Sands Sands China Launches Integrated Talent Development Programme

Customised programme for middle and senior management professionals
from gaming and resort operations departments

(Macao, November 6, 2019) – Sands China Ltd. launched an innovative initiative Tuesday – the Sands China Integrated Talent Development Programme – with a kick-off ceremony at the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.).

With the support and direction of the Macao SAR government, Sands China has been working to develop Macao’s local talent through various initiatives, including proactively collaborating with educational institutions in Macao on a wide diversity of professional development programmes.

The Integrated Talent Development Programme is custom-tailored for middle and senior management integrated resort professionals and is co-organised by Sands China and M.U.S.T. It is the first-of-its-kind programme in Macao to be initiated by the gaming department of an integrated resort and designed, developed and launched in cooperation with a local higher education institution.

The programme incorporates Sands China’s strategic goals and corporate spirit to realize the company’s future business development objectives. It aims to enhance the management quality of its middle and senior management team members and nurture them as future leaders, helping develop the talent pool for both the company and the integrated resort sector in Macao.

The six-month training programme has been developed based on the expertise of M.U.S.T. and utilises instructors with rich experience in the academic and business worlds. It implements Various teaching approaches such as classroom training, on-the-job assignments and executive coaching.

A total of 50 middle and senior management professionals from Sands China’s gaming and resort operations departments were chosen to join the first batch of training. Participants will be divided into different groups and assigned group tasks that are based on the company’s actual business needs and areas of focus. On completion of the tasks, participants present their reports and action plans to senior management. The suggestions proposed in the action plans will be implemented in the company’s respective departments within a year, thus putting what participants have learned into practice.

“Sands China is very pleased to be launching this new programme, which is the first such initiative from an integrated resort operator in Macao,” said Wen Hongyan, senior vice president of human resources for Sands China Ltd. “Our aim is to help middle and senior management further develop their leadership and management skills, strategic insights, entrepreneurial spirit and capacity for innovation. It is our hope that this systematic learning programme can further contribute to developing the company’s and Macao’s talent pool as the city continues along its path as a world centre of tourism and leisure in the Greater Bay Area.”

Tuesday’s event was officiated by Zuo Xianghua, director of the economic affairs department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Anthony Leong, deputy director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Cheung Wai, head of the vocational training department of the Labour Affairs Bureau; Fong Ka Fai, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions; Prof. Lin Zhijun, vice president and dean of the M.U.S.T. School of Business; Prof. Sheng Ni, vice dean of the M.U.S.T. School of Business; Feng Junguo, faculty secretary of the M.U.S.T. School of Graduate Studies; Anthony Zhou, project development director of the M.U.S.T. School of Graduate Studies; Cetin Tanisman, senior vice president of casino operations for Sands China Ltd.; Andy Kobel, senior vice president of table games and gaming optimization; Gene Capuano, senior vice president of convention and Venetian operations; and Amy Lee, vice president of human resources.

Sands China is committed to developing a well-trained workforce, and offers a variety of horizontal and vertical mobility opportunities to its team members through internal promotions, integrated resort career development programmes, and professionalism training. It also has expanded its focus to providing training for the development of industry professionals outside the company in order to create a talent pool for the city’s future development. The company delivered more than 1.7 million training hours to team members and Macao locals in 2018 alone, and recently celebrated the graduation of a total of 6,200 participants from Sands China’s talent development initiatives in 2018-2019.

Photo caption: Officiating guests attend the kick-off ceremony for Sands China Integrated Talent Development Programme at the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) Tuesday. A total of 50 middle and senior management professionals from Sands China’s gaming and resort operations departments were chosen to join the first batch of training.

Left to right: Feng Junguo, faculty secretary of the M.U.S.T. School of Graduate Studies; Prof. Sheng Ni, vice dean of the M.U.S.T. School of Business; Andy Kobel, senior vice president of table games and gaming optimization for Sands China Ltd.; Prof. Lin Zhijun, vice president and dean of the M.U.S.T. School of Business; Cetin Tanisman, senior vice president of casino operations for Sands China Ltd.; Zuo Xianghua, director of the economic affairs department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Anthony Leong, deputy director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau; Cheung Wai, head of the vocational training department of the Labour Affairs Bureau; Fong Ka Fai, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions; Gene Capuano, senior vice president of convention and Venetian operations for Sands China Ltd.

Photo caption: Officiating guests gather for the launch of Sands China’s Integrated Talent Development Programme Tuesday, a custom-tailored programme for middle and senior management integrated resort professionals co-organised with M.U.S.T. It is the first-of-its-kind programme in Macao to be initiated by the gaming department of an integrated resort and designed, developed and launched in cooperation with a local higher education institution.