Kategorie: women who lead

Marsha-Ann Donaldson-Brown is Director of Romance for Sandals Resorts International, the Caribbean`s leading all -inclusive resort company. With over three decades of hospitality and tourism she oversees the Destination Wedding program across 18 resorts on 8 islands. Marsha Ann has 2 children and lives in Montego-Bay, Jamaica. Passionate about helping women she initiated “Real Talk with Marsha-Ann” a video interview series as a source of  empowerment and encouragement to other women. She started on Instagram, under @marshaannb and has recently migrated these series to her YouTube channel you find here 

“…..In life you will only get what you go after. I say to all young people, your mission in life must be to stand out, no one sees wall flowers.”

. …. The walls of your house must include integrity, at no point compromise who you are. Another wall includes your voice, activate your voice, you must speak up and speak out;”

Marsha-Ann

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me. I am sure the readers will be very inspired by your story. So, let’s start with What is your current role?

I am Marsha-Ann, Director of Weddings and Romance with Sandals Resorts. My capacity, and having the most enviable title, really encompasses a dynamic team of dream makers, that takes the dreams of couples that get married, and make it a reality. It takes 2 to become one; we weave the tapestry of lives together, making it so blissful, and truly building a gorgeous setting around it.  Whether its firepits, or a ceremony for 2 under the stars, we are the ones with the imagination and fuse this into our nature-oriented settings. Be it the garden, at twilight, at sunrise. It is really blissful, and no day is the same.

That really sounds like a very rewarding job!

Highly rewarding, we are in the fairytale business, we take what each couple dreams of and make it a reality. But this job is not for everybody, emotional intelligence needs to be so high to really understand the couple, to feel what they feel, matching their personality to looks and designs. It’s all about morphing your empathy, to the unique couples’ experiences.

Since when are you in this role?

I started in this role 11 years ago. But my knowledge in weddings predates that.

What was your original professional goal when you started after school?

I was born and raised in Jamaica and then went to college in Florida to obtain my business administration major. I did it because everybody was doing it. Yet I felt I was being tortured; I didn’t like it, but when I did my business marketing class, my entire world opened up. I was so driven, my professor at the time told me I could give the class. When he asked me want I wanted to do, I said I was from Jamaica, and loved hospitality and tourism but you don’t study for that, this just who we are in Jamaica: I switched and studied and felt like I was walking in clouds. When I started my major in hospitality management, I originally wanted to become an Executive Chef. Fast forward, I did my internship, I did it the kitchen, and that’s when it literally “became hot”. Then got exposed into restaurant management. I was with Hilton Corporation as a Management Trainee at the time. Somewhere along the way I switched, because I went to another hotel in Florida and they introduced to being their guest service manager and this role was infused a lot of that with events, since my passion continued to grow and I never looked back. I was promoted swiftly with them. 

I was exposed to an international client base; we catered to what was considered the most high-level clients to include well know celebrities etc. The level of confidentiality needed a team that really catered to this kind of clientele and resort. The hotel was an oasis for the high level clients to decompress. Taking the logistic of the operations, make it seamless, frictionless, dealing with those who were designated to design their experience; this really was a cocoon of trust, and that no media would find this sanctuary.

I worked in the capacity of Guest Services, they saw my grasp and growth for the role and I was promoted to Assistant Manager as the one to also run the facility. And I was still so young. This was the most defining aspect of my professional journey. I never felt that my age mattered.  I was then headhunted into events management to another property.

What do you believe enabled you to do that?

Why do I believe I was headhunted to join another property?  I really do believe that I was raised by my parents with boldness and confidence. In my mind, I never had a limitation by color, class or creed. I was taught to have a mindset of no boundaries and to overlook obstacles. My mindset conditions, to see challenges and determine opportunities. I believe my confidence and my reputation spoke volumes. 

You want to expand more?

We hosted large golf events, corporate events, it was really the place to go for that. And in my involvement, I was observed by the Biltmore Hotel, Florida and afterwards recruited, I could not resist. And this move gave me more depth in my hospitality career. When I was recruited, they took me on to do that – to deal with the who is who, take care of social clients, weddings, high-end social events such as birthdays. This was a very competitive space, where one always wanted to outdo the previous person. Bring on the fireworks and all the fanfare.  The property was built in 1926, a true majestic hotel with tremendous history. The famous Al Capone stayed there, you should see for yourself the beauty, the charm, the nature of the property, absolutely beautiful.

What was your journey from there on?

While working at the Biltmore, I was actually asked to run an event for a colleague; I was told – you know these people they are from Jamaica; and so, I did. When the guests walked in, I detected their accents, I introduced myself, saying that I was from Jamaica. When they asked if I would be interested to move to Jamaica; I was just not ready yet professionally. My response was – if I ever I chose to return to Jamaica, I would only want to work with Gordon “Butch” Stewart at Sandals Resorts. And the gentleman opened his jacket took out his business card, and said “you mean this Sandals?” It was not on the banquet order that Sandals were the guests at this event. Not surprising that my response was a very pregnant pause on my end. 

Incredible! When did your aspiration to work for Sandals start?

In my final year of studies, the Founder of Sandals, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, spoke at a hospitality event; I went up to him (“Butch” Stewart) and introduced myself. I said “one day I want to work with you, remember my face”. And he said to me “our doors are ready”.  In life you will only get what you go after. I say to all young people, your mission in life must be to stand out, no one sees wall flowers.

How did your journey with Sandals then evolve?

I flew to Jamaica and had an interview with, who turned out to be my, all time mentor, David Roper. I received an offer to move back to Jamaica but declined that due to location and not a progressive enough role. A second option at another location worked well for me. I had lived in Florida for 10 years, had great exposure to a wider life; I moved back 1997 and have been there since.

So which career milestones; in retrospect were particularly formative

I really do believe the empowerment that I was afforded at the Doral, to really lead this incredible first class boutique hotel impacted on me in so many ways. The integration of the caliber of clients: this comes back to confidence – I guess how I was raised; I was never star struck, I knew to extend respect and honor to everyone. My sense of purpose was to make them feel special; the leadership of the organization saw that in me, that I was always so composed. They appreciated my conduct and my sense of confidentiality. My strongest quality is my character and integrity.

What was your biggest learning during your career to date?

I was given tasks to do, even if I doubted, I did it afraid. In other words – when I had to do a big job, I never doubted or retreated because it was a big or unknown task. I knew when tasks were beyond my ability, I could ask for help. This was the young vibrant me ready to conquer the world. Further along in my career, the syndrome of doubting my abilities came in, to a certain degree an imposter syndrome. Trying to overachieve when climbing the ladder. Not uncommon in a gender discussion especially when climbing the ladder of success.

Can you share some tips for emerging leadership talents on how to establish yourself as a leader?

I`d like to see this as a house – you must believe in yourself; this is your foundation. The walls of the house must include integrity, at no point compromise who you are, other wall includes your voice, activate your voice, you must speak up and speak out; another wall you must surround yourself with the right people, for example have a mentor, people that are positive and people that push you. A further wall – learning is lifelong. Always be on a quest to learn. Learn from reading, listening, take a course.

What is the biggest value of having a mentor?

It’s about aligning yourself with others that have taken the past steps before you. Instead of you learning you; educate yourself on their experience, they are true leaders; they go the way and can show the way. Mentors share their journey; and can help you find who you are personally and professionally. Women are usually nurturers both at home and nurture a team. It is a paradox, society has put women in an arena; especially when you climb, you must do the same as men; as a result, you should be stoic alongside them; but we as women add so much value through empathy, kindness, compassion, and our effectiveness can be so much greater.

Did you ever have to face any challenges or obstacles because of your gender?

Don’t believe I have had it to such a level that obstacles have held me back. Maybe it has happened, but I was always so confident, perhaps I had obstacles, but I have not taken them in. Now, it is important to note, I have assessed and I would safely say, I have seen opportunities where I could have been appointed to certain positions and I wasn’t or held a seat at the table and I didn’t. 

Did you have any female role models?

The greatest role model has been and still is my Mom. She has always straddled the career, the family, to this day, professionally and personally. I met others but her approach is so significant. She broke barriers and she made me understand the importance of standing out with boldness and confidence and that there was nothing that I couldn’t do. 

And did you have any mentors?

My strongest male mentor is David Roper, who interviewed me when joining Sandals, he stood by my side entire Sandals journey, empowered me, encouraged me in every aspect of the way. He was my best cheerleader. He recently passed and I have made a commitment to keep the torch burning. His impact became so significant that he became godfather to my children, which shows how impactful mentorship can be. 

What is the key to successful leadership or what are characteristics of a good leader in your opinion?

Integrity is key, self-awareness is vital, being visionary, being fair, being respectful, dynamic. And a category – being purpose driven, a fusion of purpose and passion. And I would like to always define a collection of C`s – character, courage, confident, compassionate, communicator, collaborate, embracing community.

In regard to community – too often when women enter the industry, the higher you go, if you are not careful, it will feel lonesome, if you don’t embrace community. Last year taught me a lot, the importance of supporting one another which propelled me to start my video series, Real Talk with Marsha-Ann.   Real Talk with Marsha-Ann is a voice of empowerment, which allows us to form a community of like-minded and heart minded women supporting one another. Together we are always stronger.

How do you balance work / family and outside work?

I don’t know if there is true balance. I believe one has to be highly strategic and establishing priorities; if I had to model a day; we have to take care of ourselves first.  As nurturers, typically we take care of everybody else: but we need to ensure we get our sleep, for example in my case, with rising before everybody else, I’m up at 5 every day and give myself my “me time”. I need devotion time, exercise time, preparation for my day; then I am already out of the way and am available for everybody else. It`s more a matter of prioritizing; a vital part for me was to ensure that my family knew that they were my priority. So, they know that the moment they are up, I am available for them having taken care of myself. I have always preserved some things like sitting together for breakfast, because at the end to the day, my legacy is more than a title at the office, but rather my children. I have always traveled, but navigated that at 7 am, at their time, I ensure to connect from wherever I am when they are getting ready for school. No matter where I am, they always get a call from me to aim to stick to the routine. I have specific alarms set, I always reach out by text or call when they leave school and the same for night time. They should never feel that I am so busy with work I not available for them. When they were younger, I used to prepare envelopes, with a calendar, our rituals like 5 kisses in the palm in their hand as the countdown to my return which they unveiled and used one per day. Another one was envelopes and I had written notes per day to bridge the gap; Or I would take a calendar and add smiley faces. Let’s say 5 days half frown/smile and day of return big smile on it. It’s not a perfect way, but I tried to be creative as a working mom. 

I am a very proud mon, my children are now 21 and 13 and it all comes together. We all have to make it work. 

How do you regain energy?

I am a big nature girl. When the kids where young I often had the “Mom guilt”, today I take “me myself and I” time, I go for an hour swim or a lunch date with myself; I take my time to decompress. Even when we collectively go on a mini vacation, I still do that and for example I make it clear that between 3-5 pm is my nap time; that’s how I unwind; I read a book or listen to a podcast. And my nap on a Sunday is “non-negotiable” What I also do regarding balance, is mentorship talks for schools as my way to give back, I find it very fulfilling.

Lastly, please share with us, what is “Real Talk with Marsha-Ann”?

I came up with this at the height of the pandemic. 2 reasons – one – it was such a heavy time, hopeless for many, I wanted to be a conduit of encouragement; I was already doing messages of encouragement. Mid pandemic, I found it necessary to use my voice in this fashion. The other was a personal mission – I was so used to speaking in public but never did a show live on social. This was foreign to me, and I was afraid. Maybe because I felt being authentic required the face to face connection and doing it LIVE wouldn’t feel real.  I finally did it afraid and did my first LIVE on my social media platform.   I then got more brave, faced my other fear, I threw on my superwomen cape and revealed one secret I was carrying for 12 years and I wanted to talk about publicly, so I could help other women and I chose to share that I had lupus. This was my first time talking about it publicly. I hid it for all the years because I never wanted to seem to not being able to perform; I didn’t want to seem weak but since I spoke about it, I feel I can fly. I liberated myself.   To overcome my fear of going live, I needed to get my feet wet first; my first was my interview with my daughter. Real Talk with Marsha-Ann is all about a community, I have had guest from all over the world.  It is Sundays, the same folks came by and get to know each other.  The first season was 25 episodes. This year I decided to switch and move to YouTube. The mission is really to appeal to high achieving women and my goal is to engage, empower and educate women on topics that can help them to transform their lives to one of purpose, passion, and prosperity.

Thank you so much for your many sources of inspiration, Marsha-Ann!

Kathrin Apitz, General Manager of The Whitby Hotel in New York City

In her position Kathrin leads a team of 150 colleagues, has 86 hotel rooms & suites, The Whitby Bar & Restaurant as well as private events spaces and a state of the art screening room (Dolby Atmos). She has been living in New York City for almost 12 years; and after an exciting journey that took her from Germany, to Switzerland, to France, to the US, to Bermuda, to the UK, and back to the US, she now feels at home in New York (at least for now) Starting her career as a Chef Apprentice, with her first years in the kitchen moving on to Rooms and now General Manager of a leading hotel, read her fascinating career journey.

“…..When applicants ask me what it is that I like the most about my job, I happily share with them that I love the fact that I can give someone a platform to spread their wings and with that a stepping stone to develop their skills across all departments in the hotel….”

“…..Stay true to yourself and love what you do. If you don’t love what you do, then find your true passion and move on. If you just do a job for a paycheck, it will not allow you to utilize your full potential. ….”

Kathrin

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me. I am sure the readers will be very inspired by your story. So, let’s start with What is your current role?

I am the General Manager at The Whitby Hotel in New York City; my team and I opened the hotel at the end of February 2017, coming from my previous role as General Manager of the Crosby Street Hotel, sister hotel of the same company, Firmdale Hotels. At the Crosby Street Hotel I was promoted from Assistant GM to GM in 2012. Talking about it now, it’s interesting, that I get asked a lot, what is more challenging – to do an opening as a GM or get promoted into the GM role in the same hotel. Having experienced both, I can now say, both had their challenges. Being promoted from within means working with an existing team where everyone has a certain way of doing things, which gives comfort but also challenged me to apply my own management style to the existing operation and its team. Yet opening and building a new team allows you to start from a clean slate and make your mark.

Originally, I wanted to work in the medical field as a physiotherapist. However, that did not work out and when it came to decide what to do instead, my mom suggested to go into the culinary field, as I always loved spending time with my grandmother in her kitchen cooking and baking; an incredible valuable time. And I liked to “make something” of my own from early on; so, I applied for an apprenticeship as a Chef. Back then the profession of a cook was looked down on (before the culinary world became what it is now) – there was a saying “if you can’t make it in school, you become a cook”. For me this was the opportunity to travel and experience other cultures. I completed my apprenticeship as Chef at the Park Hotel Bilm/ near Hanover and I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t easy; first time away from home, a new environment but I made new friends and enjoyed the combination of vocational school and working at the hotel. 

