Claim OwnershipInspiring Women in Hospitality
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© Naureen Ahmed
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Naureen Ahmed shares stories of inspiring women from the hospitality industry. Why they got into hospitality, their career journey so far, their learnings and who inspires them.
167 Episodes
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On this episode we hear from Rosina. An intercultural trainer and DEI consultant with a focus on the hospitality industry. She started in hospitality at a young age and all throughout her uni years. She says that it taught her so much about problem solving, thinking on your feet and social skills which she then used later in her PR career. During this time, she worked at an agency where the CEO was of Indian heritage and it was the first time she had a person of colour as her boss, which she was extremely proud of. She then went onto spend a few years in the charity sector working in the UK. She then moved to Berlin, where she spent the next 12 years, where she has had her two kids, career with Design Hotels and then starter her own business. During her time at Design Hotels the one thing she is very proud of is creating cross-departmental campaigns for newly opened hotels. When it comes to intercultural communication, she says it’s a combination of intention and being aware of it, that helps you to understand other people and then how to communicate in that environment.
On this episode we hear from Tabatha. Grown up in Adelaide Australia, it was studying tourism that took her to work in seven different countries, across a wide range of companies and roles. A career in hotels that started in the UK, took her to Japan, Australia and then a long stint in Asia. She has worked in big organisations like Starwood to smaller independently owned hotel companies like Vihn Group in Vietnam, which then tapped into her tourism experiences. A wide range of experience in commercial roles in a wide range of types of businesses in our industry. She had different learnings across these companies, like Starwood was great for people, skills and branding and her time at IHG taught her about revenue and technology. Tabatha says that it was her curiosity and desire to experience new things and new cultures that took her on this career journey.
On this episode we hear from Jeannette. She started her career as an economist for the government and then turned to the travel industry, where she spent 30 years of her career, which lead up to a CEO role with Saga. She now has her own portfolio of business advising travel leisure hospitality businesses and a podcast 'Brave, Bold, Brilliant'. She shares her experience and advise on growing your career and that you must be proactive about it. Speak up, put your hand up, volunteer for projects, work hard, network internally and externally and do not let your career progression up to chance or anyone else. In her mid 40s, she decided it was time for a change in her life and started her own entrepreneurial journey in search of more freedom, choice and flexibility. Her podcast which started in July 2020 has become her personal brand with her work with leadership and executive strategy. She also credits the support of her partner, another 'hospitality husband' with the success that she has experienced in her career and someone to believe in her, when she would not. Some of the key learnings she had to share were around not being afraid to fail, do not let fear hold you back and self-belief.
On this episode we hear from Stephanie. It was french toast in New York city and Home Alone 2 that got her hooked into hospitality. From a young age she loved to travel and so she started working to be able to make the money to travel. This theme carried on in her career, she chose destinations based on where she could learn a language, learn culture or work for organisations she admired. She ended up moving across to seven countries during her 20 year career thus far. Even though she is not a risk taker, she shares with us two experiences when she took the risk to leave jobs without having a new one lined up. She did this knowing two things, in hospitality you will always find a job and second, she believed in herself.
On this episode we hear from Kseniia. She has made marketing her profession in hospitality and has worked across Fiji, Samoa and Australia. She studied law for her degree, but then got into hospitality as a student when they were recruiting for the big stadiums in Ukraine around the time of the Euro Cup. She saw this as an opportunity to practise her English and meet people from different countries. She then found herself in Fiji, pursuing a hospitality career fulltime and it was the people that she admired. They were so warm and welcoming, gave her a sense of belonging. She came into marketing by volunteering her time at the hotels she was working at and then eventually made it her career, where she found her passion. Her time in Fiji gave her a great admiration and respect for the Fijian people and their sense of hospitality. She spoke of them with the highest regard. Four years ago she moved to Australia, still with hotels and then recently with a desire to grow she joined a dmc to promote Brisbane
On this episode we hear from Heide. From a young age she always had the feeling of wanting to be a host and that is what then drew her into hospitality. I loved how she said that when she first went looking for some work experience, she applied to the five Michelin starred restaurants in Germany, and only them, because she wanted the best experience. She went onto to focus on marketing during her education and that is where she started her career after graduating. She worked for LVMH, then after a PR education in Germany, worked at a PR agency before coming back to hospitality with Kempinski. You will hear throughout the conversation is that career changes came to her when she started asking herself the questions, whether this was the right role for her and what kind of lifestyle she wanted for herself. After four years at Soho House in Berlin she took on her next transformation and started her own business, an Italian deli. We also discussed the importance of taking a break, even if it means you do not have another job to go. It is super scary, as I have experienced myself, but we both agreed that without it it would never give us the mental space that we needed. She has recently sold her deli and taking that break to reflect on what comes next.
