Shannon Richards
Operational Training manager, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
Shannon Richards is an accomplished Operational Training manager at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, currently responsible for designing and implementing training programs.
Richards joined the property in 2022 as assistant director of Housekeeping from Fairmont St. Andrews in Scotland. Before they joined, colleague engagement was at a low point, with a rating of 4.4 out of 10 in 2021. As a team, and with the support of the director of Housekeeping, colleague engagement doubled to 8.8 out of 10 by the end of 2022.
Due to their dedication and leadership in housekeeping, Richards took on their current role in 2023. This was a new position for the hotel and involved re-establishing the service culture throughout the property. Richards was instrumental in maintaining the hotel’s Forbes five-star ranking and in securing an independent Forbes five-star ranking for the spa.
Richards also spearheaded the development of a comprehensive knowledge management platform on Sharepoint. This platform, now accessed by more than 650 colleagues via mobile devices across all organization levels, has revolutionized service excellence and operational strategy. By leveraging data across multiple platforms, the hotel achieved the top Guest Reputation score in the region at 89 per cent.
Richards’ ability to adapt to new environments, overcome obstacles and uplift those around them will continue to serve them well in the future.