What happened after you graduated from your apprenticeship?

My Head chef recommended continuing in the culinary field, but I was still not sure if I wanted to be a Head Chef one day or if cooking was what I wanted to in the long run. But I knew it would be hotels, I love working in a hotel; I was hooked by the atmosphere and its people. It just felt right for my outgoing personality. I grew up in East Germany, behind the iron curtain with hardly any travel options and working in hotels gave me this feeling of travel and freedom. So, after my apprenticeship I followed the Head Chefs recommendation and headed south to work at the Fasanerie in Zweibrücken (now Landschloss Fasanerie Zweibrücken) a beautiful historic hotel with a great restaurant. I worked as a Commis Chef; we had a fabulous team, a whole different layout of the kitchen from what I was used to, and I learned so much.

Where did you go from there?

Not long afterwards I knew I wanted to work abroad and had Switzerland on my radar.  I had made friends with a colleague, and we both happened to apply at the same restaurant in Zürich, Blaue Ente and we both ended up working there. The work permit at the time was only granted for 12 months with an option to extend to 18. I loved living in Zürich, in a foreign country, and with Swiss hotel schools being known all over the world. Some of my Swiss colleagues attended hotel schools in Switzerland where they spend six months in school and six months in a hotel anywhere in the world or they take time off to travel and study abroad. One of them spent 3 months in San Francisco and attended language school there to further his English. He inspired me to do the same. Since my contract in Switzerland ended on New Year’s Eve, I decided to take 2 months off and signed up at a language school in Ft Lauderdale/ Florida. My parents were terrified, the only child going away so far. And my father said he would only agree to this if I secured a job to return to; which I did. I had such a great time, a wonderful host family and met amazing people. I really had a travel bug and never lost it, since. For my return I had applied for a job at Restaurant Victorian owned by 1* Micheline Chef Günther Scherrer in Düsseldorf. 

Was this career step a turning point as you returned to Germany? 

Partially. But it was surely a very special time in the sense that it was probably the toughest job I ever had. It was a heavily male dominated kitchen at the time, and on top I was the new kid on the block. It was really tough, immense pressure, working split shifts and very long hours. And to be honest, during the first three months, I thought I was not going to last.

How were you able to overcome this or better deal with this situation?

I knew why I did this. I wanted to have a Michelin Star Restaurant on my resume and that was my driver. When I eventually resigned the Chef, Günther Scherrer said to me «You can’t leave now”. Which showed me how much I fought myself through and how he appreciated what I did and how I worked. I told him I was going to England and his response was “What do you want to do there; they don’t know how to cook”. That was too funny. So, I left and went to England to work as a Demi Chef de Partie, at Gravetye Manor, Relais & Chateaux. And this became real turning point.

Why?

My General Manager and owner became my mentor, even though I was only there for 6 months. When I went to see him to tell him that I applied to go to Hotel Management School in Heidelberg, he congratulated me and said he was sad to see me leave. What made this special and key for me until today, was when I left, he asked me to keep in touch and to send a postcard once in a while to let him know where in the world I was working; and should I ever need a letter of recommendation or help with a job anywhere, he would happily assist. I really wanted to further my career and wanted higher education, even though I was still not clear what I wanted to do in the hospitality world. Applying to Hotelschool in Heidelberg and getting accepted for the fall in 1999, was the start of the next chapter. After the first year, I spent the summer break working in France/ Brittany. I had a summer job in the restaurant kitchen of a beautiful Relais & Chateaux Hotel, Domaine de Rochevilaine. It was a great experience; came back from there and completed my second and final year at Hotelschool; graduated with a Bachelor degree. My mentor had helped me to get that summer job.

Through the inspiration from a Swiss colleague at the time, I then wanted to go back to the US. I reached out to this former GM to seek for help on how to apply for a work visa. And in August 2000 I was on my way to California. I started as a Management Trainee at Auberge du Soleil in the gorgeous Napa Valley. I had never been to California before, worked on a J1 Visa and gained work experiences outside the kitchen at Front Office, Room Reservations, and Concierge as well as switch board. My J1 visa was about to expire and after 18 months, it was time for a new adventure. It was impossible to get another J1 visa at the time right after 9/11. I wasn’t really ready to leave the US but since I could not stay, I asked myself where I could possible go that was close and I picked up the Relais & Chateaux catalogue and found out that R&C had hotels in Bermuda. And again, with some assistance, obtained a visa and worked for Horizons Ltd, which had 3 hotels on the island at the time (Waterloo House, Coral Beach & Tennis Club and Horizons & Cottages).

What was your biggest learning during that time?

Mainly to come and work on an island. This is a totally different experience; island mode – everything is a bit slower; everything you need is either shipped or flown in because nothing is produced on the island. Here I also had my first experience with a hurricane (Hurricane Fabien category 4). I was the Assistant Manager for the property, which was a role including Manager on Duty looking after 28 rooms; a property with lush grounds, and a restaurant with a big terrace overlooking the Hamilton harbor. 

I loved living there, made great friends and almost stayed 3 years. Work Permits are restricted to one company only and as a foreigner, you cannot apply for any work while on the island. I felt restricted in that regard, so I decided it was time to go to London next.  I felt this was missing on my resume. I read an article in the travel section of the Sunday Times about a female traveler going to London, and where she would stay, and therefore came across The Soho Hotel and this was how I came to learn about Firmdale Hotels. I accepted a position as Front Office Supervisor at The Soho Hotel; I learned a lot, had many opportunities in a busy city environment and subsequently was promoted to Reception Manager and became part of the opening team of The Haymarket Hotel where I was later promoted to Front Office Manager.

What a journey thus far! What steps did you take then?

After two years at Haymarket Hotel, I wasn’t quite ready yet to go home to Germany. I wanted to see more of the world, wanted to grow and had various application sent out at that time; with one being for the company’s first property outside the UK in Manhattan. I had lived and worked in the US before but only on the West Coast. So the opportunity to move to New York seemed like the right fit. And as they say: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere! When I was asked “Why you?” I replied, “I can pack up my life in 2 suitcases and have lived in the US before”; a few days later I got the offer. I was promoted to Assistant GM after a year and then offered the GM position in the fall of 2012, right after hurricane Sandy had swept over the city. So there it was; my first job as a General Manager of a boutique Hotel; basically a gift to myself while still under 40.

So which career milestones; in retrospect were particularly formative

The first one was joining Firmdale; at the time. Today we have 10 hotels, with 8 female General Managers. And at the time, the VP of Hotel Operations was a woman too. Maybe subconsciously I felt I was given a platform where not everyone was “suited up”, and where you can dress in bold colors for work; a company where my colleagues are very hands on and are true hosts. The second milestone was to move to New York City; there is an amazing energy here that simply grabs you. And lastly, meeting Peter Herbert; the General Manager/ owner I mentioned earlier. He was a classic and true hotelier, who I look up to. He inspired me to also be someone that looks after others that need help.  He was an absolute role model in this regard. And letting others grow is something very important to me today. When applicants ask me what I like the most about my job, I tell them I can give someone a platform where they can spread their wings. And to keep in touch, he said the same, he did not say this lightly, and neither do I. 

