Workplace flexibility key to retaining female talent

dubai - Women in leadership positions must create opportunities and roles that suit the demands of a working mother

As a 33-year-old, female CEO of a Doha-based hospitality management company, I am part of a growing ecosystem in the hospitality world that supports women in senior leadership roles. My experience with influential women started young as my grandfather Captain Nair who founded The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts in India named his hotel group after his wife Leela. He firmly believed that she was not only his inspiration but also the foundation for his business. He steadfastly credited her for all his success even when he was chairman of the company and never took a big decision before discussing with her.

While, in many ways, coming from a family business catapulted my career and gave me a boost in terms of taking on senior roles early in my career, I believe that I had to prove myself to be worthy of the position - not only in terms of qualifications but also as a woman who could be held to professional standards. Being the boss' daughter certainly gave me access, but I had to earn legitimacy.

While there is no doubt that my family business gave me the platform on which I could build my own venture, what drove me into entrepreneurship was the need to create something of my own. I make sure to remind myself that the day I feel entitled will be the end of my career. I wake up and go to work determined to prove myself and add value every single day.

To a large extent, I have to give credit to my strong support group of family and friends who have made it possible to operate efficiently as a female working professional. There have been several occasions that I have missed special occasions, family dinners and holidays with friends because of my work commitments. Without my family's support and understanding, I do not think I would have gotten very far.

I strongly believe that just as in the more traditional format where a man would need the support of his wife at home to move ahead in his career, a working woman too needs the support of family and friends to advance. I agree with Indra Nooyi, the CEO of Pepsico, when she said controversially: "You can't have it all" and the only way one can cope is to co-opt your family, colleagues and friends into coping mechanisms that help.

Paving the way
Fortunately, there have been several predecessors before me who have paved the way for women in the business in CEO roles. In their time, these women were often the only woman in the room and yet managed to hold their own.

In a previous role as a hospitality consultant for a real estate firm, I had the honour of working with Jennie Chua who is often described as the matriarch of Asian Hospitality and 'Singapore's Grande Dame'. Jennie Chua was the first woman general manager of the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore and in 2003 she became the CEO of Raffles Holdings. Under her leadership, the Raffles brand flourished into a globally acclaimed hotel brand. She later became CEO of Ascott Group and eventually became the chief corporate officer for CapitaLand.

Jennie Chua has always been an inspiration for me as she was a strong powerful woman who was very proud of her humble roots. I am honoured to be able to say that we went to the same hotel school, The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, and I someday hope to be able to say that my contributions to the hospitality industry were as significant as hers.

Building flexibility in the workplace has become critical for companies to retain female talent and it should be the focus of women in leadership positions to create opportunities and roles that suit the demands of a working mother. This tends to be challenging in the hospitality industry when it comes to hotel operations as the hours are long and demanding. That said, there are plenty of other departments in the corporate side of the business such as sales and marketing, business development, human resources and training, design and architecture, branding and public relations that can be designed to suit more flexible hours in the middle level stage of a woman's career.

With the number of women in CEO positions leading hotel companies and setting the benchmark, it is not surprising that more women are attracted to join the hospitality business. Leadership is about creating a conducive environment and encouraging collaborative growth. I follow the same mantra and our brand Aiana Hotels and Resorts reflects authenticity, individualism and passion. We believe this is what Hospitality 2.0 is about as it is innovative, intuitive and ever evolving with a strong commitment to the community and the environment.

The writer is joint managing director and chief executive at Aiana Hotels & Resorts. Views expressed are her own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy.