Raffles The Palm Dubai is delighted to introduce the fresh faces and innovative minds of four dynamic new leaders to drive the beachfront palace to new heights. The new leadership team includes Area Commercial Director Zeynep Peker Prakatur, Director of Spa Sioux Lees, Culinary Director Trevor Macleod and Executive Pastry Chef Samith James.

Leading the commercial team as the new Area Commercial Director, Zeynep Peker Prakatur will drive visibility, revenue growth, and customer engagement.

A passionate, award-winning professional with an extensive career spanning over 23 years in the UAE and several prominent roles within the luxury hospitality sector, Zeynep brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team.

As an accredited coach recognised by the International Coach Federation, Zeynep is known for her ability to manage stakeholders and inspirational leadership. Zeynep’s commercial acumen and her result-driven approach to business, enabled her to consistently develop high-impact sales and marketing strategies, enhanced by a comprehensive network and a commitment to excellence.  

Zeynep’s career journey is a testament to her commitment to excellence in the luxury hospitality sector. Over the years, Zeynep has covered various leadership roles across several renowned luxury hotels in Dubai, including Burj Al Arab, where she specialised in business development across several international destinations.

As Director of Business Development at Burj Al Arab, Zeynep established strategies to develop emerging markets for the destination and the property, providing commercial support to drive the continuous increase in ADR and RevPAR Performance.

Before joining Raffles the Palm Dubai, Zeynep successfully spearheaded the commercial efforts as Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing at One & Only the Palm and One & Only Royal Mirage, delivering the highest ADR performance growth through diversification of the business and suite and villa sales strategies.

Sioux Lees steps into her role as the Director of Spa, envisioning to transform Raffles Spa into Dubai's ultimate wellness destination. Drawing from her extensive background, she will imbue this wellness sanctuary with holistic and immersive experiences that surpass expectations. Sioux's expertise will not only optimise the spa's operational efficiency but also shape it into a realm where guests can genuinely revitalise and rejuvenate their mind, body, and soul.

Her journey began in advertising, where she honed her skills for a decade. A deep-seated passion for health and wellness led her to acquire Spa certifications, embarking on a venture in the spa business in England. Following this path, Sioux travelled to Bermuda, Bahrain, the Maldives, Ukraine, Grand Cayman, and Hong Kong, where she made her mark in the hotel industry.

Elevating the dining experience at Raffles the Palm Dubai, Trevor Allan Macleod joins the leadership team as Director of Culinary. Bringing to the plate over 20 years of experience across North America, the Middle East, China, and South East Asia, Chef Trevor envisions positioning the beachfront palace as a destination for dining and celebration. With a background in the luxury hospitality sector and experience in a variety of cuisines such as Japanese, Mediterranean, and Modern Chinese, Chef Trevor has a proven record of creating new restaurant concepts and is renowned for consistency and creativity.

Over his rich and diverse career journey, Chef Trevor worked with industry leaders. Alongside award-winning Chef Izu-Ani, Chef Trevor spearheaded the pre-opening of two signature restaurant concepts. His impressive track record includes prominent roles within brands such as Ritz Carlton, Fairmont, and Mandarin Oriental, consistently achieving remarkable results.

Rounding up the team, Chef Samith James will work alongside Chef Trevor as the new Executive Pastry Chef. With extensive experience in pre-openings and set-up of pastry and bakery operations within numerous renowned global luxury establishments, Chef James began his journey in Melbourne, Australia. Here, he developed new pastries and bakery offers, boosting across five venues with an extraordinary selection of confectionary products. Chef James is known for his expertise in artisan bakery, chocolate artistry, craftmanship of novelty cakes, recipe innovation, and baking and pastry science.

The team at Raffles the Palm Dubai is enthusiastic about the impact their leadership will bring in their new roles, eagerly anticipating the transformative results they will bring, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service