Saturday, September 27, 2008 Asia Pacific hotel-resort chain names CSR chief
SHANGRI-LA Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, has appointed Patricia Gallardo area corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability manager for Philippine properties.
This is the first such position in the Shangri-La group.
Shangri-La’s Philippine portfolio includes Edsa Shangri-La, Manila; Makati Shangri-La, Manila; Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu; Traders Hotel, Manila; and the upcoming Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa and Shangri-La at the Fort, Manila.
Gallardo will play a key role in the effective execution of the group’s initiatives in the areas of the environment, employees and the community, health and safety, supply chain management and stakeholder relations.
She will develop insightful programs to elevate Shangri-La’s CSR approaches in the Philippines, which may then be replicated throughout the group.
Gallardo will enhance the hotel group’s commitment to efficient water and energy use, sustainable resource management, and “green” programs in the rooms and food and beverage divisions.
Gallardo said she believes that a critical aspect of a company’s social responsibility is to generate revenue to allow it to give back to the community. “Initiatives must be focused and sustainable, designed to create jobs and genuine growth,” she said.
One of Gallardo’s first steps will be to conduct a CSR and Sustainability 101 Training Program for all hotel employees to create committed CSR ambassadors. In this course, she will link the issue of sustainability to the realities of climate change.
“It is important to present the effects of global warming in a local context,” said Gallardo. “The team must have a common understanding of how receding coastlines mean threats to our food security, and that resource scarcity is our personal and professional business. They must be aware of the reasons behind hotel initiatives in order to be fully committed to their goals.”
Gallardo has worked for more than six years with various nongovernment organizations and development companies, such as The Asia Foundation and United Nations Development Program.
“Shangri-La’s strong and growing presence in the Philippines demands an equally strong dedication to corporate social responsibility,” said Greg Dogan, chief operating officer of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. (PR)
