New president for association

DATUK Mohd Ilyas Zainol Abidin was elected as president of the Asean Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRA) for the term 2011 – 2013 at the AHRA annual general meeting held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia recently.

Ilyas: Elected as president of Asean Hotel and Restaurant Association

AHRA members are confident that Ilyas, who is also the De Palma Hotels group general manager, will bring the hospitality industry in Asean to greater heights.

Set up 40 years ago, AHRA is an umbrella body promoting hotel and tourism development in the region. AHRA endeavours to provide a platform for sharing of ideas and information among the various National Hotel and Restaurant Associations in Asean.

Ilyas has extensive experience in hospitality and tourism industry in Malaysia. He started his career with Kuala Lumpur Hilton where he held various operational and management positions since 1972.

During his 20 years with Hilton International, he gained vast experience in various portfolios including marketing, front office, development, renovations, food and beverage management, maintenance and security. His active involvement in the hotel industry has made it possible for him to become the president of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), where he has been serving since 2002.

He represents the Malaysian hotel industry in dealing with related ministries and also attends meetings and conventions within the region, promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination. He is chairman of the board of directors of MAHTEC Sdn Bhd, the association’s wholly-owned company, providing training and education to the hospitality and tourism fraternity. He is also a board member of Tourism Malaysia and Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd.

-thestar online.