NEW YORK CITY-Though they're at the top of their game, five of the industry's leading women spoke of ways they're still learning, as well as what brought them to the business, during the New York University International Hospitality Conference earlier this week.
In a session entitled, “Women Leaders in Hospitality,” the speakers—who included three CEOs, an SVP of operations and one hotelier's executive counsel—discussed the field's positives and challenges, including those they've tackled themselves, as well as the field's virtues.
All five executives are challenged by social media, but learning the tools as they use them, and creating some great programs in the process.
Brooke Denihan Barrett, co-CEO, Denihan Hospitality Group, said, “To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we have created a blog with pictures. A lot of people are posting, and many have tied that in with Instagram and Facebook; there's lots of enthusiasm,” she said. “It has helped me learn Instagram.”
Added Niki Leondakis, CEO, Commune Hotels & Resorts, “I host quarterly twitter chats with employees, at designated times; it may be a half-hour, an hour or even an hour and a half, but the tweets are non-stop. It allows people to connect, it spurs people to get on twitter and it creates engagement,” she says. “ We also use it with brand positioning, customer engagement, recruiting, we have a blog, and it fosters employee engagement.”
On the compliance side, another panelist is seeing social media's potential. “I think controlled social media, used internally, would be great for training on our compliance programs,” said Kristin Campbell, EVP and general counsel, Hilton Worldwide. Previously with office supply giant Staples for 17 years, Campbell made the switch because, “the kind of growth we're looking at is pretty phenomenal. The company is on fire.”
Several said laying people off was among their hardest tasks, but they learned from that too. “I learned that you need to rally the troops, communicate and be as transparent as possible,” said Leondakis. “Even if they want to know what's next and you can't predict it, fill in the blanks of what might happen so people don't fill in the blanks on their own with the worst possible scenarios.”
Added Barrett, “Explain the business reason. It doesn't make it easier,” but it may make the employee aware that it's not a personal issue.
Looking ahead, they worry about technology replacing the personal touch that's so needed in hospitality. 'The trick is going to be figuring out the balance between figuring out where to use technology without losing those points of touch,” said Campbell.
Others were focused on the future of women in the industry. “I want to promote more women,” said Dominique Colliat, SVP of operations, Sofitel Americas, ACCOR.
Recent entrants to the industry have been pleasantly surprised by how many employees move up the ranks. “I've been overwhelmed by the stories of individuals who start out as housekeepers, front desk clerks, etc. and become general managers,” said Campbell, who's only been in the industry for a year. “This industry has more stories like that than any business that I've seen.”
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Rayna Katz
Rayna Katz is a seasoned business journalist whose extensive experience includes coverage of the lodging sector, travel and the culinary space. She was most recently content director for a business-to-business publisher, overseeing four publications. While at Meeting News, a travel trade publication, she received a Best Reporting award for a story on meeting cancellations in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