Did you every experience and had to deal with any (career) obstacles?

Not really; I never felt a real barrier. Maybe only one instance, where I thought there was a real barrier that frustrated me at the time. I had applied for a FOM role within the company; got declined twice and was told this was a step too soon, which I understood. After a second regret I was a bit crushed and I really started to have doubts. I had to learn that this was more a matter of being the right fit between the hotel and myself. And I had to learn that experience is critical. Relevant life and job experience is important, and not only ones own drive to progress.

Can you give additional Insights into mentors, role models or superiors with special influence?

It was definitely the GM I mentioned. He passed in 2013 and I was not able to tell him that I eventually became a GM. Over the years we sporadically kept in touch and I always kept an eye on Gravetye Manor. He was always so sincere and encouraging. I remember he told me once “a work permit should not hold you back; if you really want to go somewhere”. 

Any female role models?

Yes, I had a wonderful GM at Haymarket Hotel, Lisa Brooklyn. She challenged me in several ways; she taught me that if you (as a leader) don’t lay out your expectations clearly, you can’t get the expected results from your team. I loved working with her; she was very detailed, one of her sayings was “always triple check” And she always knew when to be behind the scenes and when to be on the floor looking after guests.

If any, do you see any differences between men and women in regard to career planning and development; management style?

I believe key is what your true passion is and that is regardless of gender. Originally, I had not seen a difference in career planning. However, I learned at a later stage in my career, when networking with other female leaders, many women had to fight for their position. Looking at my close network of GM friends, most of them are women and some of them still work here in NYC and some of them have moved overseas. I think it comes down to what you bring to the table and how ambitious you are to make it to the top; for example one of my friends is a GM at a Four Season’s Hotel, worldwide they have very few female GM’s. Another friend is the Senior VP of Operations at a privately owned boutique hotel & resort company. 

Why do you think there are more male GM’s then female GMs?

With the job comes a huge responsibility, but I don’t know why not more women aim for the position of General Manager. 

Are you encouraging women “to aim higher” and how are you doing this?

Yes, I am discussing career development with other women in my network. I feel women are sometimes still intimated by the “suited” setting. However, moving forward we will see more women progressing as they will be less afraid or will have gained more self-confidence. I have a few female colleagues who are very talented, and if they want, I will support them to reach their goal.

What is the key to successful leadership or what are characteristics of a good leader in your opinion?

Listen (not easy to learn for some), patience, lead by example, be flexible to adapt to changes, let them (the employees) be, and give them the right tools and install confidence.

Combining work and family life; work life balance theme, what are your thoughts on this?

This is actually a blurry line. As a true host you are always the host, also at home. But you need to be able to disconnect from work. For example, as a start not check emails at a certain time and find other things important, outside work. Me, I walk a lot, I go for sailing practice, work out, and I also have good friends outside the hotel business who I travel with, cook and go to open air music festivals. Especially these friends help me to switch off and enjoy time outside of work. One of my dear friends, who works in the wellness industry reminds me of my own activities of mindfulness, the importance of my morning routine and self-care. A GM job can be 24/7 and if your tank is empty you cannot give. As a GM you have to make sure, you empower your team, let go, and let others do their job; for your own good but most importantly for theirs. If my GM would have constantly checked on me, I would have thought I wasn’t trusted. So again, let them be, and let them get on with their job.

What are your tips for career starters; and emerging leaders on the topic of professional life in general; especially on establishing themselves as managers

Don’t be afraid. And lead from the front not from a desk. Leading by example is key to gain your teams trust. See that you have a 360 vision, with ears and eyes wide open to learn; spend time in all departments; understand what people do on a daily basis! It is constant learning, networking; and learning about how others got to where they are.

Do you have any other insights to share?

Stay true to yourself and enjoy what you do. If you don’t enjoy what you do, simply move on. If you just do it for the paycheck, it will not allow you fulfilling your full potential. I thrive when I hear have given someone an opportunity or have inspired them. I am really grateful for all the experiences, and I never want to lose that travel bug.

Thank you so much Kathrin for sharing your journey. A true inspiration and encouragement to look for and go for opportunities.

Alison Styles, Partner at Maze Hospitality

Through her own hospitality consultancy, Topaz and as a Partner at Maze Hospitality, Alison works in collaboration with companies to develop solid, foundational processes and strategies to grow revenue performance and brand equity. 

Alison’s career in luxury hospitality, technology and airlines, spans Europe, Asia and Australia, with extensive on-the-ground experience in North America, Middle East, Russia and China and includes senior leadership roles with Grace Hotels, Raffles, Fairmont, Mandarin Oriental and The Langham Group.  A dual British/Australian citizen, Alison currently lives in Oxfordshire, UK.

“… when you reflect back in your life, often you will see that those instances that took courage and represented a risk, turned out to the most rewarding. So, don’t underestimate the potential of taking risks…”

Alison

What is your current role?

I am one of the 4 founding Partners of Maze Hospitality, a decision I consciously took after 20 plus years in hospitality in a variety of senior leadership roles.  Maze, a global hospitality advisory company, specializes in asset management, brand equity and project management. In parallel, I also established my own commercial and brand strategy consultancy Topaz, supporting companies that require a level of reinvention and a recalibration of their strategies for improved business performance. 

What was your very first job after school and the overall start into your professional life?

Very first job was as an Au Pair and my first paid job with an organization was as a waitress with Hilton International in Zürich. After college, I could read and write French but could not speak it, thus I wanted to go to the French speaking part of Switzerland. However, the family I worked for lived in Zürich, so I had to switch to German and Swiss German. I loved Switzerland so much, I would have done anything to be able to stay, which was challenging due to work permit restrictions at the time.  This was my segue into hospitality, borne out of love for a country. 

So, you entered hospitality by chance because you wanted to remain in Switzerland? Or did you already know that hospitality could be a professional path?

Unlike some, I did not have a clear career goal other than the desire to travel.   I really did fall into it, into hospitality. Being a waitress, is demanding however it was a lot of fun and I realized I loved the 24/7 operation and therefore knew rather quickly that I wanted to progress further in this industry. 

When you took the decision that hospitality is your fate, did you then have a clear career goal what you wanted to achieve in this industry?

I knew I wanted to move into a management role, and I knew that would be in Sales & Marketing, even though I did not know how to get there. I just knew I wanted to progress into that area and my leaders at Hilton at the time inspired me to do so. I completed two seasons in Zürich and then transferred with Hilton back to the UK as Receptionist in a new property of theirs. Whilst I really enjoyed the fast-paced and dynamic environment of operations, after a short while I was invited to join Sales, which I subsequently realized had a huge impact on my future career direction and set the foundation for future milestones.

Speaking of milestones, what would you say were the milestones that impacted your career afterwards, which ones were particularly formative.

Thinking back, I would say there were 5 key milestones. I left Hilton after 6 years and joined an international airline for a short period of time exposing me to marketing and yield management. Yet, I then for personal reasons moved to Australia where I joined ITT Sheraton (as it was then known) in a regional sales role, then moved into a pre-opening that led to my appointment as Director of Sales & Marketing. A first real milestone as it allowed me to lead a team and have P&L responsibility. This role had a significant influence on my future. 

