The Star Stories en - February 2023

FEBRUARY 2023

INCLUSION

Seek to understand. Encourage diverse viewpoints. Support each other to thrive.

“We care for people so they can be their best”

We care for people so they can be their best

One of the most important characteristics of Hyatt & ALG, which differentiates us from other organizations, is constant communication. That is why we held our Q1 Global Town Hall on Wednesday, february 23— an important moment for all colleagues to learn about the activities carried out, the achievements we have made as a team, and an update on how the Hyatt & ALG cultures are being unified.

The presenters at the Town Hall were as follows:

Mark Hoplamazian

President & CEO, Hyatt

Javier Águila

Group President, EAME, Hyatt

Noah Hoppe

SVP Investor Relations & FPA de Hyatt

Joan Bottarini

Chief Financial Officer, Hyatt

Margaret Egan

General Consel & Secretary de Hyatt

Malaika Myers

Chief Human Resources Officer, Hyatt

Thanks everyone who joined us for our Q1 Global Town Hall!

If you missed the Town Hall, click here to check out the replay:

Si no pudiste asistir al Town Hall no te eocupes. Haz click aquí para ver el video

Noah Hoppe SVP Investor Relations & FPA de Hyatt

Margaret Egan General Consel & Secretary de Hyatt

Malaika Myers Chief Human Resources Officer, Hyatt

Joan Bottarini Chief Financial Officer, Hyatt

WORDS OF MARK HOPLAMAZIAN

Dear Colleagues,

As we continue to evolve and strengthen Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection in both the Americas and Europe, I am excited to announce the expansion of our Inclusive Collection leadership team under Gabriel Felip with the addition of two regional Managing Directors who will support the growth and goals of our business in region.

As Group President, Global Inclusive Collection, Gabriel will continue to play a key strategic role in the company’s growth by elevating his focus on our global operational capabilities and expanding on ways to add value for our owners as we further develop our Inclusive Collection footprint globally. Gabriel will remain accountable for the overall P&L and global operations of the Inclusive Collection.

Manuel Melenchón, Managing Director, Inclusive Collection Europe will join ALG at the end of February and Philippe Frey, Managing Director, Inclusive Collection Americas, will start at the beginning of March, both reporting directly to Gabriel Felip.

With over 25 years of experience in hospitality and hotel operations, Manuel Melenchón comes to Hyatt from Minor Hotels, holding different positions such as VP of Operations, Asia at Anantara and Avani hotels and Director of Operations Spain, France, Portugal & Andorra at NH Hotel Group.

Philippe Frey joins the Inclusive Collection from Hyatt where he has continued to grow and take on additional responsibilities since joining the Hyatt family in 2001. He has served in various operational roles including most recently his role as General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Bogota and previously the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, with responsibility for regional.

I am confident in the talent, skills and experience that Manuel and Philippe bring to the newly created roles as they oversee the business in their respective regions to ensure strategic goals are met by effectively managing plans, budgets, teams, operational processes, and quality standards. The Managing Directors will enhance agile decision-making, maintain accountability of the geography’s results and effectiveness, and operate in a coordinated manner among the various functional areas to serve the needs of the business at the regional level.

Furthermore, in order to achieve comprehensive management of the region, regional operations and certain support functions will report to the respective Managing Director with dual reporting to their functional leader. Gabriel will directly oversee the support functions in both regions as Manuel and Philippe mature in their positions. We will continue to evaluate and evolve our organization to support the strategic initiatives of the company and care for the needs of our colleagues, guests and owners.

We look forward to your support and coordination with these leaders as we strengthen our Inclusive Collection teams. Please join me in thanking Gabriel for his ongoing leadership and the key role he will continue to play, and welcoming Manuel and Philippe to the Inclusive Collection organization.

My best,

MARK HOPLAMAZIAN President and Chief Executive Officer Hyatt Hotels Corporation

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY #EMBRACEEQUITY

Equity is not just nice; it is a must. A focus on gender equity must be part of every society’s DNA, and it is critical to understand the difference between fairness and equality.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day campaign aims to get the world talking about why “equal opportunity is no longer enough.”

Equality versus equity, what’s the difference?

Equity and equality are interchangeable, but fairness and equality are inherently different concepts.

So, what is the difference between equity and equality, and why is it important to understand, recognize and value this?

Equality: This means that each individual or group of people receives the same resources or opportunities.

Equity: Recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to achieve an equal outcome.

In other words, you are giving everyone different things. If we offer them the same, expecting that to make people equal, it assumes that everyone started at the same place, and this can be inaccurate because only some are equal!

