelaide; Cosimo Roncini now GM BreakFree Grand Pacific Caloundra; and Brian Rooney, a graduate of this year’s program and recently appointed as GM at Peppers Guest House Hunter Valley.

“I’ve gone from Front Office Manager at Mantra Chatswood which is a corporate hotel in Sydney, to managing a boutique retreat in the Hunter Valley – the opportunities really are there with Mantra Group for those who want to progress in hospitality and I’m loving the new challenge,” said Rooney.

Throughout the week, the Rising Stars learnt from Mantra Group’s top executives, including CEO Bob East who is a passionate believer in developing from within and preparing the Team Members with the right skills to move forward in the organisation. An amazing race style treasure hunt also put the group’s leadership skills to the test.

“We are a young company with plenty of young talent looking to develop and grow in a business that can give them great opportunities to do so,” said Mantra Group CEO Bob East.

“Gathering this talent together is not only a fantastic opportunity for our Rising Stars, it’s also an extremely important opportunity for our Executive Management team, as we get to know what’s happening at the grass-roots level of our company,” he said.

The team spent the week at Mantra Legends Hotel in Surfers Paradise; chosen due to its excellent conferencing, accommodation and food and beverage facilities, as well as ideal location close to the beach.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management