Her soft and genteel demeanour belies the strong-willed, purpose-driven persona that defines Dr. Harbeen Arora.  She manifests multifaceted leadership with strength and simplicity. As a thought leader, global icon, and visionary for women, philanthropist, and author, she has covered a lot of ground at a very young age.

Dr Harbeen Arora is the Founder & Global Chairperson, ALL Ladies League (ALL) & Women Economic Forum (WEF) Founder & President, Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI); Founder, Bio Ayurveda and SHEconomy.

She shares the highlights of her journey, her passions, dreams and what drives her to do what she does…

Passionate about learning 

I’m most passionate about working and learning. Goals and dreams may change, but what I have always enjoyed is the learning part and path.

That constant opening up of the mind, broadening of horizons, change of perspectives, spiritual expansion and blossoming of the energy – all these are very important to me and drive me as a person.

The values imbibed in childhood – hard work, humility, sincerity, service; have all served me immensely in having a learning mindset.

My greatest challenge has been to understand myself

My greatest challenge has been to understand myself and my purpose of life, and how to implement my highest vibration in my day to day work.

Normally, we think that the highest spiritual goals are incompatible with pursuit of business and real life challenges. But my learning has been that it is possible to match both and lead a happy, fulfilling, balanced and successful life. 

My life has been transformed by sisterhood

My life has been transformed by ‘Sisterhood.” Through our various platforms for women empowerment viz. ALL Ladies League (ALL), Women Economic Forum (WEF), Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI), and SHEconomy, we have truly created a solidarity of sisters beyond borders, in mutual support and empowerment. The She-for-She Bond has been integral to our journey of empowerment and blossoming. 

We also have an annual festival every year on Oct 5 to celebrate and honor our empowering bond as sisters called ShaktiBandhan: World Sisterhood Day. In Indian culture, Shakti is the divine feminine: it is both the trinity and infinity. She is the source and force of Nature, Universe and Creation. 

I think this strong aspect of honouring the Divine Feminine within and in other women is a great opportunity for all of us to remember and awaken our own power as women with greater self-belief and strength, and in order to walk in our own purpose and power.

Our societies have to awaken to our ancient all-embracing wisdom that comes by embracing our inner divine feminine, and for that we must awaken as women first. When we remember our power, and when we resonate with this inner power, we reflect and radiate it, enabling others to feel it and honor it as well. 

We are all works-in-progress

I owe much gratitude and learnings to my parents who offered the beautiful example of selflessness and extending unconditional support to me at all times. 

The teachings of my Guru, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba bear a powerful influence in my life and vision. The highest vision therefore for me and inspired by Indian culture and the teachings of my Guru is to love all, serve all: envisioning the world and the Universe as one big divine family.

It also means to realise in every day thoughts and actions that we’re all on the same team, and we all are equal souls on a spiritual journey of awakening and we are all works-in-progress.

We can thus retain our humility, compassion, non-judgemental vision and strive to help all and serve all with an innate understanding of oneness as sisters and brothers.

I’d just like to add here that in our Indian thought and culture, the spirit of sacrifice and ‘service’ are conceived a bit differently. Service is not viewed as something that we do for another… hence, it is not to be done in the spirit or attitude of “doing a favour to someone” (i.e. not as an expression of the ego), but instead with gratitude and humility toward the recipients as by their receiving they have given us the precious opportunity to cleanse our own heart and uplift our own divine essence in this act of service, which can help us in our own soul’s awakening. 

Service is our sacred duty toward society and also to our self as our own lasting happiness comes from experiencing this endless seamless oneness with one and all. 

Personally, these teachings have created an inner revolution for me offering a radical opening up of the mind, expansion of the heart, and upliftment of spirit and energy.

It encourages and eggs me on every day to strive for greater equilibrium, peace of mind, purity of heart, clarity of purpose, spirit of faith, attitude of forgiveness, and self-confidence that springs from the awareness of one’s eternity and infinity, and faith in one’s own divine design and purpose.

Once the source of the spirit is thus energised, our leadership in any field, including business, is also uplifted and enlightened.

Inspired by everything nature

I have a company that makes Ayurvedic products for holistic health and wellness. The creation of the company is a result of my lifelong passion for Ayurveda, an ancient healing system from India that is highly inspired and informed by everything nature.

The creation of the company further fuel-led my passion for Ayurveda and made it an even more integral part of my lifestyle. So my life inspires my work, and my work inspires my Life. 

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When Poonam Singh Veliath shares, “I come from a slightly unconventional family of five – four sisters and a single dad,” she is setting the stage for a life lived on her own terms and following the road less travelled.

