Gary Mano, General Manager of Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk™, is pleased to announce the appointment of key management positions for Waikiki’s newest vacation ownership property.
HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII — Located in the center of Waikiki Beach Walk™, Outrigger Enterprises Group’s $535 million redevelopment that is transforming nearly eight acres in the heart of Waikiki into a new and vibrant pedestrian-friendly gathering place, the Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk held a grand opening on December 1, 2006.
The management team is comprised of new employees as well as veteran members of Outrigger Enterprises Group, which is managing the property. Joining Gary Mano are Neil Murakami, newly named Assistant General Manager; Ismile “Smiley” Espaniola, Chief Engineer; Marsha Kapu, Hospitality Manager, Sharon Pudiquet, Executive Housekeeper and Rie Burson, Guest Service Manager.
[GADS_NEWS]Neil Murakami
In his role as Assistant General Manager, Murakami is responsible for managing the overall resort operations, including Front Office, Bell and Housekeeping departments. Murakami is no stranger to Outrigger having previously served as Front Office Manager for the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber hotel where he worked since 1992. Murakami holds a bachelor’s degree in
Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Ismile “Smiley” Espaniola
As Chief Engineer, Espaniola’s main responsibility is to ensure the mechanics of the resort are in proper working order. Espaniola, originally a Hawaii resident, has been in the hospitality industry for over 18 years and has recently relocated back from the mainland after a four-year absence. He has held positions as chief engineer at several other resorts in California and on the island of Hawaii. Most recently, he worked as Maintenance
Supervisor/Acting Director of Engineering for Fairfield Ocean Walk Resorts in Daytona, Florida.
Marsha Kapu
As Hospitality Manager, Kapu is responsible for creating, developing, leading and instructing the activities programs for the resort. In addition, she also will plan all special events at the property and host the weekly owners’ reception to enhance the overall experience of the Wyndham customer service program and Outrigger’s very own Ke’Ano Wa’a process. Kapu is an
Outrigger veteran having served 11 years in the Human Resources department and most recently held the position of Ho’okipa Consultant.
Sharon Pudiquet
In her role as Executive Housekeeper, Pudiquet is responsible for overseeing the entire operation of the resort’s Housekeeping department. Pudiquet has spent the past 19 years in various positions at the former Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, now the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber. Her career began as a
PBX operator, with subsequent positions at front office agent, accounting clerk, assistant director of housekeeping, and finally her most recent position as assistant housekeeper before joining the Wyndham team.
Rie Burson
As Guest Service Manager, Burson is responsible for all aspect of the front desk, rooms control, and night audit procedures for the property. Burson has over 13 years of hospitality experience from various distinguished hotels and resorts all over the world, including Hilton Tokyo Bay, Urayasu-city, Chiba, Japan; Munich City Hilton International, Munich, Germany; Caneel Bay Resort, St. John, US Virgin Islands; and Hawaiian Regent Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to joining the Wyndham team, Burson held the position of front office manager/assistant manager at the Hilton Grand Vacations Company in Honolulu, Hawaii. Burson obtained a bachelor’s degree from Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan.
