Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Languages
Affiliations
Accomplishments
References
Programs and certificates
Personal Information
Timeline
Generic
Rima Bouyounes

Rima Bouyounes

Dubai,UAE

Summary

Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in strategic planning, P&L management, and financial performance. With over 22 years of experience in Revenue Optimization, I've led multi-property commercial strategies across the Middle East and Indian Ocean, including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Sri Lanka and India where I've spent 2 months gaining hands-on market exposure. My expertise spans pricing strategies acorss all revenue generating outlets, distribution management and driving top-line growth and asset management development in competitive environments. Proven track record in budgeting, asset enhancement, and system implementation. Adept at critical path analysis, hotel openings, and financial reporting. Skilled in yield management, project management, and operations management. Experienced in designing training programmes and coaching and mentoring teams. Proficient in MS Office and BI tools. Career goal: to leverage skills in a dynamic environment to drive organisational success.

In addition to revenue leadership, I've completed 1.5years operational leadership track, broadening my expereince in hotel operations and srtategic decision-making. My approach integrates data-driven insights with commercial agility, ensuring profitability and market share growth.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work history

Director of Revenue Optimization

Shangri-La Dubai Hotel and Shangri-La Dubai Apartments
Dubai, UAE
07.2019 - Current
  • Maximizing hotel revenues by identifying opportunities and soft demand period while working closely with Sales and Marketing teams on strategies and their implementations to drive demand and gain market share
  • Managing Hotels distribution and pricing of rooms, F&B, and OOD across all channels
  • Analyzing hotels data to help setting long and short term sales strategies to optimize hotel revenues
  • Defining soft and high demand periods and proactively ensure right selling strategies are in place
  • Developing Revenue Culture across all hotels revenue generating department and implementing incentive schemes across departments
  • Created and led successful project leading to incremental revenue of more than AED 600K year
  • Put in place selling strategy to enhance high room types sale
  • Adopting all changes implemented by company in terms of policies, systems, contracting and distribution
  • Keeping hotel teams updates on business levels and any changes in strategies to be implemented.
  • Evaluating market trends and competitor activities, informing strategic decision-making.
  • Supervising and developing high-achieving staff, providing orientation, training, support and direction.

Cluster Director of Revenue Optimization

Shangri-La Hotels Oman and Qatar
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
08.2017 - 06.2019
  • Maximizing hotel revenues by identifying opportunities and soft demand period while working closely with Sales and Marketing teams on strategies and their implementations to drive demand and gain market share
  • Managing Hotels distribution and pricing across all channels
  • Analyzing hotels data to help setting long and short term sales strategies to optimize hotel revenues
  • Defining soft and high demand periods and proactively ensure right selling strategies are in place
  • Developing Revenue Culture across all hotels and implementing incentive schemes across departments
  • Adopting all changes implemented by company in terms of policies, systems, contracting and distribution
  • Keeping hotel teams updates on business levels and any changes in strategies to be implemented.

Director of Revenue Management, Opening

Ajman Saray, a Luxury Collection Resort
09.2013 - 07.2017
  • Completing Hotel opening Critical Path
  • Defining Hotel price positioning
  • Evaluating market brand awareness and setting right selling strategy
  • Defining room types and their respective USPs
  • Analyzing and defining Hotel competitive set
  • Defining Hotel room pricing across all channels
  • Configuring PMS, CRS and yielding systems
  • Defining Revenue and Reservations Department Operating Criteria and SOPs
  • Developing Revenue Culture across Hotel and revenue generating department in particular
  • Setting sales long and short term strategies by market segments, channel and geographic source of business
  • Assess market responses to hotel strategy and apply changes where necessary
  • Conducting Revenue maximization training for non-revenue managers to increase awareness on Revenue maximization opportunities and culture
  • Analyzing Food and Beverage and Conference and Banqueting revenue trends and working closely with Marketing and Sales teams on defining right strategy
  • Setting and implementing with help of Director of Food and Beverage adequate strategies to maximize F&B revenues.