The concept of “fairness” can be misleading, as “fair” means everyone receives the same. We have been taught this as children, but “fairness” only works when everyone is equal.

So, make it your mission to teach your friends, family, colleagues, and community about the need for fairness.

Let’s all embrace equity today!

PARTICIPATE IN THE VALUES AWARDS!

Do you know a colleague who lives our values every day?

If the answer is yes, we invite you to nominate an Amstar colleague for the Values Awards by clicking the button below:

The winner will be presented at the next edition of our Global Town Hall

AMSTAR INFLUENCER PROGRAM 2023

Dear Colleagues,

Following up on our first “Amstar Influencer Program”. This initiative seeks to recognize those Colleagues who stand out for their ability to influence others and generate positive impacts either professionally, personally and socially by making things happen.

What is the program about?

Each month our Amstar Influencers will face a challenge living the pillars of our employer brand “Unlimited You”. When the challenge is completed, they will receive their first Bronze Star, then a Silver Star and finally a Gold Star. Influencers who achieve all 3 challenges will receive the “Crystal Star”. Maximum recognition as Top Influencer.

Who are the nominated Influencers?

Erik Morales

Erika Martínez

Dora Pool

Yamin Aragón

Sheyla Espinoza

Irving Aguilar

Israel Rojas

Josefina Cámara

Adrián Sosa

Marco Riquelme

Jua Carlos Villanueva

Miguel Rena

Virgilio Hernandez

Mario Aguilar

Miguel Fajardo

Here we show you their awards!

WELLBEING FAIR IN CANCUN

At Amstar, we live our values to the fullest, and that is why last March 1st, we invited all our colleagues to celebrate the value of Wellbeing at Cancun UNO, where they had the opportunity to participate in games, take pictures, have fun with other colleagues, enjoy delicious food, but above all reflect on the value of wellbeing which tells us that we must prioritize self-care, use fun as a stimulus and build connections within the community. It was undoubtedly a unique event!

Thanks to all who participated and our Human Resources Cancun team, who coordinated the activities for all the colleagues.

Below we share with you some pictures of the event:

UNLIMITED GROWTH IN DOMINICANA

At Amstar, the development of our colleagues is the most important thing. We want each colleague to reach their best version, and we, as the Amstar family, are in that process. That is why on this occasion, we want to share with you the recent promotions of our colleagues from the Dominican Republic: Alexander Solano and Angeline Carter. Congratulations to both of them for this growth; they are an example to follow!

Next, we want to share with you the testimony of each one of them:

ALEXANDER SOLANO

Are there internal opportunities for growth at ALG and Hyatt, and why?

Definitely yes. My career within the Company is a vivid example of that. I arrived only in 2014 to take a position in the Transportation department. At that time, the area

was called billing (a small division of the Transportation department). From that first day, I began to experience professional growth and personal growth, moving soon after to the position of Team Leader of the Transportation Department, then supervisor. These positions had been occupied by colleagues who were, in turn, growing within the Company.

In a relatively short time, I have gone on to lead a department, which is a sign of the growth opportunities we have in the Company.

How has your new role helped you build your career?

Occupying a management position is a significant achievement to add to my resume. But not only that, the experiences and the knowledge I gain from the daily interaction with my collaborators and superiors are an enriching resource for my professional career.

What are your next steps?

To do my best in the position I now occupy so that the department, its members, and the company continue to develop continuously.

What does it mean to you to become the best version of yourself?

To ensure that my colleagues develop in such a way that they can also take advantage of the development opportunities offered by the company.

What challenges have you faced that have helped you grow?

Leaving home every day and moving away from the family is a challenge that almost all of us face. Losing essential people in my life, such as my mother, and other family situations have been tricky challenges that I have had to overcome personally and with God’s help. On the work level, difficulties ranging from technological to external situations that have affected our country and the world involved major challenges in both the personal and work life of each one of us.

What are your biggest motivators?

My family, first and foremost. That is why I get up every day. Secondly, the trust I have received from my colleagues and superiors makes me strive daily to do better.

ANGELINE CARTER

Its hard to believe that at the end of this month I will be 12 years with the company. I started as Operations Manager when Amstar was just over a year old and still new to Jamaica.

Since then, the company and I have both grown significantly.

There are opportunities for growth within the companies, and with the addition of the Hyatt Group of companies, this has expanded even further.

I have seen numerous team members grow with the company and have been promoted.

