interview
Ebrahim Kooheji
THE SEASONED STALWART BEHNAZ SANJANA The man who started out in Bahrain’s hotel industry with nothing but a will to succeed, is now a hospitality heavy-weight admired by one and all.
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dversity forced young Ebrahim Kooheji to drop out of school and work on a dhow to earn a livelihood. His excellent communication skills and amiable personality were soon noticed, landing him a job as kitchen steward at the Holiday Inn, which later became the Crowne Plaza Bahrain; the very place where he now commands respect as hotel manager. “After finishing the washing up, I would help in the butchery; cleaning shrimp and chopping onions until the next lot of dirty pots would come in,” says Ebrahim. “The head chef noticed this and shifted me to the kitchens.” From here on, his story took him to each and every department of the hotel. From being the face of the hotel at the front desk and telephone boards, to back-office jobs like purchasing and human resources, Ebrahim has been there, done that. His foresight and appetite for growth prompted him to acquire several degrees, including from Cornell University, Ecole Hotelier 48 July 2016
Lausanne and Holiday Inn University in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. When he was food and beverage (F&B) director, he was asked to help with the preopening of a hotel in Dubai. He says: “I grabbed the opportunity; but when I went there, the hotel was still under construction. They told me that I was the link between the owner and the hotel management, overlooking all opening operations.” When the hotel was ready, the owner urged him to take up the post of general manager of the proprty he had helped build. “I was just engaged around that time,” he says. “My fiancée asked me to choose between her and Dubai. Of course, I chose her!” Back on home turf, he worked his way up from F&B manager to F&B director and then executive assistant manager in charge of food and beverage to deputy general manager. Ebrahim is now the hotel manager and is responsible for the day-to-day operations. And, for the man who started out at the grassroots,
he seems very content with his new role. This veteran believes that it is not just the hotel that brings in people; but it is people that bring in people. He says: “At Crowne Plaza, our colleagues have been empowered to take split second decisions that help them in delivering guest satisfaction at the highest level.” Ebrahim has long been actively involved in training Bahraini youth to succeed in his industry. As advice to newcomers, he says something that he himself still follows: “If you want to be successful, do not think yourself privileged just because you are a local. Secondly, wear your watch to complete your task in time, and not to check for how many hours you have been working. Lastly, stay focused on your growth and do not jump jobs for a few extra dinars.” Having worked and grown in the same organisation for close to four decades, we think this hospitality expert knows exactly what he is saying. www.bahrainthismonth.com