On stepping into his office, I am greeted by Mr Zahra's warm smile. Life as a CEO of a group that incorporates Malta's largest catering establishment, two five-star hotels, part ownership in the Maltese and Spanish Costa Coffee franchises, as well as another fantastic resort in the pipeline, definitely keeps Mr Zahra busy.

Throughout the 27 years of its history, Island Hotels has offered its services to an average of over 50,000 international guests a year and many more locals. The highlights include the hosting of the 2005 Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting, and providing the catering for the largest sit-down outside meal for over 4,200 people on the Granaries... to name a couple.

Mr Zahra was only 14 when he started his first job selling timeshare. It was a summer job and at the time the family had not yet started making a name for itself in the hotel industry - "it was a start". Mr Zahra played an array of roles within the industry. He also spent time in London where he held various positions related to food and beverage, front office, banqueting, event catering and housekeeping.

Even before the family became so much involved in hotels, Mr Zahra was always passionate about the industry and had already decided to work in tourism, specifically in hotels. This led him to study at the University of Portsmouth where he graduated first-class honours degree in Arts in Hotel and Catering Management.

When not in his office, Mr Zahra spends quality time at his family home which he describes "as my haven of peace". He is a great fan of running. He runs an average of 60 kilometres a week, and runs every day irrespective of the weather. Sport has always been a big part of his life and is a priority in his daily routine.

In addition to sport being one way to keep a healthy lifestyle, it also helps him keep his mind clear and focused on his job. "It keeps your blood flowing, it keeps you calm. It keeps you focused and the calmer you are the better, as you can take better decisions."

Occupying the role of Chief Executive Officer, one would expect stress to be part of the job description. But Mr Zahra does not let stress bother him. The key is having a constant positive attitude.

"A positive attitude to challenges can really minimise stress. If, when you wake up you start the day thinking of all the negatives, you get stressed before you even start." It is very useful and rational to "take problems, break them down and sort them out... and work through them slowly, and tick them off the list one at a time while maintaining a positive outlook".

Mr Zahra's shares his success story with his father, chairman of the group, and his brother Trevor who is a member of the board. Father and son have a different management style. Most of the time, Mr Zahra says, he shares the same objectives as his father but they typically have different styles on how they reach their objectives. They both have a high level of mutual respect for each other and always back each other's decisions once taken. Compared to his brother Trevor, who today runs his own business outside the Group, Mr Zahra says they are different but "different does not mean one is better than the other".

Environmental awareness has become part of the day-to-day operation of many businesses. Island Hotels has long since embraced the environment and sustainable development. Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands celebrated its own success by achieving Eco-Certification in 2009. In recent years, there was a wave of criticism after Island Hotels produced the design plans for a resort to replace what stands now at Hal Ferh. Mr Zahra explains that initial objections arose due to some people not fully understanding the overall scope and environmental rationale of the project. Once everyone, including environmental groups, understood the design detail of the project, everyone embraced it and when it came to the approval process at Mepa, the project met with no objections at all which is very unusual for a project of this size.  Mr Zahra believes that due to the size of our island and the importance of the environment, all projects should focus on long-term sustainability. With the exception of Radisson Blu Resort St Julian's, all Island Hotels past and present owned properties have been a case of "new for old".

"If we don't look after the environment while going forward, we'll have no industry left. So it has to be one of the most important considerations." Mr Zahra adds that "if we don't get it right in 10, 15 years' time, what are we going to be selling? If we ruin our countryside, quality of air and water, people would not want to come here. As we go forward, we have to focus much more on delivering quality in every aspect but most especially in the general surroundings of the island."

While Mr Zahra held various roles in hotels both in Malta and overseas, he has also served the tourism industry by occupying a number of positions that continued to strengthen his career. In 1999, the International Hotels and Restaurants Association together with HOTELS Magazine recognised Mr Zahra as "Young Hotelier of the World." He was the youngest ever president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association serving between 2002 and 2004. These roles, among others give Mr Zahra a platform to talk about some of the challenges Malta faces to maintain and enlarge its market share. "Branding - we still don't have everyone singing from the same 'hymn sheet' when it is clear what Malta's brand really is. We have to get this right as soon as possible and embrace a clear long-term vision for this island, including the tourism industry."

Although the company's past has been a celebration of success and the present is very bright, the journey never stops. The future of the group entails continuous hard work. "You're only as good as your last performance. The past is part of history but you have to build on last week or last night's performance to ensure the future remains strong." Island Hotels plans to maintain a pro-active approach to business. Mr Zahra admits that "work is continuous" in order to take opportunities at the right time and in the right place.

 "A bit of luck thrown in always helps but one cannot rely on luck - it takes determination and hard work by a lot of individuals to ultimately pull it all together."

 

Photo credit: Alan Carville