Second milestone was a move to Jakarta, Indonesia as a pre-opening Director of Sales & Marketing. This milestone was particularly formative being my first expat assignment and first experience leading a diverse and multi-cultural team where I soon realized my western leadership style, would not suit. So, I stopped in my tracks and allowed my team to teach me how to lead them effectively. I can’t underestimate the value of that experience. It was here however; I felt a little discrimination being a female. Not from Sheraton, but from the owner side during a time when women were not typically respected in business.  Whilst it was a difficult time, I realized this was not personal but cultural, so I allowed the numbers to speak on my behalf.

The third milestone was moving back from Indonesia to Australia to take time to reflect, despite being offered opportunities aboard, for example in Russia, Thailand and China. I returned and joined a technology company; this was a tech start up and I worked in Business Development and that led to my first global role as Director of Marketing Communications. At first, I needed to earn respect from a bunch of “techies”, so I emersed myself into wiring and learned how broadband infrastructures were built. So, this was a steep learning curve indeed. 

Next milestone was taking on a global role with the Hong Kong based Langham Group as Vice President Sales, where I was once again part of an emerging brand. This gave me the opportunity to lead global sales teams and take a hands- on approach to develop the brand’s footprint. After almost 6 years in Hong Kong, I became quite sick which was the catalyst to rethink my future in terms of quality of life and soon after, I secured my dream role with Mandarin Oriental as Vice President Sales & Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa, based out of London. Those were my key milestones I would say.

Is there any role that stands out, a role that you are extremely proud of?

I am particularly proud of developing a relatively new market for Mandarin Oriental and that was the Middle East including Saudi Arabia. This required overcoming several obstacles however by working collaboratively and strategically, we grew like for like revenues by over 30% and the region became the most profitable for the group.

Did you ever experience and deal with any (career) obstacles, apart from what you mentioned earlier about your leadership style and how you needed to change that?

Looking back on my career, I have been pretty fortunate, so no, not many. I love a challenge and am not easily deterred however one that does stand out and became a learning experience for me was the ability to find my voice in male dominant environments which often felt like I was swimming against a tide. As you know budget reviews are a stressful time for everyone that participates and two occasions that were particularly difficult, this lack of voice manifested itself into raging sore throats. 

How did you overcome this?

I learned how to improve my influencing skills, and the art of presenting something actually in a more constructive way to engage and create curiosity. It was finding the right tone for my audience and learning how I wanted to be perceived by others. 

In your rich and diverse career, I am sure you had some mentors that guided you. Can you share some insights into mentors, role models or superiors with special influence?

I was very lucky as I had many excellent leaders. Whilst there were no direct mentors, one person stands out. This was back in Australia. Her name is Katie Benson and whilst it was only for a short period of time, she demonstrated a genuine interest in my well-being, which was the key difference. She would encourage you and be truly interested in your career decisions. When I was considering the opportunity in Indonesia, Katie encouraged and believed in my ability to take on this big move. As a leader, she always had my back, she recognized my potential and openly acknowledged my positive contribution the business and you don’t often find that.  It’s interesting that 10 years later, she introduced me to The Langham Group where we worked together once more. 

So, would you say, even if she was not a “formal” mentor, that she was a role model in the way she behaved as a leader?

Yes. Absolutely.

Speaking of leadership, one sometimes hears that men, compared to women, have a different approach to career planning, the path to becoming a leader. Would you agree with this or not?

I do think there is a difference, in the sense that men often demonstrate more confidence in the way they promote themselves, whereas women might hesitate if they don’t match role requirements 100%. Versus “I got this” approach, women can unnecessarily hold themselves back. I don’t want to be too generalist, but I believe there is certainly a degree of this. From a leadership perspective, women are natural born nurturers and we typically invest more time taking a coach and mentor approach. Women are more intuitive and empathetic when it comes to management style and, they get the job done!

So many women I speak to mention this confidence and (not) coming forward issue. Could this be one of the reasons why there are more men in leadership roles?

I know for myself, that I often held myself back and having someone to nudge me would have been helpful.  I attended a networking event recently and during this event we were asked to complete ten sentences that began with “I am remarkable because….”, I, along with the majority of the women really struggled to answer. It was very insightful, so I say, be remarkable, acknowledge and honor who you are and be proud of your achievements. 

What do you think is the key to successful leadership; what are the characteristics of a good leader?

I have been fortunate to work with very culturally diverse teams and proud to have achieved colleague engagement scores that were always higher than the company benchmark. For me the starting point is to understand each individual and to ensure they spend their time focusing in areas that gains the best out of them and supports their career aspirations. This approach kept engagement levels high avoiding unnecessary turnover. Secondly to demonstrate the role each member plays in achieving company financial objectives and highlight how valuable their contribution is. Furthermore, instill a sense of purpose, align teams to the company vision, so everything fits together for them, understanding the journey they and the company are on and allowing mistakes too as long as one learns from that. Create a culture of innovation, encourage team contribution and act with integrity and respect at all times.

An important topic is always ccombining work and family life; work life balance theme. What are your thoughts on this?

I have to laugh, obviously hospitality and startup businesses take an enormous number of hours and involves significant long-haul travel, so my scales were always tipped towards “work”, vs “life”. A lesson that took me a long time to recognize despite friends reminding me and something I later became very much aware of when it came to leading my own teams.  As a Partner of Maze Hospitality and having my own consultancy, plus having recently moved to the country, I believe I have now created the balance that was previously missing. It takes effort, and we often learn it too late.

What are your recommendations/tips for career starters; and emerging leaders on the topic of professional life in general; especially on establishing themselves as managers

First of all, to have self-belief and to visualize yourself in the role you desire, setting an intention. Embrace and accept opportunities and challenges, create a group of like-minded colleagues, build long-term relationships and take networking to another level. Build your profile early on in your career and if you believe in something take the leap. Take the opportunity to experience different sectors to broaden your skill set and help you discover your passion.

I recently came across a poignant poem by Charles Finn “Don’t be fooled by me” it really resonated with me and I recommend reading it.  It’s all about the “imposter syndrome” and in reality, most people experience an element of it at some stage of their career. 

You sometimes come across the sentence “Its lonely at the top”, meaning the higher you get in the career ladder, the lesser women you come across. Have you experienced this?

I can relate a 100%. This is not easy to manage and can be quite isolating. What helps, is to have a go- to- person, someone you can just talk to which is also helpful to keep you in check and in tune

Finally, do you have other insights to share?

Perfectionism is overrated. It took me a long time to realize this. Be comfortable being vulnerable and accept it is OK to allow your team to see that side of you – we are all human after all. And when look back in your life, often you will see that those instances that took courage and represented a risk, turned out to the most rewarding. So, don’t underestimate the potential of taking a risk.

Thank you Alison, for sharing your story. What a career. An encouragement for many!

Searchmetrics is a SaaS Company that provides Software, Consulting and Solutions in Search, Content and SEO to simplify Digital Commerce for Marketers. Britta has 2 children and lives in Berlin.

„… Try to find female mentors; role models are important; only when you see it you can envision it….”

Britta

Knowing about your very rich professional background, can you share your career steps in a bit more detail?

After finishing my studies in International Business Administration, I started my career as HR Assistant and as part of the pre-opening Team at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin in 1998. From there I joined a company, at the time, called “Andersen Consulting” – (which later became Accenture) early in the year 2000. Initially, I was deployed to the Consulting firm’s Change Management practice. But during my almost 9 years as a Management Consultant, I mainly worked on HR focused projects as part of the Utilities Industry Group. In 2008, I left Consulting and joined the Berlin-based Furniture Retailer Höffner, a family-owned and managed retail chain with more than 20 large furniture stores all across Germany. At Höffner, I worked as Head of HR („Personalleitung“) and member of the Senior Leadership Team focusing on the Sales divisions and everything connected to this. Again, after another 8+ years, I moved my career back into a more international and technology-driven space. In the fall of 2016 I joined Searchmetrics as VP Human Resources to help build and evolve the company’s culture and HR function with a Global scope. After 2+ years in this role, I joined the Company’s Management Team as COO, with a focus on leading the Product & Engineering functions through a transformational phase.