Her approach is distinct and very much ahead of her time.  She puts it down to her upbringing which she reveals meant “going to the best of schools and being taught to be independent in thought and action.”

Unconventional yet grounded

When I see women leaders in hospitality, there is tremendous respect and awe that I feel because I know first hand that reaching this level requires not only hard work and ambition but also that immeasurable factor of grit and determination.

According to a research, women hold only 20% of the general managerial positions in hotels. To reach there, women have to prove themselves repeatedly as professionals and also fight certain underlying biases associated to being a woman in a man’s world. Starting out my hospitality journey as a housekeeper, I have faced my own set of such hurdles and labels.  

Be curious, travel, read

I come from a slightly unconventional family of five, four sisters and a single dad. In the 70’s a single dad raising four daughters was indeed rare. We lost our mom when my younger sister was barely a few months old and I just a toddler. We went to the best of schools that my father could afford and were taught to be independent in thought and action.

Being a science professor, he encouraged us to be curious, travel, read, take responsibility for our actions and do our own chores.

 
I loved hospitality

Pursuing hotel management, not your usual preferred career those days, was a deliberate decision. My father worked in Africa and we would stay at hotels in transit when we travelled back to India every two years.

During one such travel when I was barely 10 years old, we stayed at The Centaur Hotel in New Delhi, courtesy Air India.

It was around the time of Asian Games and this sparkling brand new hotel was buzzing with energy and excitement. I had told my father back then that one-day I too want to work in hotels and my father had accepted that statement without ado.

Hence it was ironic that the first time that I heard of a perception against women in hospitality was during my three-year hotel education from IHM Pusa.

I remember being told by one of our IHM lecturers that hotels were no place for girls especially because it was ‘not good’ for married life.

Taken aback I just laughed at him in my head because by then I loved hospitality and I thought my future husband would have to just work his way around that.

Discrimination came when I joined Housekeeping

The real discrimination I faced came from my choice of department within the industry when I joined Housekeeping. Housekeeping was considered an unsophisticated ‘woman’s job’ and was generally looked down upon.

The established stereotype was that housekeepers are mostly frumpy, loud, not-so-smart, cleanliness obsessed, screaming and hyperventilating women, who should be quite content being just that their whole working life.

Consequently, after a few years in the department I realized that most hospitality professionals could move from one department to another and grow in their careers. However moving out of housekeeping was a Mission Impossible. After five years of doing the same job with diligence and seeing only a limited career path I felt dejected.

Many low and anguished weeks later, I finally spoke to my father that I was planning to quit. In those days depression was not something one spoke about or understood and its today I realize that the phase I went through was actually depression. I’m so glad that I reached out to my father and grateful to him for his understanding and calm wisdom. He told me to go explore the world.

Go, explore the world

My next job at Burj-al-Arab, Dubai was just that. The pre-opening of a hotel is a lot of hard work but fun too because all departments work together to bring an empty shell to life.

There is a remarkable amount of camaraderie and joy in the process. The Director Training and Culture, a South-African woman who was the essence of her job function became my mentor. A passionate trainer and focused on her people agenda, she became my role model.

She built my confidence and coached me for a Learning and Development (L&D) role and in the process helped me find my own career-path.

Being a part of the L&D team at the iconic 7-star Burj-al-Arab was definitely an achievement for me at the time. This amazing lady along with many women leaders in hospitality have influenced and helped me grow by being mentors, coaches and guides.

I continued with Learning and Development for more than a decade including seven stellar years at my alma mater, The Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development commonly called OCLD.

As a programme manager responsible for the 3-year undergraduate course at the renowned OCLD I got to guide, train and make a mark on the minds of young and aspiring hoteliers. It was not only significant but a gratifying chapter in my career.

Next was a call from an ex-boss. She also happened to be one of the best teachers I have had professionally. That call propelled me towards my aspirational role of a hotel General Manager.

I transitioned back into hotel operations at Vana, a one-of-its-kind wellness retreat based in Dehradun, with a number of doctors in the team! Vana brought uber luxury synergised with several schools of alternative medicine, collaborating with spiritual leaders and global experts to bring healing and therapies to help our ‘vanavasis’ achieve their wellness goals.

The next five years were the most exciting phase professionally and may I add that the personal learning and growth at this dynamic wellness retreat were immense. I also found that my background as a housekeeper was one of my greater strengths because it had taught me to be detail and process oriented.

I started as a General Manager and then moved up as Associate Retreat Director & Head Operations and then, Director Enterprise.

