konnexionen = connections

People inspire People. People make up a business. People have skills to do a job. People make decisions. People form a bond needed for teamwork. People provide a service. People build a product. People design and innovate. People sell and connect to clients. People form a company culture. People live by a set of values. People are likely to be motivated and driven by a higher purpose. People learn from one another…. This list is endless. The success of any organization is driven by its people. Thus having the ability to build connections between and with people is the key to successful collaboration and leadership. Being a leader that people want to follow, are leaders that inspire, demonstrate empathy, trust, care and respect. And this is only possible by investing in emotional intelligence, the ability to build interpersonal bridges and creating sincere connections. Emotional intelligence drives the quality of relationships.

konnexionen means connections. konnexionen is a testimony of my personal beliefs and values working in Human Resources. And I am driven and led by my purpose to facilitate and foster human connections.

Aligned to this, I have also initiated „she interviews“ – a project supporting women in leadership. A place where successful female leaders share their career story as a source of inspiration and encouragement for others to follow in their footsteps. And I strive to facilitate the connections among women to support their advancement, their growth aspirations and overall to support gender equality.

Katrin Melle, Regional Vice President Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Talent at Hyatt EAME/South West Asia Certified Genos International Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, Certified Coach by QRC

(personal website)

about me

Honored, that today I lead the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Talent function in the EAME/SWA Region for Hyatt.

Before my current role I worked as an independent consultant and Leadership Coach and prior to that I was CHRO at AMAN and Regional Vice President HR Europe for Hyatt, My specialization lies in talent management, leadership and communication training, diversity and inclusion and generally people development support. As well as hospitality industry HR expertise and hotel pre-opening experience.

My passion lies in my ability to connect to people, to build bridges, communicate effectively and demonstrate strong influencing skills. I hold myself true to being an empathetic leader, a leader that aspires to demonstrate and to further develop a high level of Emotional Intelligence. I am forever grateful to the many mentors and leaders I had the pleasure to work with and who shaped me who I am today.

As a Certified Genos International Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, I have a specialization on delivering development workshop on emotional intelligence.

I hold a coaching qualification certified by QRC (Qualitätsring Coaching und Beratung e.V.)

women & leadership

And I have always been passionate about inclusion and diversity and have driven a variety of activities to support women in their leadership aspirations. I personally act as a mentor and coach for emerging female leaders. To continue to build on this, I have formed a network of inspirational and successful female leaders who share insights of their professional life. Stories as a resource of encouragement and learning.

women & leadership

Throughout my career I have met many inspiring female leaders and I have always admired successful women in the workplace. Over the course of my professional life, I have found asking myself numerous times if the so often quoted „glass ceiling“ still exists?

In terms of women in labor force, or women in management, the workforce is not a reflection of society. As per this report published by the UN, women only hold 27.8% of the positions in management, and advancing women into leadership is a recent recommendation by the WEF to support closing the gender gap, that has again increased as a result of the pandemic.

Of course I have come to learn that there is no single, one answer to what the „glass ceiling“ is, yet I was looking for an area where I can personally contribute and influence to break it in some places. As much as the number of female leaders has increased, we still have a way to go and it is my personal aspiration to assist women reach their personal career ambitions and inspire women to consider a leadership career.

The more women are in leadership roles the better it is to increase the number of female leaders. Role models play a huge role in encouraging others.

In previous HR roles and my current role as Regional Vice President DEI & Talent at Hyatt in EAMESWA, I actively facilitate women networking circles, have developed and manage a mentorship program for women and generally actively promote networking among women to support their career advancement. Creating connections and building relationships can directly influence and inspire someone to consider a leadership career. Learning from one another, following advice and believing in the power mentoring, I facilitate connections between women.

Supporting this objective, I have initiated the

„she interviews“

series. A collection of interviews with successful female leaders and entrepreneurs who share insights into their career and professional past and future goals. These women are all role models, all with different paths, different approaches and different personal circumstances. But they are united by a common purpose – assisting women to consider a leadership career and encourage them to fulfill their professional ambitions. Read their inspiring and encouraging stories.

Interested to connect? Find our:

„she interviews & connect with her“ group on LinkedIn.

Hope to see you there!