Thinking back when you started your professional life, what did you originally want to do?

My first goal was to work as an au-pair in the US. And then I absolutely wanted to work in hospitality.

Where did the hotel idea come from?

That was funny actually. I was inspired by the TV Series “Hotel”. I wanted to experience 5-star hospitality, use and learn languages, meet people, go out and see the world. The reason why I did not study hospitality directly, but international business was really only as I wanted to have something broader. My thesis was on hotel and I did hotel internships. At the Quellenhof Hotel in Aachen and at the Double Tree Guest Suites Hotel in Chicago. My dream was to work for Hyatt when I saw the Hyatt Regency Cologne at the time. Through connections and some good fortune, I was able to fulfil that dream.

What are some career milestones that were particularly impactful?

The first one was clearly my decision to leave hospitality. That was really with a heavy heart. But at the time I was very ambitious to progress and could not see a path fast enough or fitting for me. As mentioned, I joined Andersen Consulting/ Accenture next. I loved being on the road and working internationally. I was responsible for project teams. My original plan back then was to become a Partner of the company.

Speaking of teams, how did you develop your leadership skills?

I attended trainings, but also read many books. And due to the change of people I reported to, I was fortunate to have many role models in regard to leadership; and also learned to adapt.

Coming back to the career milestones..

Yes. I also wanted to have a family but could not envision being in a consulting job and have a family; maybe I had no female role models at the time who showed me how that combination is possible. So again, with a heavy heart, I left consulting to go into Retail. I joined a national company, with a very different culture, different customer base. In my role as Head of HR I was looking after app. 3000 employees and made the changes I felt relevant, tried to make an impact, focusing on making this company a better place to work. In the 8 years I worked there I had 2 kids. I took time off for 6 months for each child followed by parttime work. But in reality, I worked full time in less hours to be honest. And I had Nanny support. When I felt I could not impact as much anymore, I left Höffner to join the company I am at now. And finally, my next milestone was getting the COO role. After 20 years of HR I experienced a steep learning curve. The role as such was new and also leading different functions and working with Engineers for the first time.

Did you ever experience and if yes how did you deal with any (career) obstacles? 

I had male managing directors, from whom I have learned a lot for sure. And also worked together well with. But I sometimes felt being kept “tight” by them and this influenced my self-esteem. Something I had to learn was to be vocal, share what’s on my mind. As an example: there was an instance during my time as Consultant where I felt I had deserved a better appraisal then I actually was given. I had worked a ton and the performance review was too average, I felt. Thus, I wrote a long and passionate letter to my managers about my past performance. They told me I should have mentioned this before the appraisal process. So again, not an obstacle, but a learning I had to go through.

Can you give us some Insights into mentors; role models; and superiors with special influence?

At Accenture, I had Partners I worked with that really helped me see things I did not see in myself. And most recently, my first CEO at Searchmetrics, a very experienced leader who has run large corporations, and my CFO, who hired me in the first place, both helped me grow out of my HR shoe.

From your perspective, what is the key to successful leadership?

Authenticity is key; being able to inspire and ensuring your team can trust you. You can only build trust on authenticity. Also, don’t change your own style and be clear about what you want to achieve.

What are your thoughts on managing a multigenerational workforce?

I feel the younger colleagues have higher expectations; and other requirements. Thus, you have to evolve your leadership style. An example, many people who are now starting or early on in their careers follow the path that hierarchy does not count; yet back in my time at Accenture hierarchy was everything.

Combining work and family life; what are your thoughts on this?

It’s doable. But is it easy? No. It is extremely exhausting. Important is to accept help; you need to be open to let go and not be perfect. As an example, I don’t know how many times I rushed to the playground in a suit and not fully “ready” for playtime. You have to accept that you will have other people influence your children; for example, a Nanny. And in an ideal world, best is to have a good “partner in crime” by your side.

Thinking back, any regrets?

Sometimes I wonder if my career would have taken off even further without children. But my kids are everything to me, no doubt about that. And I would not want to miss them or miss being a mother. Motherhood has definitely helped me grow in my leadership abilities as well. Do I regret any of my career steps? Not one bit. Being exposed to so many different industries, company sizes and cultures has helped megrow in any respect. And it has taught me how to stay flexible and adaptable to new challenges. I am quite happy with the experience I was able to collect during the last 20+ years.

What are your recommendations/tips for female career starters; and emerging leaders on career in general; and in specific on establishing themselves as managers?

Try to find female mentors; role models are important; only when you see it you can envision it. And secondly, actively invest in networking. Instead of diligently working off my to-do list, I should have invested more in connecting with others.

Any additional insights interesting to share?

In the context of gender parity – I am a supporter of quotas. We are still a male dominated society, and it takes too long to “evolutionize” it; so, a certain force can help. Regarding the argument about being a “quota woman” as opposed to being the best fit for a role – there are also many mediocre males in jobs; so, there is no harm to have a few women alongside them, if that makes a team more diverse. And lastly, diversity should be a value in itself, because it has proven track record of boosting team performance.

Thank you Britta! Such inspiring insights into your career story.

Jacqueline & Monique Schmid, Managing Director & Sales Director of Jaxmotech

Jaxmotech GmbH is the successor company of Schmid Electronics Germany (SEG) and has been established by the daughters of SEG’s company founder Rolf Schmid. 

Jacqueline and Monique, both born and raised in Australia, come from an entrepreneurial family. Since childhood they received much insight into the international business world which influenced their today’s management skills and strategies. Their previous careers led them to major metropolis in the world like Melbourne, Belin, Amsterdam, Baku, Cape Town, New York and Hong Kong where they had worked and lived. All these career stages were formative times for both Managing Directors.  Jackie is based in Germany, Monique in The Netherlands and both have children.

Jaxmotech with offices in Saarlouis/Germany, Berlin and Castricum near Amsterdam is a reliable and progressive trading partner, importing, distributing and servicing consumer goods from China to Europe, USA and Australia. 

The company is regarded as a specialist for China products. Since the beginning, the core of the business has always been trading with White Goods, Electrical Household Appliances, Consumer Electronics, other technical Consumer Products and technical Fashion Accessories. The company develops also in collaboration with reliable manufacturers smart and innovative products that arouse consumer desires. The focus is always on appealing and stylish designs in combination with flawless product quality.

“…aim high – I always said, one day I want us to be on the cover of Time Magazine as the “Schmid Sisters…”

Monique

How did you divide the responsibilities within the company? 

JS – I am Managing Director, basically a role where you are responsible for everything from trouble shooter to finance and sales director. But with my sister I also take care of purchasing, project management and everything to do with innovation and new ideas.

MS – I work more project-related and am mainly responsible for purchasing, sales and idea generation. Above all, I also take care of networking, which is very important in our business. But generally, Jackie and I run the business together. 

When you remember the beginning of your professional life, did you have a fixed career goal in mind at that time? 

