Technology and outsourcing under the spotlight as FM provider unveils new hospitality division
Dubai, United Arab Emirates-: Two industry experts from leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek will be speaking live and in-person at the Hotel Show, which opens today (Monday 31st May) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Speaking for the first time since her recent appointment as head of housekeeping for Farnek’s new hospitality division will be Hege Aamo, who brings with her a wealth of experience, having completed successful assignments in China, Latvia, the UAE, as well as her native Norway.
Aamo will be sharing her thoughts with industry professionals about evaluating the advantages and challenges of outsourcing a housekeeping function. Having previously held executive positions with leading hospitality brands such as Madinat Jumeirah, Emirates Towers, Hyatt Regency and Radisson SAS, it is hardly surprising that Aamo is passionate about brand identity and values.
“It is absolutely vital that when hotels consider outsourcing, particularly in housekeeping, that the outside staff recruited must be highly trained in all areas of their job, that’s fundamental. But it is just as important for the contracted staff to understand the essence of the brand they are working for and to become an integral part of the hotel team, not just a contracted worker in a uniform,” she said.
Joining Aamo onsite at the Hotel Show will be Javeria Aijaz, who is senior director of technology and innovation at Farnek. Award-winning Aijaz has been working on smart innovative strategies at Farnek for over a decade now with notable success.
Besides developing a smart watch, facial recognition and a smart fleet management system, Aijaz is currently working with Etisalat and Huawei to build a smart 5G campus at Farnek’s new state-of-the-art accommodation in Jebel Ali. Aijaz will be speaking at the HITEC series of seminars about which high-tech cleaning tools live up to their hype.
Commenting on Aamo’s appointment, Walter Knight, director of hospitality at Farnek said, “Hege will be a major asset to our division. She is a consummate professional and brings so much to the table beyond her undoubted talent and more than 20 years of experience.
“She is a leader as well as a mentor and I am looking forward to working with her on our first project the new Expo Village. Our scope of work consists of managing the reservation services, concierge, front office services and housekeeping, for the 2,273 apartments within the Expo 2020 site. So yes, a baptism of fire, although I’m sure Hege will take it in her stride.”