On this episode we hear from Rachael. She was born and raised in hospitality and her very first job was an ice cream scooper. It was when she moved to New York City where she learnt about the world of hospitality and work at every possible food and beverage service type that you could find in the city, from tourist traps to fine dining. Throughout her working career, she found the only way she could grow was to leave her current job and find another one. After several years, she was burn out and took some time out, learnt to teach English as a second language and that somehow drew her back to hospitality, but with her own business this time. After five years, this transitioned into her second business, Opus, a training software for frontline employees. When it comes to gender changes in the workplace, she raised an interesting point on greater pay transparency.
On this episode we hear from Cheila. My second back-to-back podcast episode with a Portuguese. Before she found herself in hospitality, she wanted to be a judge After completing her education in Switzerland and Austria, she moved to London and started her hospitality career with Firmdale Hotels and many others after. She talks about her mistakes as lessons learnt. She talks about the differences of opening a business vs running it. Opening a business is all about the drama and running a business is about numbers and working with your team to get the best out of them. She also talks about how to make your customer your best asset in your marketing strategy. Plus, how to make sure that any space you design is female friendly, from heels getting stuck in the floorboards to where to put your handbag. She talks about how she likes to hire mothers because they are great at task management. We also spent some time talking about menopause and perimenopause, something that does not get talked about enough yet and she does not want anyone to have to struggle in silence.
On this episode we hear from Cidalia. She introduces herself as Portuguese and passionate about hospitality. She talks about hospitality as selling dreams, not the hotel room. Having started in hospitality 20 years ago, she shares with us how she got started in revenue management when it first came to Portugal. This career has taken her from her home town of Porto, Geneva, Paris, London, Hong Kong and now Copenhagen. When asked how she moved around so much, she said it was in two ways. First was through head-hunters and second through recommendations. So that means networking and staying open to opportunities. We talked about leadership and to her it’s about being authentic, having a learning mindset and shining the spotlight on your team. The one learning that she has to part to us is 'trust yourself', you know yourself better than anyone else. And at the end she shares that her inspirations are her nieces, Polar Preet and Courtney Dauwalter.
On this episode we hear from Bettina. Her first career was in advertising, second as a mother and third as a chef. She married and had children very young and what I admired about her own reflections on this time is how she grew as a person and built a family. She became a chef because culinary was her first passion, but being an Asian kid, she was not allowed to follow her passion at the time. With the support of her husband, another 'hospitality husband' she found the opportunity to study in culinary school in Singapore. Whilst she was trained in the classic French style, she was also taught the Asian cooking techniques, which she believes gave her an advantage. She shares an amazing story of a time she went to New York and knocked on Daniel Boulud's kitchen doors and asked for a couple of days of work experience. She describes this as a pivotal moment for her that changed her world. Today she is the Executive Chef at the Sofitel in Manila. She shares with us the joy she is experiencing today to be able to spend time with her kids as adults, going out, borrowing clothes and it is because she had her kids young. And as she reflects on her journey on this podcast, she shares that there is not a single thing that she would change.