MS – since my childhood I wanted to become a flight attendant for Lufthansa!  That was more a dream than maybe a professional goal. I wanted to travel, get to know exotic countries. Flight attendants were like princesses for me! I fulfilled my dream and actually flew for 2 years. 

JS – I remember that you fell through the exams there the first time… which was quite a drawback at first (laughs) but you made it. We grew up in Australia and I always wanted to work in the tourism industry, but if someone had told me that I would end up in the hotel business, I wouldn’t have thought of it.  I worked in sales leadership roles in the hotel industry for many years. But originally, I was thinking more of airline or tour operator.

Have you always wanted to be in a leadership position?

MS – I did not want to have a career. I had a „feeling of freedom“ and I somehow believed that if I did have a career, I wouldn’t have the time and most of all the freedom. However, during the first few years of my professional life this changed. And I have to say that I am more of a person who wanted to work according to the principle: „learning by doing“; I don’t learn from books, and again I thought that you have to study to make a career. But I just wanted to work, to do something and I wanted to experience directly that if you do A, B happens. After the first 2 years in the job, however, I realized that for me that I wanted professional growth after all. I didn’t want to just serve, but to sit in the chair where people receive the service.

JS – yes, I always wanted to be in a leading role. Always.  I had the drive to lead and I will never forget the first time I received the „Manager“ title. It was the greatest thing for me back then. But it was the role as a leader, not the money, that motivated me. 

Were there any milestones or turning points in your professional life that have had a lasting effect on your path?

JS – in my early years I worked under a strict leader personality with a rather prescriptive leadership style. When I held my first position as department head, I was able to live out my own leadership style for the first time. I was solely responsible, had staff and budget responsibilities. I had the freedom to lead as I saw fit. My style was less prescriptive than I had experienced myself. But I was also unsure if this was the right way. Nevertheless, my management style is different, I was able to apply what I had learned.  The 2nd milestone for me was to change the industry. I changed from the hotel business to the family business, a company that our father founded and managed for 40 years.  That was not easy, and I had to learn a lot of things I had never done before.

MS -My milestones came about rather slowly. I started working for during school holidays as an office assistant from time to time. At that time the company only dealt with „brown goods“ (note: consumer electronics). Then I was assigned to develop a completely new area, the „white goods“ (note: large household electrical appliances). We started with refrigerators. I had, to say the least, no idea and had to learn everything. I visited factories to learn how refrigerators were made. And the response at that time was always just, „Monique, go for it“.  Looking back, I would say that I only managed all this because I kept asking for everything I didn’t know. Always asking, never assuming. And this is what I teach my employees (and children) today – always ask and write everything down. That’s how I learned so much and became so self-confident and know today that anything is possible. We have actually managed to become at that time the number one in the market with a new product line, the White Goods. To this day I admire people who have the strength to even ask „simple“ questions. Questions where others think „you should know that“.

Did you ever experience any obstacles in your career?

MS – most recently of course Covid-19, the effects of the pandemic.

JS – generally an obstacle for me was to free myself from our father. He founded the company and I said „yes and amen“ to everything when I joined despite my rich professional experience. Looking back, I would act differently. But I first had to emancipate myself. 

MS – maybe because it is the family business. You are differently emotionally bound; you want to be successful in the family.

JS – Maybe another obstacle is that we don’t know „what is said behind our back“, but sometimes we get the feeling that women are not taken quite so seriously in the industry.  We get this feeling in meetings, even from large, established clients. Men clearly dominate the industry here and we had to earn our spurs first. Our competitors are almost exclusively men. 

MS – This sometimes means that if you want to assert yourself as a woman in a male domain, the first thing you have to do is overcome an inhibition threshold. With women I would tend to be more relaxed and informal.

How do you earn your spurs?

JS & MS – Never give up! Even if you are rejected. Even if yesterday it was a „no“. There is no „no“.

JS – And many customers ask us: „Why should we work with you? To which we answer: „Because we can do it“. That means we are a reliable partner with a 40-year company history. 

MS – You just have to be saddle-fast and know that what you have to offer really works. 

Did you have role models?

MS – for me, our father

JS – for me too. We always had so much respect for our competitors.  I have always admired our father for the way he handled it.

MS – Maybe this is „typical woman“ – they have more respect. The man sells himself as a „doer“, perhaps women are more reserved or modest in the way the present themselves and show up.

Why was your father the role model?

MS – Because of the calmness he has. He is always calm, creates facts and analyzes everything calmly. And that showed me that actually everything can be solved. 

JS – He always thinks abstractly. And what I also admire is how he combines work and pleasure.

And what about female role models? Did you have any? 

JS – yes, my former boss. She was a visionary in the hotel industry in her field. She had immense assertiveness. And my sister is also my role model, she was always very persistent.

MS – We are totally different and that is the strength of our company.

What are the qualities of a good leader in your opinion?

JS – a person who can create trust, gives employees freedom, has the ability to delegate and seek the opinions of others.

MS – I agree with that. To complement this, there is perhaps a need to create and live flat hierarchies. It seems to me that men are often more hierarchically oriented than women.

Compatibility of family and career – what are your experiences and thoughts on this

MS – can’t sugarcoat that this is easy. Any woman who describes it differently does not describe reality. It is very exhausting, and you often have a guilty conscience. Everything is possible, but you have to be extremely well organized.  When you have children as a woman, you always remain the mother, no matter what else you do. Especially as a single mother.

JS – That is all true. In spite of the organization, the bad conscience remains. It is exhausting if you want to spend quality time with the children after work or just help with homework. Often it is then 10 o’clock in the evening. On the other hand, I have an understanding husband who is even better organized. I can fully rely on him; he always manages to be at home when I am in Hong Kong.

Could you imagine not working?

JS – No way!

MS – Then I would be a worse mother. I want to be an example to my children.

If women today, who are at the beginning of their career, ask you for advice, what would you tell her?

JS – Be yourself and Go for It!

MS – Be patient and don’t give up. There are setbacks, more than one, that’s part of it. And if there are problems, sleep on it for a night

Do you still have other thoughts or inspirations on the topic you want to share?

JS – Never compare yourself with competitors. How often do you hear or think „the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence“? I have often and much occupied myself with „what or how do the others do it“.  In the meantime, I have put that aside, with my life experience. Others do not do it better either

MS – That really fits. Not looking at the others. Stay with yourself, set yourself a goal, your goal.

Thank you so much, Monique and Jackie for sharing your encouraging career stories!

Isabelle manages the hotel since 2014. Following an impressive career journey that started with graduation at the Swiss Hospitality Management School in Lausanne, followed by assignments in New York, US, Paris, France and Mainz, Germany.

„…..I rather designed my career according to the available opportunities. When you get stuck with ideas, you don’t see what’s right and left. And in the end, it led me to what was, at first, my dream. To run a small boutique hotel…”

Isabelle

Can you describe your current role?

I am the general manager of the Hotel Florhof in Zurich. This means that I am in charge of the entire operational business, rooms division, food & beverage, as well as finance, sales & marketing and HR management. And that around the clock. With this position I have actually fulfilled my original professional dream.

How did you start your professional life and what were your professional goals at that time?

