< PreviousCareers hoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 20 Day in the Life Life's a Beach Cove Beach general manager Marta Sayalero takes us through her day 10.30 am I enjoy outdoor activities as they give me an energy boost to arrive energised at work. I either practise water sports, such as wakeboarding or kitesurfi ng; or do a 30-minute workout at the pool. 10.00 am I enjoy a little sleep-in as I work late at the venue each evening, wake up and catch up on my urgent emails and agenda for the day while having my tea on my terrace overlooking the sea. This environment tends to give me a relaxed and pleasant feeling to start the day. Careers 21 January 2020 hoteliermiddleast.com 14:00 pm I spend a few hours monitoring venue operations, speaking to guests, documenting feedback and supporting the team with daily procedures. 11.30 am Breakfast time – I have a quick bite (normally avocado toast), take a shower and choose my outfi t. I am a fashion lover and like expressing my personality through my clothing. 16:00 pm Lunch time – I generally work through my lunch break, but also try to read the news, check our social media reviews or plan my next trip (I love travelling and discovering new cultures, gastronomy and paradisiacal beaches). 12.30 pm I arrive at the venue and fi rst thing I do is a walk-around to check that everything is running smoothly, and everything is set according to the venue standards. I check the bookings for the day before going over the rest of my emails whilst enjoying an açai bowl or a fruit smoothie. 17:00 pm We have our ops and owner meeting where we analyse the market, worldwide brand expansion plans, trends, and evaluate the rest of our outlets. 18:00 pm Time for weekly supplier, marketing and entertainment meetings. We pride ourselves on being a lifestyle destination, not just a brand, so work with all parties to continuously evolve our offering. 20:00 pm I jump back into operations and oversee the set up for the evening which includes an array of lively events and activations. They span everything from chilled-out unplugged live sessions, salsa and bachata classes and house- music parties. 21:00 pm I spend my last hours going between the restaurant, where we offer Provençal cuisine, and the lounge, making sure our high service levels never falter. I also spend time visiting and checking on our regular guests. 22:30 pm Home time – I usually fi nish for the day around this time and leave the venue to enjoy dinner with friends in new and trendy restaurants in Dubai (I’m a foodie and enjoy new culinary experiences), going to see a fi lm, or heading straight home to take a relaxing bath. 12:30 am Time to end my day watching a movie in bed or reading a book before I go to sleep. 13.30 pm The management team have a catch- up to go through the weekly agenda and any special venue requirements. We discuss numbers and fi gures, give guidelines and target strategies and brainstorm any venue improvements so we can continue to exceed expectations. Women in Hospitality hoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 22Women in Hospitality 23 January 2020 hoteliermiddleast.com The hospitality industry has made great strides towards diversity and inclusion in recent years but it’s safe to say that that there’s still some way to go before gender parity is achieved. With this in mind, several properties and hospitality groups have introduced initiatives aimed at readdressing the balance of men and women in leadership positions. Female Leadership Initiative (FLI) and around the globe we have similar platforms which provide different support mechanisms for women. IHG has implemented RISE, a career development initiative created to ensure high-potential female leaders are given the support they need. Six years after the creation of WAAG (Women At AccorHotels Generation), AccorHotels is giving fresh impetus to its international network promoting diversity, which already has more than 14,000 members globally, with the launch of “RiiSE”. Taj Hotels has a gender balance requirement per operating region, with the aim to be in line with or ahead of regional norms. The hospitality group has also implemented a POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee at every hotel and at corporate offi ce level, which also includes a neutral external consultant to address cases of sexual harassment at the workplace. In order to benefit women in their career development, Hyatt has introduced part-time positions for leadership executives and the Global Family Assistance Policy, providing paid time off for family bonding and adoption assistance. Hilton also signalled its commitment to providing equal opportunities for women by signing the CEO Statement of Support for the Women's Empowerment Principles in 2014. The Principles are the result of collaboration between the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the United Nations Global Compact and offer guidance on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The group’s Executive Committee Diversity Networking Program places additional focus in promoting female leadership. Every member of the executive committee participates as a mentor in the programme, and more than 75% of the mentees in the program are women. The Women in Hospitality list was launched last year to celebrate the women leading the way across various sectors in regional the regional hospitality industry. This year, we received an overwhelming number of entries, making the selection process an unenviable one. Quantitative criteria such as the number of years spent working in hospitality were taken into account as well as qualitative considerations including actions taken to move the industry forward. Read on to see who made list.hoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 