THE STORY OF A 'RISING STAR' - RK!
I was
meeting Retnakumar after seven
years.
When I
met him last he was a daily wages driver at Le Meridian Kochi. Today he is the Assistant
Manager Concierge & Transport for the same hotel....very
inspiring story indeed.
26 April 2005 is the day I got connected with Le Meridian Kochi for the first time. On January 1 of the same year Retnakumar popularly known as ‘RK’ joined this hotel as a daily wages driver. And today he not only handles the Concierge seamlessly but he is also in charge of the Transport department - which comprises of both cars and boats.
Aluva born 10th pass RK was very fond of driving right from his childhood. He knew how to drive when he was just 15 but he had to wait patiently for the next three years to get his licence. RK has been working since he was 17. He started in Mumbai in the early eighties, then flew to Saudi Arabia to work as a photographer in a studio (By the way, at Le Meridian Kochi hardly anyone knows about his talent as a shutterbug). After that he spent six years in Saudi Arabia before coming back to his hometown to start a studio (only to close it after a year though). He then became the owner- driver- conductor of a bus. He ran the bus service for 40 months followed by working as a Sales Representative of a footwear company...and then finally landed at Le Meridian Kochi in 2005.
26 April 2005 is the day I got connected with Le Meridian Kochi for the first time. On January 1 of the same year Retnakumar popularly known as ‘RK’ joined this hotel as a daily wages driver. And today he not only handles the Concierge seamlessly but he is also in charge of the Transport department - which comprises of both cars and boats.
Aluva born 10th pass RK was very fond of driving right from his childhood. He knew how to drive when he was just 15 but he had to wait patiently for the next three years to get his licence. RK has been working since he was 17. He started in Mumbai in the early eighties, then flew to Saudi Arabia to work as a photographer in a studio (By the way, at Le Meridian Kochi hardly anyone knows about his talent as a shutterbug). After that he spent six years in Saudi Arabia before coming back to his hometown to start a studio (only to close it after a year though). He then became the owner- driver- conductor of a bus. He ran the bus service for 40 months followed by working as a Sales Representative of a footwear company...and then finally landed at Le Meridian Kochi in 2005.
His courteous behaviour and discipline got him a job on contract rolls at the hotel in 2007. He also became the General Manager’s driver and finally got a confirmed job in 2011. Over the next three years he effortlessly lapped up three promotions - thanks to his servitude and commitment. He got promoted as the Concierge Trainee Captain (2012), Concierge Captain (2013) and then a Concierge Team Leader (2014). This year again he got promoted - as the Assistant Manager of his department.
RK is
married to Sheeba (MA & B.Ed.) -
a school teacher at Aluva and is blessed with a daughter Akshaya (21) who is a budding Chartered Accountant.
It was my
good fortune that I met all the three of them in my Club Room at Le Meridian
Kochi last week. Incidentally all three are my students.
Eight
years back RK and Sheeba had attended my ‘Happy Home’ Workshop on October 28,
2007, while Akhsaya attended my ‘Study Skills’ Workshop held on December 10,
2006 when she was still a school student.
Both
these workshops were held at Le Meridian Kochi as part of their Employee Engagement
Initiative when Sanjay Sharma was the General Manager.
RK is very fond of love birds. RK speaks good English as well.
RK is very fond of love birds. RK speaks good English as well.
Text
and Pictures: R Kesava Mallia in Kochi
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