On this episode we hear form Bianca. Whilst she was not traditionally academic, she loved talking to people and that made her a great candidate for hospitality. Her career in the industry started as a door girl at a night club in Brisbane and has taken her to Sydney, London and back. Her early career developed into a pattern of opening venues across various locations. Her second career has led her to recruitment and talent management. One difference she pointed out of people working in hospitality in Sydney vs London, was that in London it was a long-term career, not something one does just part time through uni. She shared the challenges that she faced being a woman in a male dominated hospitality industry was 'using her voice' and battling imposter syndrome. In terms of her own leadership style, I love how she describes as leading with compassion and bringing people up with you. It was after having children, she had to refocus her career which then drew her to recruitment, and which ended up being everything that she loved in terms of building teams and finding great talent. Also, we have another great example of hospitality husband who encouraged her to take the lead in her career.
On this episode we hear from Sherry. She starts her story by sharing that she grew up on a farm in Iowa and how inspired she was by her mother who started a catering business on the side. She started her career in hotels working in the corporate office of Hilton and Intercontinental. Then went on to start a business intelligence company with her husband, which they have just sold 29 years later. Now she is advocating to encourage more women into STEM. A theme that you will hear throughout her story is the people she met and the friends that she made around the world that kept her in hospitality. And now with a group of friends they make an annual trip together. She shares with us what motivated her to start her own business, and how the company evolved over the years and what strategy they applied. Growing the business globally and running a business with your partner. For her own career growths, she calls out some of the women who have supported her growth and sometimes they created roles together. One thing that she hopes for women to do is to acknowledge their accomplishments, and I could not agree more.
On this episode we hear from Marion. Fourth generation hotelier, hospitality was in her veins but initially she thought it was too easy to follow the family. During her studies her first internship ended up being in hospitality and went on to becoming a full-time role in London after graduating. And she shares how she was able to progress her career from executive in marketing to being part of the commercial team. She has now been a part of the Mr&Mrs Smith for the past 8 years and to her it’s like family. She shares that to progress your career is to take risks, put yourself out there and know your values. More recently she created her own new department and talks about the experience in putting this together, supported by the inspiring female leaders and peers of the organisation. And this new opportunity would not have been possible if she had not spoken up and shared her passions. She shares how trust comes hand in hand with empowering your teams. When it comes to leadership she draws on two strengths - empathy and self-reflection. Thank you for putting yourself outside of your comfort zone and sharing your story with us all.
On this episode we hear from Gemma. Editor and director of Content Inc, providing a range of content and communication solutions to the travel and hospitality industry. She happens to be a fitness instructor, which has come in handy when she needs to motivate an audience at a conference. Also, a mum of two, which she says is her most difficult and rewarding job. She tells us of her journey brining publications like Arabian Travel News and Hotelier Middle East to life. In this role she got to know so many people in the industry, and they are the ones who helped her fall in love with the industry. She went freelance when she had her kids and transitioned into communications for the hotel companies she had been interviewing in the past. When I asked her how she got started in the world of media, it was because she was a good at writing. One of her earlier jobs during her media career was being a fake contestant on the show 'Play your cards right.' Skills that she picked up during her time in media, like shorthand, still come to use today, although can sometimes be confused for Arabic. Her time in journalism once helped jail a prisoner because of the investigative report she wrote in a local newspaper. Her father used to say to her, always meet someone once because you don’t know what might come of it, is one of the many tips that Gemma has on networking.
On this episode we hear from Jenn. My second guest from the short term rental space and she tells us of her experience coming into hospitality. She is focused on helping owners in this space to get direct bookings rather than relying on the large online travel agents. Her father was a hotel manager, so her first work experiences was in hotels and she learnt first-hand how hard the work can be, but she did like the sales and marketing side of things. So, she went into publishing in London after graduating from university and at one point was working at British Vogue. Her first foray into short term rental was putting a flat in France on Airbnb. It was through the chalet she had in Austria is where she leant into her previous marketing skills to build a brand and get direct bookings. Some of the key things she shares to attract direct booking are - start with a website and then comes the marketing (social, email, content etc). Her motivation for starting her own business has a lot to do with being a role model for her daughter and showing that you can do anything. In fact, she says that some of the changes that are coming into the short term rental space are being led by young women. She wants women to believe that you can be the CEO of your business and she is using her voice to lift them up.
