Leading local resort operator Villa Hotels and Resorts has appointed Qaisar Naseem as its Group General Manager.
Qaisar, who has been serving as the General Manager of Villa’s Paradise Island Resort and Spa since 2010, takes over the newly created position of Group General Manager of Villa Hotels and Resorts with an expanded role of overseeing the management and operations of all five of Villa’s properties.
While continuing to personally head the operations of Paradise Island Resort, Qaisar will coordinate with the management teams at Villa’s Royal Island Resort and Spa, Holiday Island Resort and Spa, Sun Island Resort and Spa, and Fun Island Resort and Spa to better analyse, design, develop and deliver all operational aspects in line with the company’s guiding principles and values.
“I’m humbled and honoured to have been given this opportunity to serve in an expanded leadership position with the company. This promotion reaffirms Villa’s commitment to allow talented Maldivians to rise through the ranks and reach the very top,” Qaisar told Maldives Insider.
“My focus will include building high performing, professional teams at each resort, and bringing significant upgrades to our products in order to continue providing our guests an exceptional service.”
A native of Fuvahmulah island, Qaisar joined the tourism and hospitality industry in 1997 as a receptionist at Thudufushi resort.
After spending a year in Thundufushi, Qaisar joined Villa Hotels to work as an Administrator at Royal Island Resort and Spa, which was under construction. He oversaw several aspects of the project, including construction, earning himself the position of Assistant Manager when it opened in 2001. While officially holding the title of Assistant Manager, he served as the Acting Resort Manager when the Resort Manager left in 2004.
Qaisar moved to Malaysia in 2006 to pursue a degree in hotel management. Upon his return in 2009, he was appointed the Resident Manager at Paradise Island Resort. A year later, Qaisar assumed the post of General Manager — a title he held until his latest promotion.
Over the past eight years, Qaisar has led Paradise Island Resort to receive several international and local awards, including recognitions in the World Travel Awards, World Luxury Travel Awards and Maldives Travel Awards. His personal accolades include being named the Best General Manager in the Indian Ocean category at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2015, and Tourism Personality of the Year 2017 at the Maldives Travel Awards.
A full profile of Qaisar can be found here.
Photo: Ibrahim Asad
