East Timor Trading Group: End of Year 2018
Neelo (far left) with some of our staff, and CEO Sam Aluwihare (far right) at the 2018 end of year event.
The East Timor Trading Group (ETTG) held its Year-End party at Burger King Timor Plaza last month. As well as celebrating the festive season, the event also marked the achievements of staff across the various different divisions of the company.
Marcelino Sarmento – who was the company’s very first member of staff, hired in 2002 – was named East Timor Trading’s Employee of the Year 2018. He is now a Sales Marketing Manager and has been instrumental in extending the company’s wholesale distribution network to cover the whole country. East Timor Trading is a group of companies which comprises the ETT wholesale food and beverage business, as well as the Burger King and Gloria Jean’s Coffees franchises, the Discovery Inn, Cheers Bottle Shops and the iL Gelato and Makanan outlets in the Timor Plaza Food Court.
The party was attended by ETTG staff and their families, who were welcomed by the company’s current CEO, Samitha Aluwihare: he recently took over the role from the company founder and Chairman, Sakib Awan. Mr Awan’s wife and former COO, Mrs Neelo Awan, travelled to Timor-Leste to attend the event.
“It is such a pleasure to be here this evening to celebrate East Timor Trading Group’s 2018 achievements with you all. It has been a few years since I was able to attend a Christmas party and to be here tonight, representing Mr Awan and myself – it is a highlight of this year for me”, Mrs Awan said, adding “As many of you know, East Timor Trading began 16 years ago as a small family-run operation with Sakib, myself and a few staff – some of you who are here this evening, Lucio, Salvador, Lino. As I look around the room tonight and see how our family has grown, I am full of immense pride. The growth of East Timor Trading Group is due to the effort and contribution of each and every one of you. As you all know, this has not been an easy year, but due to everyone’s hard work, determination and commitment, we have gotten through this challenging year. This party is a celebration of that resilient spirit and the drive to never give up. On behalf of Sakib and myself, I want to thank you all for your ongoing dedication and wish you and your loved ones a very safe and happy festive season. And I wish that 2019 will be a wonderful one for us all, East Timor Trading Group and Timor-Leste. Merry Christmas! Viva Timor-Leste!”
Samitha Aluwihare also praised the staff for their support during what has been a difficult time for the country’s economy: “It’s been a rollercoaster of a year,” he said, “lots of ups and downs, but everyone has pulled together and with perseverance, we’ve made it through. I’d like to thank you all for your strength to move this company forward. Despite the challenges, we’ve had some exceptional results, and I’d like to mention some of our Senior Managers – Lino Sarmento, Reinato De Araujo, Salvador Cardoso and Angelina Da Costa in particular. They have shown leadership, loyalty and dedication and I applaud them for the personal development they have made in the years they have been working with us.” Angelina Da Costa was recently appointed Outlet Manager of the Gloria Jean’s Coffees outlet in Bidau Lecidere.
Aluwihare confided that his dream would be to continue supporting the development of the Timorese managers’ careers so that by 2023 the company’s executive committee would be composed of local people. “This is the opportunity for each and every one of you, and I believe there are a lot of potential candidates within our existing ranks who are capable. Just believe in yourself and together we can do it. I believe that our people are our number one asset and that this company is equally owned by each and every one of our employees hence we want your leadership and involvement to steer this ship into the future. I believe in Timor-Leste. I believe together we can grow this company, let’s do it – let’s build a future together”.
Overall Employee of the YEAR 2018: Marcelino Sarmento