Vol. 4, No. 10, October 2007
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International Ambassador
Harrah’s security supervisor brings diversity to the job
The Harrah’s swing-shift security supervisor, who has lived in West Africa, Sweden and Italy, understands people. He guides about 28 of them in a significant, unofficial casino public-relations outfit.
“We have a team whose members are all willing to help out,” Sirleaf says. “This is a great group. I have learned a lot from (security manager) Jim Cahill. He is a great leader because he has the ability to listen to employees and act upon their suggestions. It is important to get employees involved with the creation of policies and implementing them to the fullest. That’s how employees buy in. They realize you are looking out for them.”
Sirleaf rose quickly in a short time. He’s been in the business for only five years, but already is a manager. In a unique twist, Sirleaf joined the same company as his mother, who still works there. Besides family ties, Sirleaf observed enough changes in his own department to maintain a level of excitement.
“Our core business of customer service runs the gamut of many things,” Sirleaf says. “Three years ago, it seemed like it was primarily customer service (ambassadorial), but in the last couple years we have incorporated the security aspect a lot more heavily. When guests come and have won a lot of money, we escort them back to their car safely. There are many requests for that. We patrol the garages and follow up on customer complaints, whether that was somebody saying their wallet was stolen, a drunken guest or an ill guest.
“We have many elderly people gambling. If they suffer a heart attack, we are the first responders. When you have helped revive someone and it ends up saving their life, that’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
Sirleaf, who resides in Atlantic City, was pleased to discover gambling’s impact on the local economy. He was born in Liberia, moved to the U.S. at age 6 and traveled with his father to Sweden and Italy. Sirleaf learned three languages at a young age, and became well-educated overseas.
An aspiring lawyer, Sirleaf gained two additional schooling levels here. The first came from Harrah’s University, enabling his leadership skills to grow. The second occurred unexpectedly.
“From the outside, I first thought gambling was a vice,” Sirleaf says. “But after seeing what it does for Atlantic City, I see the positive. It provides jobs for the community. It enriches the people in the community. We also have a responsible gaming initiative here—we don’t have young ones gambling. The whole situation works well.”
Sirleaf’s typical day involves calling staff meetings, delegating responsibilities, answering e-mails, handling customer complaints and completing paperwork. Some of his work is impromptu. Language barriers have enabled him to employ the Italian dialect to help guests.
Fascinated by research and social issues, Sirleaf hopes to incorporate law, politics and economics into his future portfolio. Present-day hobbies? Reading and more reading. He is studying for the bar. Legalese will be the next language he masters.
