Successful and Certified!
Over 50 team members at Sandals Antigua Graduate
Dickenson Bay, Antigua – Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa saw over fifty of its team members receiving certificates during a special ceremony last week.
The large group consisted of both management and staff who completed internal courses such as customer service, leadership, the art of selling and professional communications under the Sandals Corporate University (SCU).
Speaking at the certificate ceremony was Regional Training and HR Manager Ryan Matthew, who congratulated the team members on their latest achievement. “By taking this path to success, you’ve understood that learning doesn’t just happen; it must be a conscious activity and that all jobs, no matter how routine, offer learning opportunities. You are ready! You are prepared! Remember that with every new day you will always reach for greatness. Rise and shine!”
General Manager Gaurav “Mr. G” Sindhi also showered the group with praise, stating that “In my four years of working with Sandals, this is the largest group I have ever seen and for that you should all be proud of yourselves in knowing that you are setting a high mark in the Sandals chain”.
 
Training Manager, Sherene Bird explained that SCU was launched in March 2012. “SCU represents Sandals Resorts’ commitment to the professional development of our employees through reputable education and training programs. Every staff member is invited to apply and experience courses that they are interested in to further advance their career and broaden their knowledge”, Bird added.
 
Since its inception, over 1,200 team members have registered with SCU, with close to 1,000 certificates issued. They now have access to more than 230 courses and external partnerships with 13 top-ranking local and international universities, with plans for even more expansion this year.
Through this unique and invaluable program, Sandals Resorts hopes to make a meaningful impact on visitors’ experience by guaranteeing the best customer service, attitude, skills and knowledge from every team member they come across. 

SANDALS RESORTS FIRES ITS CEO!
CEO Adam Stewart Ziplines through Fire as Company Reaches Goal of 250,000 Facebook Likes  
 In August 2013, CEO of Sandals Resorts International Adam Stewart made a fiery challenge to Facebook fans to encourage friends and family to “like” its page in an effort to reach its goal of 250,000 likes.
After successfully achieving this milestone in less than 2 months, 33-year old Stewart has fulfilled his outrageous pledge to zipline above the Jamaican rainforest through a ring of fire with the help of David Waine, the special effects expert behind Hollywood blockbusters Mission Impossible and hit franchise Fast and Furious.
Stewart commented, “I’ve made many important decisions in my life but this ranks as one of the most questionable. It seemed like great fun at the time but as I was teetering on a ledge in the middle of the rainforest with the heat of the flames on my face from 100 feet away it all became very, very real. However, they say that with great risk comes great reward and I’m delighted that we smashed our target and even more delighted to walk away with only a singed arm and leg.”
Enlisting the local support of Island Routes Caribbean Adventures and Caribbean tour operator Chukka, Stewart successfully conquered the feat relatively unscathed with his wife and children watching on anxiously as the safety team immediately extinguished Stewart’s arm and leg.
Hollywood special effects and safety expert, Waine, who jetted in from Los Angeles to oversee the safety aspects of the stunt, commented, “Whenever I’ve been involved in something as dangerous as this for feature films, we always have  a trained stuntman on hand to do the actual stunt or at least test it first.  For someone like Adam Stewart, the CEO of high profile company such as Sandals Resorts to do it himself, and untested, is extremely unusual.  It’s a testament to all the planning and support personnel that we managed to complete the challenge without any incidents. Adam definitely seems to go above and beyond for his company!”
The stunt has been captured in a video and is posted on the Sandals Resorts website and Facebook page for fans to view.
In tandem with this campaign, Sandals Resorts also ran a sweepstakes offering Facebook fans the chance to win a four-day/three-night Luxury Included® Vacation to Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts. The lucky winner of this escape to paradise was announced on Facebook this week.
To watch the video and to be the first to hear about all future contests, giveaways and sweepstakes, be sure to “like” the Sandals Resorts Facebook page. For more information about Sandals Resorts, visit www.sandals.com.