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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023 

This  International Women's Day, more than ever, there's a strong call-to-action to raise awareness against bias and to take action for equality. IWD 2023's theme is #EmbraceEquity, as 'Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have'. The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.  www.internationalwomensday.com

With this year's theme in mind, The Luxury Travel Bible is celebrating some of our favourite women from the world of Luxury Travel. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, these brilliant women are at the forefront of the travel industry and are leading experts, forces and voices in the world of luxury travel.  Here is how they are promoting equal opportunities not only within their own hotels and groups but also in the industry as a whole.

Clare de la Poer Beresford, Founder, Escape to Hidden Chic


How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
At Escape to Hidden Chic, we treat everyone equally regardless of gender thus ensuring we offer equal opportunities for all.
Who has inspired you to become who you are today?
First and foremost, my family has always inspired me. My other source of inspiration are pioneers in eco travel. One example is Jose Koechlin, the owner of Inkaterra, who I met when I was in my 20s. I was fascinated by his approach to travel and sustainability and his dedication to eco-tourism was admirable – he is a true inspiration.

Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry? 
Absolutely, why would we not give women credit for their innovative ideas and approach? We should not take this away because of gender differences and, instead, should empower women for their creativity and successes.
When do you think we will we get beyond gender?  
Hopefully never. We should focus on celebrating genders and not denying them. 

www.escape-to-hiddenchic.com

 Jamila Nsouli, Executive Assistant Manager at FCC Angkor by Avani  
How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
By supporting and building a working environment where women can thrive and rise.
Who has inspired you to become who you are today?
Life and work mentors of all genders who believe & support in self-empowerment.
Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry? 
I believe that celebrating women’s achievements supports the encouragement of women to rise in the workplace especially in our region where traditions and culture affecting women’s role still play a big part in the society,

When do you think we will we get beyond gender? 
When gender diversity gets normalized in the workplace and transformational leadership skills are recognized and celebrated (in the workplace). 

www.avanihotels.com

 Chidchanok Pasinpong, General Manager at Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok 

How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
By doing my job well, showing resilience and perseverance through challenging times, then I believe it would be evident to the team, both male and female that there will be equal opportunities at all levels. The works speak for itself.
Who has inspired you to become who you are today?
All my previous superiors, be it the GMs or DOFBs, have inspired me in different ways, to grow and become who I am today.

 

Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry?
For this question, allow me to repeat what I’ve answered previously.
At these days and age, I do not think the highlight is needed. My strong belief of having more women and female leaders in the hospitality workplace is part of a bigger picture wish for more diversity, which goes beyond gender. The best team, in my opinion, is made up of a vibrant mix of people – of different backgrounds, different upbringings, different beliefs, different ways of thinking - bringing all their different experiences and perspectives to work towards a common goal.

www.avanihotels.com

Kalindi Juneja, CEO of PoB Hotels
How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
At PoB Hotels we are an all-female team. Whilst this wasn’t by design, we are proud to have a dedicated team of women at different stages of their career with us. We are trying to create an environment that allows for flexibility which is certainly a big concern for women in hospitality. We highlight our female leaders, who are role models and can encourage other women to join our fabulous industry.
Who has inspired you to become who you are today?
I have always been inspired by my parents who made me believe I can achieve anything I want if I put my mind to it. 
There weren’t many female role models for me in my early career but I am in awe of and respect so many incredible leaders at PoB Hotels. Geraldine Milsom from Talbooth Hotel, Sue William’s of Whatley Manor, Rohaise Rose-Bristow of Torridon, Veryan Palmer at The Headland to name but a few…

Do we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “People” in the hospitality industry? 
The overall gender division in our industry is relatively even, but women are still underrepresenting in executive teams and boards. There is still a clear gap between employees and managerial positions. Recent reports show that more female executive committee members reside in HR, giving a false view on the sector’s progress on gender diversity and the talent pipeline for CEO and top leadership roles. So yes, we still need to highlight women, show role models who are relatable and work on changing this imbalance.
When will we get beyond gender?
We will go beyond gender when we make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality. If we don’t take action, we will not create the next generation of women leaders
.

www.pobhotels.com

Lisa Brooklyn-Fuhres, Director of Operations at Sutton Hotel Collection

How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry? 
I don’t believe being a woman should be a barrier – in any industry - if you work  hard and have ambition you should succeed. I think there is a huge underutilised talent bank of women who have left work to raise families and are, unfortunately, not afforded the opportunity to come back to work as they may need more flexibility.  I don’t think this situation is just unique to the hospitality sector but across the board and it is something that we need to sort and give them women opportunity and flexibility needed. At SHC we are incredibly flexible with our teams and mums to give them the opportunity to come back to work.