24 The fi rst female general manager for Marriott in the Middle East in 2001, Elaine Watson has had a diverse career, working across several of the hospitality group‘s brands. As well as the UAE, She has held assignments in Egypt and South Africa and, in 2008, won the Hotelier Middle East award for General Manager of the Year. She says: “I have always been a pioneer and happy to tread the unexplored paths and enjoy challenging assignments whether that be establishing new brands or working in new locations. I would like to think that I paved the way for some of my sisters to follow.” Her greatest professional accomplishment to date was being able to transfer from the fi nance sector as a qualifi ed ACCA into an operational role which is where her passion lies. Talking about the keys to her success as a leader, Watson says: “Business acumen of all managers is critical. This has been a huge focus since my arrival as it is vital that each and every team member realises the positive impact they can have on the business regardless of role. Mentoring team members to grow their careers is something that I enjoy and I love to see people grow th++eir careers and live their dreams.” The three hotels (Aloft Me'aisam, Element Me'aisam and Aloft Dubai South) that she currently manages are continuing to develop their presence both in the larger UAE market and within their respective neighbourhoods. Watson and her team are on a continuous journey to increase revenue and improve effi ciencies and consistency in operations to ensure maximum returns for all stakeholders. ELAINE WATSON CLUSTER GENERAL MANAGER MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL 1 YEAR IN ROLE 30 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 18 YEARS IN THE REGION 30 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAME25 January 2020 hoteliermiddleast.com Having spent close to 30 years in a managerial role Feryal Haddon has had a hand in developing a signifi cant number of hospitality industry leaders. Along with achieving signifi cant savings through the effective cost management of payroll and staff accommodation, Haddon has a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) certifi cation and during her tenure, she has improved the cluster's on-boarding process by adopting a bottom up approach to new arrival surveys. Haddon says: “Looking after close to 1,000 team members directly is a considerable responsibility. My aim is to create and maintain a positive culture within the organisation.” Sahiti Gaddam brings a wealth of experience from within the luxury hospitality industry, having worked at leading hotels in Dubai for more than 25 years. Her greatest sense of professional achievement comes from seeing former colleagues she has recruited and mentored grow into leaders. She says: “Every promotion and accolade they receive makes me immensely proud of the journey they have traversed.” Gaddam helped establish the Taj brand in the region within the luxury segment, and led the commercial drive of the hotel to achieve a marketing leading position within its peer set of competitor hotels despite not having large support structures at regional or cluster levels regionally. Feryal Haddon CLUSTER DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES HILTON DUBAI JUMEIRAH AND HILTON DUBAI THE WALK AND HILTON DUBAI THE WALK Sahiti Gaddam HEAD - SALES AND MARKETING, DUBAI & DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING TAJ DUBAI INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LIMITED NUMBERS GAME 11 YEARS IN THE ROLE 19 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 19 YEARS IN THE REGION 31 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY 5 YEARS IN THE ROLE 5 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 25 YEARS IN THE REGION 25 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAMEhoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 26 Becoming a department head when she was 24 years old motivated Tatjana Ahmed tremendously and she says that helping people grow and seeing them develop further outweighs many other accomplishments. Since starting at Grand Hyatt Dubai, Ahmed has increased productivity by 60% for the room attendants by introducing new work processes and changing work equipment, which is an additional increase of 10% from last year. Manpower in public areas has been reduced by 30% and Ahmed and her team were able to cut down on 50% OE expenses in 2019. Ahmed is a strong advocate for the use of new technology and environmentally friendly products and systems in housekeeping departments. Sarah Walker Kerr arrived in the region in 1998 but this year has been a pinnacle year for her. She says: "I am very proud to be one of the fi ve founding members of the FLI programme. We launched this to foster a confi dent and successful community of female leaders in Marriott International in the Middle East & Africa." The pilot scheme was launched in the UAE and next they are looking to move to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Walker Kerr continues: "At Marriott, we have a real focus on diversity and inclusion. Even looking at my own team we have a myriad of backgrounds, which I believe is very benefi cial in bringing different understandings of cultures to the table, who are all united by one purpose." Tatjana Ahmed HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER AND FUNCTIONAL SPECIALIST HOUSEKEEPING GRAND HYATT DUBAI SARAH WALKER KERR NUMBERS GAME 29 YEARS IN THE ROLE 18 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 30 YEARS IN THE REGION 36 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY 3 YEARS IN THE ROLE 8 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 21 YEARS IN THE REGION 29 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAME VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS MEA MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL27 January 2020 hoteliermiddleast.com This year Anne Scott founded FLI – The Female Leadership Initiative across Marriott in Middle East and Africa. The initiative aims to look at easing various issues such as maternity policies, partnerships with companies to support working moms, hosting focus groups, educating male leaders on how to support female growth amongst many tasks. Scott says: "We achieved a positive GOP at W Dubai – The Palm in the fi rst month of operation, which is incredibly diffi cult to achieve in the hospitality industry in Dubai. We also met owner’s expectations by opening the hotel on the third day of operation with 92% occupancy. The aim is to grow awareness and recognition for FLI in MEA and globally by 2022. During her time in the region,Sarah Allen has created a culture of revenue management expertise, where the discipline has been elevated to a discipline that is now core to Marriott's success as a company. Revenue leaders now sit equally at the table with their counterparts across all levels. About her career, she says: "I consider myself a role model and team player – I am passionate about the growth of the team and the company." Allen spearheaded the integration of the legacy Starwood portfolio (the largest integration in the history of the industry) and ensured that colleagues were fully supported both professionally and personally through a signifi cant change in their hotels and their careers. Anne Scott GENERAL MANAGER W DUBAI THE PALM Sarah Allen VICE PRESIDENT REVENUE STRATEGY & ANALYTICS MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL NUMBERS GAME 3 YEARS IN THE ROLE 21 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 3 YEARS IN THE REGION 26 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY 5 YEARS IN THE ROLE 25 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 12 YEARS IN THE REGION 30 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAMEhoteliermiddleast.com January 2020 28 With seven years of regional experience, Emma Banks acts as the vice president, F&B strategy & development, EMEA, Hilton in a region with 500 Hilton hotels. About her role, she says: “F&B at Hilton in EMEA is a nine-fi gure business and I am excited to be leading the charge. I have developed a strategy to take this incredible business that’s rapidly growing – and developing it to ensure it meets the needs of the fast-paced, dynamic F&B sector.” Banks is also proud to be making strides towards gender diversity. In her current role, she has brought in several F&B professionals to Hilton properties, with the aim of being able to “inspire young female leaders”. Byblos Hospitality’s group executive housekeeper Minakshi Pandey has been involved in the pre- opening of fi ve hotels in Dubai, Pandey has worked on several CSR initiatives including one to raise awareness of food waste in hospitality through a social media campaign across the region. She partnered with the UN’s #ShareTheMeal food programme and the same campaign was rolled out across our South East Asia region with other food banks and, as a result 300,000 vulnerable people were given access to meals. Asked about the one piece of advice she would like to give women, she said: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t let a boardroom full of older men intimidate you.” Emma Banks VICE PRESIDENT, F&B STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT, EMEA, HILTON Minakshi Pandey GROUP EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER BYBLOS HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAME 1 YEAR IN THE ROLE 1 YEAR IN THE COMPANY 7 YEARS IN THE REGION 21 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY 16 YEARS IN THE ROLE 1 YEAR IN THE COMPANY 21 YEARS IN THE REGION 18 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAME29 January 2020 hoteliermiddleast.com With 20 years of hospitality experience, Doris Hecht has made a mark. Not only was she the fi rst female GM for Hyatt in the UAE, but Hecht even launched the Women@ParkHyattAbuDhabi group, this is a property-specifi c scaled version of the larger Diversity Business Resource Group women@hyatt, connecting female colleagues around the globe. Both groups promote an inclusive environment that enables women to be their best self and feel fully integrated into the team and company culture. Under her supervision, the hotel’s profi t margins have improved YOY. But what really sets her apart is that she has created an environment where colleagues feel valued, accepted and respected. Doris Hecht GENERAL MANAGER PARK HYATT ABU DHABI HOTEL AND VILLAS 1.5 YEARS IN THE ROLE 16 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 4 YEARS IN THE REGION 20 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY NUMBERS GAME Anne Marie Hannan has been working in the hospitality industry for 20 years and she understands the value of helping women in this fi eld. She says: “We launched the FLI initiative because there is an obvious gap between female and male leadership representation in the region.” Hannan has also been involved in the launch of Tahseen, a leadership training programme to develop local talent within the hospitality industry, into two new markets, with the aim to develop it and grow the applications. She explains: “We want to continue to continue the females on the next leg of their female leadership journey. Continue to diversify the talent pool that is coming into the company.” Anne Marie Hannan VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCES MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA AT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL NUMBERS GAME 3.5 YEARS IN THE ROLE 18 YEARS IN THE COMPANY 10 YEARS IN THE REGION 20 YEARS IN HOSPITALITY Next >