Director of Revenue, Opening

The St. Regis Doha
07.2011 - 08.2013
  • In addition to Director of Revenue role
  • Completing the Hotel opening Critical Path
  • Configuring Room types
  • Analyzing and defining Hotel competitive set
  • Defining Hotel room pricing across all channels
  • Configuring PMS, CRS systems
  • Setting-up Hotel channel management and yielding systems
  • Defining Revenue and Reservations Department Operating Criteria and SOPs
  • Developing Revenue Culture across the Hotel and revenue generating department in particular
  • Conducting Revenue maximization training for non-revenue managers to increase awareness on Revenue maximization opportunities and mindset
  • Analyzing Food and Beverage and Conference and Banqueting revenue trends and working with ISMR on yielding strategies to achieve budget
  • Setting and implementing with the help of Director of Food and Beverage adequate strategies to maximize F&B revenues
  • Assisting Director of Spa in analyzing and strategizing revenue maximization opportunity for Spa and Recreation facilities.

Cluster Director of Revenue

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah and Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai
10.2010 - 06.2011
  • In addition to Director of Revenue role and as part of the take over process: Contributing in Hotel rebranding to Luxury Collection
  • PMS configuration
  • System migration
  • Culture creation
  • Openings

Director of Revenue

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
Fujairah, UAE
10.2006 - 09.2010
  • Developing pricing strategy specific to each segment and distribution channel
  • Managing room inventory and pricing strategy in all distribution channels
  • Set selling guidelines for groups and coordinate management of group business closely with the sales and banquet teams
  • Assisting Director of Food & Beverage and Spa Manager in pricing and promotions, setting strategies and analyzing KPIs
  • Identify soft spot periods and prepare a soft spot revenue management plan, in cooperation with sales, marketing and on-line, with the engagement of corporate and regional resources
  • Drive Market Share and Hotel Revenue Performance (Rooms, Food, Beverage and Spa) through proper pricing and mix management
  • Ensure CRS and electronic distribution systems are returning appropriate availability and pricing
  • Analyzing market performance and formulating appropriate strategies to increase RevPAR Index
  • Preparing and presenting room revenue management elements as part of the annual budget process.

Reservations Manager

Al Bustan Rotana Hotel
Dubai, UAE
07.2005 - 09.2006
  • Monitoring reservations status, availability control and overbooking
  • Monitoring rooms revenue
  • Managing room controls to ensure maximisation of rooms occupancy and revenue
  • Supervising Reservations staff to ensure accurate status of room availability
  • Supervising and participating in the activities of the reservations staff engaged in receiving, processing and confirming room reservations in accordance to the Hotel standards
  • Forecasting room revenue and occupancy
  • Recording turned-away business and related revenue
  • Managing room controls on PMS and GDS to ensure maximisation of rooms occupancy and revenue
  • Updating rate demand calendar
  • Determining daily selling strategy
  • Updating Sales department and Front Office department on changes in availability
  • Recruiting
  • Training reservation and front office staff on reservation techniques, market segments and upselling
  • Increasing and achieving high scoring in mystery caller program.

Revenue and Reservations Manager

Le Meridien Commodore Hotel
Lebanon
10.2004 - 06.2005
  • In addidtion to my tasks as Reservations Manager
  • Directing reservation department activities to achieve the annual budget and develop revenue toward the objectives of the business plan
  • Participating in yearly budgeting
  • Implementing special rates plan according to appropriate business needs
  • Forecasting room revenue and occupancy
  • Monitoring future events which will affect rooms occupancy and implement procedures to maximise market share
  • Managing room controls on PMS and GDS to ensure maximisation of rooms occupancy and revenue
  • Handling end of month analysis reports.

