Handover completes change of guard at Sheraton Kampala Sales Office

The handover is complete and tomorrow will be the last day of a very familiar face at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, when long-serving Joan Kasozi, outgoing Sales Manager, will leave the building for the last time as a member of the staff. She has over the past decade become a close friend and an invaluable source of information about the hospitality industry in Uganda in general and events and news from the Sheraton in particular.

Asked to give an account of her time at the hotel as her last day at the Sheraton is about to dawn, she gave an emotional account of her years and what she expects from the future, her future beyond the Sheraton walls.

“Dear Friends and Colleagues,

“As I come to my last day at the Sheraton, I am filled with mixed emotions at leaving. This is where I have been for between 10 to 12 hours every day for the last 10 years, a place that has nurtured me for so long and where I have made many meaningful friends and acquaintances. I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to cry at all the “good-byes” but have ended up sobbing for the better part of today!

“Tomorrow I walk away from the Sheraton with a great sense of pride and even satisfaction that I have given my all to upholding Sheraton’s core values of a ‘Warm Connecting Community’ through serving people from different walks of life, and each time, ensuring that we met and exceed their expectations.

“I have decided to pursue my other passion aside from Hospitality and Tourism – Agro & Aqua-culture which I am embarking on at a reasonably large scale. In addition, I have been asked by my brother, Dr. Anthony Kasozi to help him coordinate the building and setting up of an Integrity Retreat Centre just outside Mukono that he and a few other colleagues of his in the Diaspora are putting together. This will focus and cater for Top End Managerial Retreats from around the world – with already a number of bookings lining up even before we have even started! So really, I am not quite divorcing myself from the Hospitality industry.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you so much for all your up-lifting support, ideas and advice and for constantly endeavoring to ensure that the Sheraton shines in this adverse business climate. I am positive that we shall be in constant touch and will be able to catch the odd cup of coffee and catch up on the happenings.”

Come tomorrow it will be Jennifer Musiime Bamaturaki, who will as newly appointed Director of Sales and Marketing lead the hotel’s sales team. Coming from Air Uganda, where she was Head of Sales and Marketing and responsible for the commercial side of things, she brings with her a wide range of contacts and of course the pre-requisite experience in the service industry needed to take over the mantle from Joan.