Who has inspired you to become who you are today? 
My dad firstly - he always said you can achieve what ever you want, but you have to work hard and commit and then my first female GM - Robyn Leftwich, another who said you can do it, just work hard.
Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry?  
I do not believe we should have to highlight women as opposed to people. Of course, you still hear stories of possible gender bias but I am fortunate that I have never experienced an issue based on my gender - I worked for Firmdale for 18 years and now with the Sutton Hotel Collection where everyone is treated fairly.  Any other way and I also would not tolerate it.  I have always recruited based on the best person for the job and that should be the only basis. 

www.suttonhotelcollection.com
 Khun Naowarat Arunkong (Bee), Cluster General Manager, Avani+ Hua Hin Resort 
How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
I need to act as a role model and show that I am happy with my work and my achievements, both in my professional and personal life. I hope this will inspire people to feel that they can be successful in this industry, whether male or female. At the same time, as a leader I also coach and treat everyone equally, which I hope helps them to exceed in their career.
Who has inspired you to become who you are today? 
When I was young, my mum had her own grocery store and I helped her after school, preparing and selling food. This was to train me to become a responsible person and to prepare me for the future. I learnt many skills, including time management, creativity and a passion for sales.

Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry?
To me whether you are a man or woman doesn’t matter, as in every career people will look at what you do, your performance and how you inspire people. In the past we have had a smaller female team in the hospitality space, especially at management level, therefore our aim has been to inspire women to join. However, I also believe women have an advantage in having an eye for detail as well as empathy and compassion.
When do you think we will we get beyond gender? 
Once we see gender equality. I do think that we are on the right track, and I’m so happy to see many more female GMs in the industry.

www.avanihotels.com

 Eljesa Saciri, General Manager, The Zetter Townhouse, Marylebone 
How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
I devote time in supporting, guiding, and mentoring women within the industry who are looking to further their careers. Both professionally, and personally, it is paramount for me to be part of the bigger change within hospitality. This is inclusive of bot not limited to promoting from within when possible, and consciously creating and executing development plans for those within our business with the aspiration to grow further. I am proud to say that, here, at The Zetter Hotel group, our senior leadership team consists of a 40% female force, which is still uncommon.

Who has inspired you to become who you are today?
Inspirations are endless, starting with my own mother, who volunteered some truly profound life lessons. 
Since, there have been many inspirational individuals I have had the luxury of coming across, professionally, this includes women like Anna Sebastian, Hannah-Sharman Cox and Siobhan Payne and the ground-breaking work they have done in the industry, to women like my very own mentor, who is a powerhouse in her own right. It would be wrong of me to claim that my inspiration draws solely from women, as there are people, men inclusive, who support, guide and are allies to those of us breaking the rules and building legacies within the industry. 
Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry? 
For as long as there is inequality in the industry, it is crucial that we continue to highlight, and work on diminishing these challenges. Whilst things have been positively evolving over the years, it is imperative that we continue to strive for progress. This means everyone needs to partake in challenging status quo. The only way change can be made is by paving the way for a better industry over all and not being complacent. 
It is still concerning that there are not enough female role models in positions of Chairperson or CEO, and More female Executive Committee members reside in HR rather than Commercial or Finance, giving a false view on the sector’s progress on gender diversity and the talent pipeline for CEO and top leadership roles which is likely to give a distorted view that certain positions are linked to personality and soft skills, whereas experience and decisiveness is still seen as more of masculine qualities.
When do you think we will we get beyond gender?
There must be huge development to reach a point where we deem that we have reached a level of equality whereby gender is no longer relevant. For as long as pay gaps continue to exist alongside unequal opportunities, it is a collective duty of all of us in the industry to move away from things that were once deemed ‘normal’. Celebrating women, within the industry, is merely a steppingstone in doing so, as well as inspiring those who are considering becoming part of the next generation of hospitality.

www.thezetter.com
 Jill Chalmers, Managing Director, Glenapp Castle 

How are you encouraging women to rise within the hospitality industry?
There is a wonderful spread of successful women across the hotel and hospitality industry with inspiring stories and it’s wonderful to see so many female, and male, rising stars. Personally, I encourage young men as much as young women to be the best they can be, to work hard and have passion about our industry, supporting across all areas of their careers as needed. I mentor some young rising stars within the industry, who bizarrely happen to be female, but there was no intention with this.

Who has inspired you to become who you are today? 
I sat next to English Hotelier, Alex Polizzi at a dinner in Edinburgh many, many years ago, and their family stories and the building of their brand inspired me.  In the early part of my career,  I attended many hotel courses run by Derek Taylor, an inspirational commercial hotel leader.   
Do you think we still have to highlight ‘women’, as opposed to “people” in the hospitality industry?  
Hospitality has always been an industry with a strong representation of women across all areas of the business, from chefs to front of house, back of house and management.  Personally, I don’t think we need to highlight ‘women’ as opposed to ‘people’. 
When do you think we will we get beyond gender?  
Collectively we can all do more to help create a fairer world and promote equal rights between genders – we are moving in the right direction, but we still need International Women’s Day to celebrate the achievements of women in our industry and to inspire the younger female generation to join the industry. However, whether it is a male or female employee, recognition should be given on the quality of their job, not their gender!

www.glenappcastle.com

 

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Posted 8/3/2023

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