I’m excited for this new position as it will allow me the opportunity to utilize my knowledge of the operation at a higher level. This will be extremely useful when implementing new initiatives and looking at how I can help to advance the company and our team here in Jamaica. Within the Hospitality industry, this position will also help me to work with a wider network of professionals.

Being the best version of myself to me is being in a good place both physically and emotionally but also being fulfilled in both my professional and personal life..

I need to think about the Drivers a bit more, but I can say I’m passionate about taking pride in doing even the smallest task very well, I’m also very well supported by an awesome team.

I hope these answers most of your questions.

Angie

RECOGNIZING OUR COLLEAGUES IN JAMAICA

In February, two of our colleagues in Jamaica received recognition from MBJ Airports for their excellent service to the industry. The colleagues were recognized during the “Customer Experience Excellence Awards ceremony inaugural ceremony.”

We enormously congratulate our airport representatives, Odane Clarke and Kerry Ann Hamilton, for their commitment to the company. We are very proud of you and congratulate you for fulfilling our purpose “We take care of people so they can achieve their best version.”

Congratulations to Odane and Kerry Ann!

Our Culture

MEETINGS & EVENTS DE AMSTAR HAS WON TWO SITE CRYSTAL AWARDS FOR THE BEST DESTINATION-BASED EXPERIENTIAL INCENTIVE TRAVEL PROGRAM.

We are proud to have been recognized with two SITE Crystal Awards for: Best DestinationBased Experimental Incentive Program for incentive programs delivered in Cancun, Mexico and Guanacaste, Costa Rica during 2022. This recognition represents the third and fourth SITE Crystal Awards for Amstar, after being recognized by industry professionals for its outstanding work in 2016 and 2020 for Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as Part of an Incentive Program. Winners represent excellence in their profession and offer inspirational examples of how incentive travel experiences benefit qualifiers, their companies, and the destinations where they are hosted.

We’d like to thank our clients for choosing us and send BIG KUDOS out to our Amstar Meetings & Events team as well as our destination suppliers and partners.

Below, we would like to share a video with all Amstar colleagues:

A DAY WITH THE AMSTAR HUATULCO TEAM

Team Objective:

To work with passion and enthusiasm to achieve the best experience for our clients.

Departments/ contact areas: Airport, Operations, Sales, and the Accounting area.

Team members:

Virgilio Hernández Robles

Luis Ernesto Ordaz Juárez

Carlos Antonio Campista

Lauro Omar López Rodríguez

Aurea Isabel Mújica

Tomacita García Blas

Destination Supervisor HUX, ACA, IXT & MEX.

Airport Representative & operations agent (ACA, IXT & MEX).

Sales Representative, Secrets Huatulco Operations Agent HUX.

Sales representative, Dreams Huatulco Accounting.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AREA LEADER VIRGILIO HERNÁNDEZ ROBLES

What has been your trajectory within the company?

I started as a sales representative in January last year, and a few months later, the opportunity arose to take on the challenge of destination supervision. Since then, we have been working to achieve the best with our team.

What does Amstar mean to you?

Amstar is a place where we can contribute and learn and where we enjoy being.

What is the main strength of the department?

The team’s diversity: we constantly complement and support each other to achieve our goals.

What are the main challenges facing the department today?

Positioning ourselves within the destination, Huatulco is in development, with a complex market, with a limited offer of services. However, our team has paid great attention to service with our customers, which has allowed us to achieve excellent customer acceptance.

What information about the department would be helpful for all colleagues within the company to know that would help the department provide better service, meet its goals, or achieve a more significant impact?

The union, professionalism, and perseverance, the sum of our daily efforts, allow us to achieve our individual and common goals, always putting passion into everything we do.

In Amstar our priority is your personal and professional development, so we put at your disposal our online platform A-Learning, where you can have access to our catalog of courses that will help you to be your best version.

HABITS

By We Emotionally Care

When a year begins, we create different expectations of what we want to achieve, goals, objectives, and projects. However, as the days go by, this motivation begins to diminish. We want to make drastic changes and feel frustrated when we need to meet these expectations.

This is why we bring you this fascinating topic about habits.

Before we start, we want to share the meaning of habits. A habit is a behavior repeated enough times to become an automatic action.

Everything we do directly impacts our emotional, mental, and physical state. When we notice progress, it changes our perception of ourselves and our perception of life; we feel more capable and motivated.

However, starting a new activity and making it automatic can be challenging; getting out of our comfort zone takes effort and energy.

When activity becomes challenging, according to the author of the book “Atomic Habits,” always start with 1% improvement; this will give us the feeling that we are moving forward, and our brain will create neural connections. For example: if you want to walk for half an hour every day, you can commit to choosing a time when you know you will be available, put on your exercise clothes and go out for a few minutes.

