Learning to Lead at Las Vegas Sands

Las Vegas Sands is committed to promoting a culture of learning and enrichment to its Team Members. Through Sands Academy, the company’s learning and development program in Asia and Las Vegas, Team Members are provided with opportunities to succeed in their careers and enhance skillsets to grow and develop as leaders.

Growing into leadership began early on for Sang Han, who has been with Las Vegas Sands since 2012, when he started out as the front office hotel manager for The Venetian and The Palazzo before taking on his current role as assistant director of housekeeping. Though having experience in hospitality across the country, The Venetian and The Palazzo were the first Integrated Resorts he had worked for.

“I quickly learned that The Venetian and The Palazzo had many specialized departments consisting of hundreds of Team Members working intricately together to provide such a flawless guest experience,” Han said. “It is definitely one of our strengths, providing the best experience at this scale; we are without a doubt the best to ever do it.”

With one of the company’s top goals to deliver outstanding service to guests and clients, it is the Team Members who are equipped with the right skills and knowledge that provide those extraordinary experiences. Han noticed that majority of senior leadership came from internal promotions, which he found rewarding and encouraging to see that the company takes interest in the professional growth of Team Members.

 “These types of learning and development opportunities through Sands Academy are prevalent throughout the property and it is obvious that the company takes great pride and interest in the development of our future and current leaders,” he said. “At The Venetian and The Palazzo, learning never stops and everyone is deeply vested in continued professional growth, and we celebrate such accomplishments and successes throughout the year all around the property.”

Han had the honor of heading a leadership development program called “lead,” a program for Team Members who were interested in growing with the company. This program was designed to allow Team Members to experience the daily responsibilities of a manager with the purpose of enhancing their experience to help them become the next leaders of the company. With the vision of executive leadership, the program was soon expanded to several departments. Han credits the program as an important part of identifying and developing future talents within, and has resulted in numerous promotions. The opportunity to lead the program made for a priceless experience and understanding the key to becoming a successful, effective leader.

“Both personal and professional growth does not come easy, and it is such a great relief knowing that at The Venetian and The Palazzo, you do not have to do it alone,” he said.

He was promoted to his current position in 2016, which has provided him with the opportunity to grow further within the hospitality industry and work directly with a different department, getting to know even more Team Members. He is especially proud of his team because of their hard work and dedication.

“Whether it is guiding them through their professional journey or talking to them about their personal lives and simply interacting with them as a peer-to-peer, being exposed to such a population has given me so much perspective both professionally and personally,” he said.

To learn more about how Las Vegas Sands supports the professional growth of its employees, visit the company website.