In an episode of Undercover Boss Canada, Skyline International Development CEO Michael Sneyd joined employees at Horseshoe Resort near Barrie, Ontario and Deerhurst Resort in Muskoka. Sneyd has already overseen a $27 million private equity placement.
TORONTO
It isn’t every day that a developer goes undercover, joining employees on the front lines waiting tables, making snow for ski hills and even hauling hay for hungry horses.
But Skyline International Development CEO Michael Sneyd did just that at two Skyline Hotels & Resorts locations in Ontario on an episode of Undercover Boss Canada.
Sneyd , who was appointed CEO in early 2011, joined employees at Horseshoe Resort near Barrie and Deerhurst Resort in Muskoka.
“Initially I was concerned about being recognized, but the approach and disguise were effective and allowed me to fit right in as a front-line employee,” he said.
“This process gave me a much deeper appreciation for our Skyline team and how hard they work every day. I was humbled by how difficult it is to spend a full shift on your feet and the level of customer service and professionalism our staff achieve.”
Sneyd said Undercover Boss reinforced how important it is to equip employees with both the physical and motivational tools to get the job done well and increase efficiency, as well as to value their input.
The experience inspired Sneyd to implement an annual ‘Undercover Jobs Day’ at Skyline, where corporate office executives, general managers and hotel leadership committee members will all spend a shift filling line-level jobs.
“There’s nothing like walking in another person’s shoes, even for a short time, to open your eyes to their work world.”
Hired to implement the vision of Skyline founder & president Gil Blutrich, in his first 12 months at the top of company operations, Sneyd has already overseen a $27 million private equity placement and the acquisition of Deerhurst Resort and the company’s first U.S. property, which includes the landmark Cleveland Arcade and the 293-room Hyatt Regency hotel.
His tenure has also encompassed the introduction of real estate and re-development projects, including the next phase of the company’s plan to restore the waterfront of Port McNicoll, near Midland, Ontario. into an extensive mixed-use destination and gateway to the 30,000 Islands that also anchors one end of the new Georgian Valley tourism corridor.
Compared to his office days, Sneyd’s stepping down for a week to tackle Undercover Boss Canada was “a once-in-a-lifetime shot to get a different perspective on what’s important to this company and our customers, looking ahead.
“The staff I worked with shared valuable information which I would likely not have learned if they knew they were shepherding the boss around for a day.”
A leading Toronto-based developer of hospitality properties and destination communities, Skyline International Development owns more than two million square feet of real estate, has over 2,600 acres and over 1,000 rooms in its holdings and employs more than 1,500 staff.
DCN NEWS SERVICES
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