A 1% improvement is better than 1% without action.

Our habits define us, empower us, help us grow, and help us move forward, so it is essential to identify our habits and which ones I should implement to achieve my goals and improve my quality of life.

Have you ever asked yourself: How do our habits shape our identity?

Everything you do, consciously or unconsciously, impacts who you are and how you perceive yourself. Those who read a lot are considered readers, and those who smoke frequently are considered smokers. Your behaviors define you, but they are not determinative. You can change this perception by taking action in your life, taking small steps that bring you closer to where you want to be.

Incorporating any new habit into your life will require Time and Effort.

It said that it takes at least 30 days to acquire it, although it depends on the person and the habit you want to incorporate; each of us has its rhythm, so let’s say it can fluctuate and not only depends on the days but the frequency of the behavior.

This method is attributed to comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld based on his own experience.

1. Identify the habit you want to develop. For example, read for an hour, walk 30 minutes daily, eat at least two pieces of fruit daily, go to bed earlier, etc.

2. Get a calendar. There are several ways to do this; it depends on which one works best for you. THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS THAT THE CALENDAR IS VISIBLE TO YOU DAILY. They can be, for example:

- Print a large calendar and place it in a visible place.

- With a piece of cardboard, make a calendar and place it where you can see it.

- Use your agenda or notebook.

A method to form new habits is the “Jerry Seinfeld Method,” called the “Chain Method.”

3. Each day you fulfill the proposed habit, mark the day with an X on the calendar. Mark a big X in a color that stands out (red, for example), you will see that a chain will be formed after several days, and if we keep it over time, it will grow.

4. Continue the chain, don’t break it; use your chain as your motivational weapon! Observing that the chain of Xs in the calendar is growing will motivate us to keep going until we acquire the habit naturally. Apparently, in the case of Jerry Seinfield, this method has even allowed him to generate more than 500 jokes a day.

The decision to change your life is to take small steps every day!

WHAT ARE WETLANDS?

In the framework of World Wetlands Day, we want to raise awareness about the vital importance of these ecosystems for humanity and the planet.

First, we want to share with you what wetlands are. These are an area of ordinarily flat land where the soil surface is covered with water permanently or seasonally; the water can be fresh, salty, or brackish. However, not every soil that fills with water is considered a wetland; for that, the site must contain the liquid for a sufficient period of time for aquatic flora to thrive.

Wetlands also provide habitat for hundreds of invertebrates that, in turn, serve as food for amphibians, birds, reptiles, herbivores, and humans.

Thus, the function of wetlands is indispensable for the eternal balance of the aquifers that regulate the flow of rivers, reduce the force of storms and stabilize the erosion of the coastline.

It is possible to identify six main types of wetlands, according to the Ramsar Regional Center:

Marine: these are those located on the coasts.

Estuarine: located where rivers flow into the sea, for example, mangroves, deltas, and tidal marshes, whose salinity is medium.

Lacustrine: obviously, these are wetlands connected to lakes.

Palustrine: These are wetlands with a marshy appearance, such as marshes and swamps.

Riparian: located on the sides of rivers and streams.

Artificial: created by man for a specific purpose, for example, as reservoirs or nurseries for commercial aquatic species, among others.

Wetlands, unfortunately, are threatened by pollution, water, and climate alterations caused by climate change. These dams alter the natural flow of water by introducing invasive species that disrupt the raw food chains of a specific wetland and by the belief that they are sites of little value, leading to the use of their land as agricultural, grazing, or urban areas.

For this reason, and because of their invaluable importance, in the framework of World Wetlands Day, it is worthwhile, by way of commemoration, to investigate and learn about the role that these ecosystems play in our daily lives today.

SELF-CARE TIPS FOR HEART HEALTH

BY DAVID PRITCHARD

February is Heart Awareness Month, which brings an opportunity for you to learn self-care tips for heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world, but there are steps you can take to better prevent it.

Taking time for even seemingly small acts of self-care can do wonders for your overall health. It also can help you maintain a healthy blood pressure as well as reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Self-care for your heart is really self-care for your whole self.

The following list consists of self-care tips that can help you keep your heart healthy.

Speak With Your Doctor

A great first step towards heart health is to speak with your health care provider. They can run labs, assess your risk, and help you create a plan for a healthy heart.