On this episode we hear from Haley. Originally from the UK, she went on holiday to South Africa and fell in love and found her way back and has now been there for 15 years. She now lives in Kruger National Park, as part of the management team of a five star luxury lodge and that is only one of her jobs. She is also founder of Wild Dreams which focuses on recruiting and consulting for tourism and hospitality. And she is the COO of Vegan Hospitality. In her 'free' time she is rehabilitating animals, which has been a big part of her journey. Some of her key learnings that she has shared is around knowing your purpose, use hospitality to live the life you want and recognise all the transferable skills you can gain from this industry. She also talks about how a job should make you feel and aligning it with your values.
On this episode we hear from Anita. I have admired Anita for many years and so I am honoured to be able to share her story with you all today. Thank you, Debbie, for the introduction. Like me, she was raised in an environment where she viewed the world without boundaries, not just geographically but also socially, culturally, and economically. She started her corporate career within FMCG and then she started her own firm 22 years ago in tourism and development. Throughout our conversation we bonded on our shared experiences as Asian daughters growing up in different countries, that is not our own and learning to be adaptable and respectful. She shares with us her experiences during covid, which then inspired her to write the book 'The Call to Leadership: Unlocking the Leader Within in Times of Crisis' about the leaders that stepped up. She wanted to write this book to recognise and acknowledge those leaders and ensure they do not get forgotten. She shares one of the things she learnt from writing this book is that everyone is human. I am in complete alignment for her vision of gender balance, and she is one of the first persons who understood the double entendre of Inspiring Women.
https://thecalltoleadership.com
https://anitamendiratta.com
On this episode we hear from Sue. With a passion for hospitality, during her career she at one point spent 29 years with Marriott. She then moved over to the convention centre industry where she applied her hospitality experience. And then she went onto start her own business consulting with hospitality professionals to help modernise, streamline, identify more streams of revenue and improve the guest experience. She has an employee first approach, which I can get on board with. Take care of your staff first, and they will deliver a great customer experience. She shares that by stepping up and working at a higher level, allowed her to be viewed as a leader, at a time was a mostly male dominated environment. There were also moments in her career that she did not always grow vertically, she also chose strategic horizontal moves. She has a wealth of knowledge to share from her experience and would love to connect with other female leaders in the industry, please do not hesitate to reach out to her.
On this episode we hear from Tamina. She came into hospitality because she needed money. She stayed because it also allowed her to travel and have a freelance career on the side. She left university to work on a project that converted old military bases into resorts. She has spent time in Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, and the US, as she says herself, she got around a lot. She spent a lot of time travelling solo, which she loves as she gets to meet great people this way. Throughout her career, she was freelancing as web designer, marketer, and several other skills. She put all of this to use when she decided to start her own business in tech to implement AI in hotels. With her knowledge of the hospitality industry and experience with AI, she built a service that aims to help hoteliers work through problems, like automating mundane tasks for employees.
On this episode we hear from Caitlin. Fourth generation hotelier, which is all we need to know about why she is in hospitality. Her first experience in hotels was the Steigenberger in Dusseldorf followed by an internship with the Starwood North American Operations. She then went to work at Montage a luxury hotel company which she got by calling everyone she knew at the organisation to pitch herself to get a job there. She had a great mentor when she started out there and allowed her to learn and flourish. She then decided in order to advance her career towards development she needed to educate herself on real estate and finance and decided to go to business school. A thread that she identified in her career is around, impact, loyalty passion and good people who are invested in your career. She found this again at McKinsey, the firm she joined after business school and who taught her how to think. She was later approached by Champagne Hospitality in a strategy role, and she found her way back to hotels. She shares with us her views on mentorship, which is a two-way street and great tips on how to maximise the relationship.
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