Mavic Recio, General Manager, The Bellevue Manila
She started her career in the restaurant industry as a crew member of a well-known pizza restaurant. She eventually became a management trainee and was later entrusted with the task of handling a store.
However, Mavic Recio, General Manager of The Bellevue Manila, had a change of heart. She wanted something more challenging. She decided to leave the restaurant industry and try her luck in the hospitality industry through Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. To realize her dream, Recio was willing to take on any position that was available at that time, and that position happened to be Laundry Assistant in the Housekeeping and Laundry Department.
“The person who interviewed me said that I was overqualified for the position. However, I told the interviewer that I was dead set on taking on even the oddest job available at that time because all I wanted was to get in,” she said.
“Likewise, I told her that once I got in, I would do my best to work my way up and that’s exactly what happened. When I left Shangri-La, I was Assistant Director for Events. I started out as a Laundry Assistant,” she added.
Catching attention
RECIO recalled that during her interview, she also mentioned that she wanted to be in Sales and Marketing. She caught the attention of the Sales and Marketing Head through the entries that her department submitted to Human Resources for the Employee Recognition Program called the “Karapat Dapat Award.”
“On one or two occasions, our team won, which caught the attention of Sales and Marketing. During that time, I was also actively involved in the Employee Council, serving as their secretary for a couple of years. It was through this role that I gained insight into the cross-functional collaboration of the different teams in a hotel setting, and this fascinated me and solidified my commitment to staying in the hospitality industry.” she said.
From Edsa Shangri-La, Recio moved to The Bellevue Manila where she was named Director of Events. It was at The Bellevue Manila where Recio’s skills were further honed and with a lot of work, dedication and perseverance, the events team achieved and even surpassed revenue targets and sales goals. “The first foreign incentive trip happened on my watch and that was in 2013 and then more incentive trips followed after that,” Recio related.
Moving up
SHE was later named Group Director for Sales and Marketing and it was in 2017 and 2018 that The Bellevue Manila enjoyed its banner years. For her efforts, Recio also won the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association’s Virtus Award for the Outstanding Sales and Marketing Leader Category in 2016 which set the standard of all nominees from the brand after her win.
With her stellar performance, Recio shifted from marketing to operations and was named Resident Manager in 2019. The move was completely out of her comfort zone as she had to live on site and her weekends were a thing of the past. “Things became tougher. Decisions had to be made more frequently and my schedules became more erratic. I also had to wear a lot of hats because of the nature of my job,” she recalled.
“Women need to have a relentless desire for learning because it does not stop. It is a continuous process.”
Recio’s good work did not go unnoticed and in 2022, she was appointed General Manager of Bellevue. Her promotion came at a time when the Philippines was still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. At that time, it was still unclear if the country was already on the road to the new normal.
“It was very challenging but I was able to work my way around these challenges simply because I had the same passion that I used to have when I started in my previous hotel. I think I was able to sustain that and that somehow fueled my desire to continue moving forward,” she said, adding that with her male-dominated role, she was able to win the respect of her male colleagues.
Leadership style
SHE describes her leadership style as being collaborative and empowering. She is also a strong believer of leading by example and fostering open communication and teamwork among her team members. “At the end of the day, who gets the job done? Not even me. I also like to listen to the ideas of the team regardless of their position. So I am open to anything as long as it is geared towards the betterment of the company as a whole,” Recio said.
The Bellevue Manila’s General Manager would also like to see more women taking over the helm in the hospitality industry.
“Every leader has his or her blueprints for success. Tony Robbins said success leaves clues. So, moving forward, I would want someone like my Rooms Division Manager, who is actually a female, to follow my trail if and when she wants to tread the same path that I am on. Women need to have a relentless desire for learning because it does not stop. It is a continuous process,” she said.
Typical day
A TYPICAL day for Recio starts with a review of the previous day’s performance followed by the setting of priorities for the day. She meets with her department heads between 8 am to 8:30 am where they discuss updates and issues. This is then followed by a walk-through of the hotel to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Throughout the day, Recio is involved in internal and external meetings and in addressing the concerns of guests if there’s any. The remainder of Recio’s day is spent supervising and overseeing the ongoing projects in the hotel. “Most of the projects are centered on improving the hotel facilities, preventive maintenance and repairs because exiting a pandemic entailed a lot of hurdles and this situation is not unique to us. We are now steadily going back to pre-pandemic levels so we now have the opportunity and resources to address these issues,” she related.
The projects are meant to make the hotel more competitive as additional new players are expected to open in the next couple of years. “Our competitive advantage is our people. My marching orders are to elevate the guest experience, optimize operational efficiency and drive profitability. These are the marching orders of a leader who is still faced with pandemic scars. But with a vision and the support of the management, nothing is insurmountable,” Recio said, adding that the hotel is now number two on Trip Advisor.
“Events are back in full swing and that is what is driving our profitability and revenues. Our strategic action plan is geared towards account acquisition and account retention. It’s really promising and we are seeing that our numbers will continue to grow,” she added.