Ausy Waseem, who hails from the southern island of Fuvamulah, is one of the newest resort managers and is building a name for himself in the tourism sector. Ausy manages Siyam World, one of the biggest island resorts in the Maldives, with a contemporary approach, innovative ideas, and a creative intellect. Ausy was motivated to forge his own route in the hotel business by the professions of his father and other family members in island resorts.
“There is nothing I do not enjoy about my work. Sometimes it is tiring, but I enjoy every aspect of it. I particularly enjoy going around the island and seeing things working out the way we envisioned them. When you have real achievable goals and you see it happening right in front of you without a glitch, it makes me really happy. You know you have worked hard, put in a lot of effort and your team has put in a lot of effort.”
At James Cook University, Ausy earned a bachelor's degree in business management, hospitality, and tourism. He continued his education, earning from the same university two master's degrees: one in business administration and one in international tourism and hospitality management. At Siyam resorts, Ausy started his work in 2017 as a management trainee. After a year, he took on the duties of Sun Siyam Iru Veli's Assistant Front Office Manager. Prior to going to Siyam World, he was elevated to Front Office Manager in January 2020.
During the COVID-19 epidemic in August 2020, Ausy monitored Siyam World's pre-opening. Ausy assembled a fantastic team to effectively open and run the resort despite obstacles including supply shortages and volatile markets. Despite the fact that the last five years have been so busy, Ausy said that they have also been much more intriguing and fulfilling than the daily difficulties.
“For a resort of this scale, everything is amplified. It took some time for us, but then we managed to very successfully resolve it all. The scale, later on, did not matter because we adapted,” said Ausy Waseem.
Together, they bring big ideas to life and develop distinctive experiences at the resort. Sara Siyam is his wife and the Creative Director of Sun Siyam Resorts. Together, Sara and Ausy manage the marketing and creative aspects of Siyam World and other Sun Siyam Resorts, while Ausy makes sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes.
“I think with two heads put together, we are able to bring out a lot of new things. We like to think differently and always try new things. There are no bad ideas, we always throw in all the ideas. We do not necessarily agree on everything, but that is how we end up with something very, very good.”
Ausy and his staff at Siyam World put a lot of emphasis on creating unique guest experiences. The team creates fresh immersive experiences for the next generation of travellers in accordance with market trends, consumer behaviours, and needs.
“We have had so many repeated guests in the course of one year. They come back and say ‘Oh my, this has changed, this is even better!’ Even after one year, we keep becoming louder and louder. We have a lot more surprises to introduce.”
With more than 1200 employees, Siyam World has one of the largest staffs of any single island resort. Ausy aims to instil a mood of optimism in the islands. Ausy believes that the best way to keep excellent ties with personnel, or islanders as they are known, is to be open, honest, sympathetic, and considerate of their needs. Because of this, the team works well together and has a solid support system, independent of hierarchy.
“We do not necessarily look at ourselves as an organisation, but as an island and we see each other as family. For me, the relationship I have with the staff is very important. In fact, we have an open-door policy here where we encourage people to come in and talk to their department heads about any of the concerns they have. The openness to converse with people is one of the biggest principles we have been maintaining here.”
Ausy likes to play water sports and watch football in his free time. Although he confesses he hasn't had much time for football in recent years, he was an avid player as a child. At the end of the day, Ausy enjoys unwinding and spending time with his wife when he is not preoccupied with Siyam World's operations.
“For me, that is very important. We do not talk about work once we are at home because that time is just for us. It is really nice to work together. If I see something I know that Sara did, it makes me really happy and very proud of her. I do not see her as my wife when I see these things, I see a very successful creative director.”
Ausy advises young people interested in the hospitality industry to exercise patience. Although there may be setbacks in your job or unexpected outcomes, achievement comes from dedication and hard work.
“I have seen people who have so much potential give up because it is too hard or they just lack the discipline of working. Some of these kids with high potential waste their time by getting involved in unnecessary things. I wish to see more people working hard with ambition.”
