Miami, Florida – May 2, 2024 – The International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC) in partnership with Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) presented Brittany Brathwaite, Chief People and Development Strategist, Ocean Hotels Group Barbados & Chickmont Foods Ltd, with the prestigious Rising Star Award Caribbean.
Brittany Brathwaite is a Regional Labour Policy Advisor; Strategic Human Resources Practitioner and serves as Chief People and Development Strategist with the Ocean Hotels Group in Barbados. She joined the Ocean Hotels group in 2019 and has remained committed to her foundational principles of adding value, driving innovation and efficiency while developing members of her Human Resources team. Her path into tourism, strategy, and people management, includes a labour advisory role with the country’s Employers’ Confederation and subsequently, a regional role with the Caribbean Employer’s Confederation, which provided the opportunity for her to work alongside the International Labour Organization’s Caribbean Office. She is a Former President of the Human Resources Management Association of Barbados and a member of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association People Development Committee.
Of her award, Brittany remarked, “I’m truly humbled to be the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award – Caribbean. At my core, I’m driven by the ethos of adding value, through my efforts, to every space I occupy. To have those efforts recognized by the Caribbean’s top tourism leaders is a distinct honor. My transition into the tourism industry and specifically, my journey with Ocean Hotels Barbados has been professionally enriching. Advancing a people strategy while feeding my passion of driving leadership, based on self-awareness, ingenuity and integrity sits at the core of that experience. My commitment to effecting positive change in the industry, coupled with community involvement and mentorship, remains unwavering. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity and autonomy to navigate a multifaceted portfolio and I look forward to contributing to the continued creation of opportunities for future tourism leaders via these avenues.”
“I can think of no person more deserving of this award than Brittany!” commented Patricia Affonso-Dass, CEO Group General Manager of Ocean Hotels. “Since joining our company Ocean Hotels in May 2019, Brittany has had a transformative effect on the Company and our HR processes, driving the strategic and operational elements of the Human Resources product and working alongside ownership, senior management, and middle managers to strengthen all aspects of human resources across the group, digitize systems and process and continue to develop knowledgeable and skilled team members. Brittany’s start with the company just prior to Covid was fortuitous, and frankly, I am not sure that we would be the company that we are today without her invaluable contribution over that extremely difficult period. I am thrilled for this recognition of her and so very proud of all that she continues to accomplish.”
ISHC CEO Andrea Belfanti commented, “I was honored to meet Brittany and could not have been more pleased to have her as the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award Caribbean. Her dedication to her craft and her passion for people is inspiring. I’m confident we will continue to see great things from her and we are thankful for our partnership with CHRIS to recognize young talent, like Brittany, in the Caribbean.”
“The Rising Star Award Caribbean is a key feature of CHRIS, as it shines a spotlight on our industry’s future,” said Jonathon S. Zink, COO of The BHN Group. “Brittany’s dedication to developing the future of hospitality in the Caribbean is admirable and makes Brittany a dynamic ambassador for the Caribbean. Congratulations to Brittany on this prestigious achievement and very best wishes on her journey of making a difference.”
This is the fourteenth year ISHC and CHRIS have collaborated to recognize young, talented leadership in the Caribbean region. Brittany Brathwaite was presented the award during plenary session of CHRIS held at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel in Coral Gables, FL.
Nominations for the award were required to meet the following criteria:
- Is 35 years of age or younger, born on or after April 23, 1989
- Is currently, and has been, working in a hospitality-related field
- Is recognized by leaders in the hospitality field as a rising star
- Is currently living and working in the Caribbean with a minimum of two years’ experience in the market
Respected executives from across the Caribbean reviewed a shortlist of nomination forms of outstanding candidates before voting on the winner.