Reservations Manager

Le Meridien Commodore Hotel
Lebanon
11.2003 - 10.2004
  • Monitoring reservations status, availability control and overbooking
  • Monitoring rooms revenue
  • Supervising Reservations staff to ensure accurate status of room availability
  • Supervising and participating in the activities of the reservations staff engaged in receiving, processing and confirming room reservations in accordance to the Hotel standards
  • Recording turned-away business and related revenue
  • Updating rate demand calendar
  • Determining daily selling strategy
  • Updating Sales department and Front Office department on changes in availability
  • Training reservation and front office staff on reservation techniques, market segments and upselling.

Education

Hotels and Restaurants Management - Hotels And Restaurants Management

Technical Institute Al Kafa’at For Hospitality Management
Ain Saadeh
07.2001

Lebanese bachelor – specification Philosophy -

Collège Saint Enfant Jésus, Soeurs De Besançon – Baabdath
Baabdath
06.1997

Skills

  • Strategic planning
  • P&L
  • Financial performance
  • Budgeting
  • Asset enhancement
  • System implementation
  • Critical path
  • Hotel Openings
  • Financial reporting
  • Yield management
  • Project management
  • Training program design
  • Coaching and mentoring
  • Piloting
  • MS Office
  • BI
  • Operations management

Languages

Arabic
Native
French
Fluent
English
Fluent

Affiliations

  • Former bee farmer, shifting my interest to painting and reading when it's too hot to cycle

Accomplishments

- Shangri-La Operational Leadership Program April 2022 to November 2023

- ASTC Coaching, Advanced - 2023 and 2024

- Starvoice Best in class 2009 - Supervisor Effectiveness and top engagement scores

- Led Ajman Saray Luxury Collection Resort CSR activity for 2016 and 2017

References

References available upon request.

Programs and certificates

  • Leading Starwood, 03/01/2013, 03/31/2013
  • INSEAD, 05/01/2012, 05/31/2012
  • F&B Forecasting, 04/01/2012, 04/30/2012
  • Revenue Management Academy V, Group Sales & Catering Revenue Management, 04/01/2010, 04/30/2010
  • Behavioral Interviewing, 10/01/2008, 10/31/2008
  • Revenue Management Academy III, Advanced Forecasting, 07/01/2007, 07/31/2008
  • Revenue Management Academy II, Intermediate Revenue Management, 01/01/2007, 01/31/2007
  • Revenue Management Academy I, Basic Revenue Management, 12/01/2006, 12/31/2006
  • Automated External Defibrillation – Royal Life Saving Society, 01/01/2008, 12/31/2008
  • Le Meridien Regional Revenue Management Training, 04/01/2005, 04/30/2005
  • The Fundamentals of professional Reservatios Sales, 02/01/2006, 02/28/2006
  • Maximising Reservations Revenue, 06/01/2006, 06/30/2006

Personal Information

  • Date of birth: 05/15/1978
  • Gender: Female
  • Nationality: Lebanese

Timeline

Director of Revenue Optimization

Shangri-La Dubai Hotel and Shangri-La Dubai Apartments
07.2019 - Current

Cluster Director of Revenue Optimization

Shangri-La Hotels Oman and Qatar
08.2017 - 06.2019

Director of Revenue Management, Opening

Ajman Saray, a Luxury Collection Resort
09.2013 - 07.2017

Director of Revenue, Opening

The St. Regis Doha
07.2011 - 08.2013

Cluster Director of Revenue

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah and Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai
10.2010 - 06.2011

Director of Revenue

Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort
10.2006 - 09.2010

Reservations Manager

Al Bustan Rotana Hotel
07.2005 - 09.2006

Revenue and Reservations Manager

Le Meridien Commodore Hotel
10.2004 - 06.2005

Reservations Manager

Le Meridien Commodore Hotel
11.2003 - 10.2004

Hotels and Restaurants Management - Hotels And Restaurants Management

Technical Institute Al Kafa’at For Hospitality Management

Lebanese bachelor – specification Philosophy -

Collège Saint Enfant Jésus, Soeurs De Besançon – Baabdath

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Rima Bouyounes