I was certainly influenced by my mother’s brewery and my father’s winery, which means I was in contact with the food & beverage industry since I can remember; I was already behind the counter at a very early age. In addition, since my youth I do horseback riding, also at tournaments. And here too I helped a lot in the marquee. That’s when I noticed that I enjoyed it and I also had a talent for it to a certain extent. I was also one of those in the group, who voluntarily did long shifts. So maybe it was in my cradle, my mother also went to hotel management school. After my Matura in Switzerland, I passed the entrance examination at the Swiss Hospitality Management School in Lausanne (EHL), and then my path really took off. I graduated in 1997 and my goal at that time was to work in hotels in general, and my dream was to run a smaller hotel. Preferably with a riding stable I thought that might be interesting for couples, where not both are riding. One can have a riding holiday, but one can meet for dinner in the evening. So, over the years I can say that the dream of a small hotel has been lost a bit, but in retrospect all my professional steps after that have brought me to where I am today, running a boutique hotel. 

Part of the hospitality management studies are internships. Where did you do them? 

My service internship was at the Giardino Ascona, Eden Palace au Lac Montreux in the kitchen, and the rooms division internship was in France, in the Hotel du Palais Biarritz.

What was the next step, what were the immediate steps after the studies?

Afterwards I went to New York with a friend with whom I also studied. Without a job, only with a CV and we both just went from hotel to hotel, seeing if they had any vacancies. I had no particular job or department in mind, I wanted to be completely open. So eventually, I got the job as Assistant Restaurant Manager at the Swiss Hotel New York.  

As I said, I was very open, I didn’t want to be too focused, I knew I still had so much to learn. And I still believe in that today. No matter where you start, no matter what you do, you will need it.  Also, if you want to work in sales, it is an advantage to have worked in F&B for 2 years. A manager in a hotel must know what the waiter does, must know what the receptionist does. If you don’t know this, you will not understand a hotel.  Of course, one has certain talents and preferences, so I knew that I did not want to work in finance. And I also knew that I wanted to work in operation, working with the guest. All in all, I spent three years in New York.  

Through an entanglement of coincidences, I ended up in Paris afterwards and took part in the reopening of the Hotel Le Meurice. I was Assistant Room Service Manager, which was also a very interesting experience. Among other things, because the colleagues had been there for a long time, all the Maître D`Hotel there were as old as my father. And besides, they never had a woman as a superior.  However, this did not cause me any problems and I never saw any differences. I wanted to be myself and just do a good job. And in retrospect that was also the key to successful cooperation there. I am still in contact with some Room Service colleagues from back then, and I am very pleased about that. After that I was allowed to manage one of the restaurants at Le Meurice. Following that, I was offered the position of Assistant Manager, a kind of Duty Manager role, so I suddenly had more insight into the rooms division department. After Le Meurice, I joined Hyatt as F&B Manager at Hyatt Madeleine. So, all in all, at the beginning I was open for rooms or F&B, the main thing being a hotel. I rather designed my career according to the available opportunities. When you get stuck with ideas, you don’t see what’s right and left. And in the end, it led me to what was, at first, my dream. To run a small boutique hotel.

What would you describe as your career milestones; which ones were particularly formative in retrospect?

There are some things I am very proud of and which have also shaped me. And motivated me to continue on my path, all were stretch assignments. One thing that comes to mind, that I was able to look after the top-class clientele, including heads of state, at Le Meurice. My superiors had given me the full responsibility to organize their stay, to welcome them, etc. This has strengthened me incredibly; it also gave me confirmation that the more normal and natural one behaves, the better.  Other things that I can recall was having learned so many new things throughout my career, such as managing a renovation or organizing large outside catering events. And last but not least, to manage the Hotel Florhof and to be responsible for areas where I didn’t have so much experience in previously.

I would be keen to learn if you had mentors that guided you. Did you have role models; superiors with special influence, and were there any women as role models?

The Assistant General Manager of Le Meurice played a big role; he always radiated calmness and was always there for the staff; we admired him; he also worked extremely hard, but he was and always remained human.

What does human mean to you?

Human for me is someone who also shows a weakness, someone who knows his employees and is interested in the person. I once had a GM who also said, he was tired and not motivated to work on that day. I think that’s great; a boss is a human being and he/ she is allowed to say that.

Did you also have women as role models?

Yes, there were many direct colleagues. At Hyatt, for example, it was the Director of Rooms and Director of HR.  Both could pull people along and inspire them. They never disguised themselves, always remained human and personal.

Sometimes one hears that there are differences between men and women in terms of career planning and development, as well as leadership style. Do you agree with this?

It’s hard to say. Personally, I’ve always followed my intuition in my career planning; men may be more calculating in their career planning, more forward-looking.

What is the key to successful leadership for you; what are the characteristics of a good leader?

Think fast and networked, be solution-oriented, identify talents and use talents. As a manager you are dependent on your employees, so it is good to recognize specialists and also to know where your own limits are.

The current time, with the impact the pandemic has on the hospitality industry, what leadership skills in specific where needed to navigate through the last few weeks?

You always need a good team; but in this crisis your team and you need to be actually one. As you need to expect utmost flexibility from your colleagues, whether around the actual working times or also the tasks that needs to be done. Secondly, as a leader you need to fully and transparently communicate. As an example, when it comes to staffing, explaining openly of not being able to hire additional staff while others being furloughed. You also need to be quicker, as things change daily, being informed and reacting accordingly is key. 

And what are your thoughts on moving forward? Is there something that needs to change from the perspective of a leader?

What I learned from this crisis is definitely as a leader you need to be open to get more help from the outside. Being faced with new issues and challenges, you need to talk to specialists. As an example, process oriented things such as – the enhanced cleaning and disinfection routines, what are recommended products as the commercially common cleaning products are not sufficient; what impact do they have on any material, be it furniture and other surfaces. Another example could be the increased dealing with insurances and the need to work brokers or advisors. Generally, I would recommend building a larger network of specialists from other industries to draw upon when needed. And finally, what we will look into more in the future – how can we better balance the financials without compromising service. As clearly, revenues are nowhere near they should be. 

Coming back to your career in general – looking back, what would you describe as courageous decisions in your career today?

In a large hotel group, the career is a little predetermined, even if every step took courage; but it took much more courage for me to manage a hotel comprehensively.

An important issue is and will remain the compatibility of work and family life. What are your thoughts on this?

It’s all a question of organization; although I don’t have children, I have a dog, which takes up a lot of time. And by the way, I also got the dog by pure coincidence. In general, it is important to pull yourself out of the swirl of the job; to just go home; and to learn to let go.

What are your recommendations, what tips would you give to career starters and junior managers? About professional life in general but also about establishing yourself as a manager?

Always remain yourself, you should not play a role (like the one of a „manager“). You cannot be an authentic host if you pretend to be. Secondly, always gain as much practical experience as possible, according to the old motto „Practice makes perfect“, that still holds true.  Furthermore, always do what is fun; that gives motivation and passion.  As an example, it was clear to me that I would never want to work in finance, but in my management positions I was always responsible for my financials, had to develop forecasts and budgets. But through my experience, the numbers made sense; behind every number there is a process that I understand.

In connection with female executives, one often hears „its lonely at the top“, is that true? And what can a woman do to establish herself as a leader?

There is something to that. In 2005 I was the only woman to attend an F&B and Kitchen meeting in Dubai, where all the F&B directors and executive chefs from Europe, Africa and the Middle East were present. In general, I think it is important to network, to look for comrades. It is always easier when you are in exchange with like-minded people. For example, we founded PEARL in Zurich. PEARL is an association of 6 boutique hotels in Zurich, all run by women by the way. We are often in exchange, and that feels good. Professionally and personally.

A big thanks Isabelle for sharing your words of encouragement and inspiration!