Schedule Annual Check-Ups

It may not seem like it at first but staying up to date on your testing and check-ups is undoubtedly a form of self-care, especially when it comes to your heart health. By staying on a regular schedule with your doctors and by keeping an eye on your blood pressure, you can take your health into your own hands and save yourself the anxiety of wondering about the state of your heart.

Exercise

Exercise is very beneficial for your heart and overall health, even if in small amounts. Daily, or almost daily, physical activity is recommended for most to help ensure heart health.

Find ways to move every day-15 minute over lunch, stretching breaks throughout the day or a daily walk.

Taking some time to get outside, even for a quick walk, can help clear your head and get your body moving.

Pay Attention to Your Diet

One of the foundations of self-care relates directly to what we put in our bodies. While fast food or dessert may offer a moment of happiness, long-term self-care is maintained by allowing our bodies to feel good. This starts with our food. When it comes to heart-healthy self-care practices, consuming four cups of vegetables per day, eating fatty fish twice a week, and swapping out refined grains for whole grains can all lead to feeling better from the inside out.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is vital to maintaining a healthy body. The CDC recommends get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is where your body repairs itself and heals. Your heart will benefit from deep restful sleep.

Manage Your Stress

By managing your stress, you can help work towards a healthy heart. Reducing your stress is really all about being kind to yourself! Negative mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Try implementing activities in your life that help reduce your stress levels. This may include reading a book, meditating, taking a bath, or anything else that might calm you.

Practice Mindfulness

Stress can have a significant effect on our overall health, including our cardiovascular health. Studies have linked meditation to a decreased risk of heart disease and a decrease in blood pressure. Meditation, yoga, and other mindfulness techniques also can contribute to better mental and physical health, making it an effective self-care practice.

Schedule Some “You Time”

With so many responsibilities, it can be challenging to put ourselves first. Make sure you make time for the activities that make you happy, whether that’s sitting down to watch a movie or settling in with a good book; take some time each day to focus on yourself, even if it’s for just a few minutes each day.

Cultivate gratitude and joy

“Spend at least five minutes a day doing joyful things. Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t have.”

Research shows happiness and having a positive attitude can lead to healthier behaviors and a longer, healthier life.

Above all, when you do start practicing self-care, don’t expect overnight results. Be patient – and persistent! Giving your heart the love, it needs to keep you healthy is a lifetime commitment!

Devoting a little time every day to care for yourself can go a long way toward protecting the health.

TYPES/MODELS OF COMPETENCIES

In an increasingly competitive job market, job competency models have become an important tool for human resources management. These models allow for the identification of the skills, knowledge, and behaviors required to perform a job effectively, and help companies select, train, and evaluate their employees in a more objective and systematic manner.

A job competency model can be defined as a set of skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors that are considered essential to perform a task or job successfully. These competencies can be technical, relational, or leadership-based, and vary depending on the type of job and level of responsibility.

COMPETENCIES

Job competency models are used in several human resources management processes. For instance, in employee selection, they can be used to identify key competencies for success in a given job and to evaluate candidates based on these competencies. In employee training and development, they can be used to identify areas in which an employee needs improvement and to design training programs that effectively address these areas.

In performance evaluation, they can be used to establish clear and measurable objectives for employees and to evaluate their performance based on these competencies.

Positive Psychology at Work

To develop an effective job competency model, it is important to involve employees and managers in the process. Employees can provide valuable insights into the skills and behaviors necessary to perform their job effectively, while managers can contribute a broader perspective on the competencies required for success across the organization.

Furthermore, job competency models should be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure they remain relevant and useful. The job market is constantly evolving, and the competencies required for success in a job may change over time. It is important for companies to be willing to adapt their job competency models to reflect these changes and ensure they remain effective.

As you can see, competencies or work skills are best used when a custom competency model is applied in a company, depending on its context and characteristics. What do you think would be a good model for Amstar? Remember to come back every month this year to find out a little bit more about competencies!

KUDOS

CONGRATULATIONS!

For your commitment, camaraderie and for being one of the best evaluated representatives by passengers in Cozumel. Without a doubt, your charisma and dedication are an important pillar for Amstar.

For your commitment and dedication as Sales Director of Costa Rica. For having obtained the DMCP certification, being part of the Young Leaders of SITE, Costa Rica chapter and for winning a SITE Crystal Award together with your M&E CR team. We are very proud of you!

To: Pedro Arias y Nayeli Aguilera

From: German Shaub

For their creativity and passion which were fundamental in the conception and execution of the SITE Crystal Awards and the communication of the IWD. We are lucky to have them on our team

Arturo Banner Miranda

Andrés Castro

ltheurel@unlimitedvc.com