Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat welcomed Philippe Renaud, as the resort’s new Director of Sales. A Canadian national, Philippe is no stranger to the hospitality industry, being a hotelier in a career spanning over 15 years.
An enthusiastic 19 year old Philippe went on a trip to Las Vegas, and it was there where his passion for hospitality and hotels ignited after witnessing the city’s most luxurious hotels and resorts offering their visitors and guests the best of what hotels and resorts had to offer. Born and raised in Montreal, Phil - as called by his friends and colleagues – studied at the La Salle College in Montreal and earned a Diploma degree in Hotel Management with honours, in addition to enrolling himself in various hospitality programmes and completing them throughout his professional career.
The start of Philippe’s career took off as a Night Manager in a city hotel in Vancouver before he discovered his passion for Sales and moved to the Sales and Marketing department as a Sales Coordinator a year later. His career growth was on track, growing to a National Sales Manager in another property and eventually joining Shangri-La Vancouver as a Senior Sales Manager in November 2010. In 2014, Philippe was promoted to the Director of Business Development position for both the Shangri-La properties in Vancouver and Toronto before being presented with the opportunity to move to Oman at Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Muscat as the Director of Sales, managing the sales team which includes the Corporate, International and Leisure divisions.
“Oman is an amazing cultural destination, and the Omanis are extremely hospitable, generous and kind. The landscape of this country is simply breathtaking; it’s safe, beautiful and ideal for families living here, we just felt at home as soon as we arrived. There are many opportunities to develop Oman as a leading destination in the world. I hope to grow and effectively create awareness to new and emerging markets and position Shangri-La Muscat, and Oman, as the number one choice for the region.” says Philippe, who moved to Oman in January 2016 to take up his new position.
Philippe’s free time is divided between spending quality time with his wife and daughter who have relocated to Oman with him, staying fit, reading, going to the movies and travelling to explore the world whenever possible.