Learning to say ‘no’ politely but firmly

My husband and I are both from the industry with similar occupational backgrounds and our careers have always run neck-to-neck.

As a woman, one factor that I consciously chose to forgo was the privilege of becoming a mother, an unconventional decision supported by my husband and in-laws. Though at work, I sometimes felt that this decision led to a different kind of pre-conceived notion.

My bosses, colleagues and subordinates often interpreted my drive as a by-product to lack of responsibility in personal life aka children rather than genuine professional ambition.

The fact that I chose to work long hours and sometimes late at night gradually became a given. The performance and workload expectation revolved around the assumption that ‘I had no children/responsibility to go home to’ and hence was more flexible with my time.

These nuanced workspace prejudices are often not considered serious and not even discussed. It’s my view that single women, especially in leadership positions, also face these kinds of prejudices sometimes leading to stress and burnout. Eventually, I learnt to step back from tasks that were ‘dumped’ on me and say ‘no’ politely but firmly when necessary.

Stop to smell the roses

After working in the industry for more than two decades I decided to take a much-deserved sabbatical to smell the roses and generally focus on my personal life as well as mental and physical health.

Just like my father, my husband too has always encouraged, supported and stood by my every decision, including this one to take a break from work.

I have used this time to reconnect with myself, invest in my marriage and spend time with my elder sisters, both of whom lost their husbands to cancer.

I was taught many years ago to explore and create my own path. Hence, I am concurrently consulting in the hospitality-wellness space and investing my time to study for a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. Mental health concerns are on the rise across the globe, especially after a year of lockdowns and unprecedented job losses, the world is witnessing increased levels of stress and anxiety. And now, I aspire to make a difference within the industry in an even more meaningful way.

I have taken up the role of President WICCI Hospitality and Tourism for Kerala state because of my love and passion for hospitality and people. I have had the good fortune of having many women leaders’ handhold and drive me along a fulfilling career path and I now have the opportunity to be that hand which holds and provides support to other women in the industry in line with its common goal to #GiveBack.

I feel blessed to have worked with not only these inspiring women leaders but also with some of the most progressive men in the industry who never cared for labels and focused only on what I brought to the table.

Read more : Corporate Connect

India’s first independent National Business Chamber for Women – Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI) for Hospitality and Tourism Industry has been established based on our experience of ALL Ladies League (ALL) and Women Economic Forum (WEF), wherein women entrepreneurs have greatly benefitted with women’s networking, exchange, and collaborations.

Says Kanika Hasrat, National President, WICCI Hospitality and Tourism Council, “At WICCI we work collectively to #Giveback with an aim of growing the presence of women in the Tourism & Hospitality workforce. We hope that cohesively we are a powerful voice that works with government bodies and institutions for advocacy and representation to further the cause of women in business and commerce.”

      Statistics show that only 20% of the hospitality workforce is women and women in leadership is less than 1 %. The Council envisages a hospitality and travel world where women are equal players and have the ability to deliver results because they believe in themselves.

The WICCI Hospitality and Tourism Council vision is:

 –Build Presence by networking, being active on social media, sharing stories and finding opportunities to spread the WICCI Hospitality brand

-Enable the WICCI platform as a knowledge sharing platform with industry expert ‘fire side chats ‘

–Enable skill development at all levels by partnering with industry, government or NGO partners

– Publish/Voice recommendations in the print media and be a platform that helps improve the future of women in hospitality -#Giveback

    The National Council comprises women who have established their presence in Hospitality and Tourism in leadership roles and includes General Managers, strategy consultants, and leaders who are inspirational and have reached positions because of their own self-belief.

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To mark the occasion of Women’s Day, WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council is proud to launch a meaningful Skill Development Initiative that endeavours to supports the Government’s Skill India’ drive to promote practical exposure under industry supervision.

India’s ranking improved from 40th to 34th (out of 140 economies), the greatest improvement over 2017 among the top 25 percent of all countries ranked in the biennial Travel & Tourism competitive index.

Travel & Tourism is expected to create 52 million jobs by 2028; however, the biggest challenge lies ahead of us – the lack of a trained and efficient workforce. Though many institutions provide knowledge, lack of practical and industry-led training has hit the sector hard.

With this in mind, WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council joins hands with SAATHIYA, a Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiative, to provide Short Term Training to women (and youth) from marginalised backgrounds for Entry Level Profession in Food and Beverage (F&B) Service and Housekeeping Operations leading to Guest Service Associate roles in leading Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, and QSRs; creating opportunities and ways where the industry can add value and support the employment.

The WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council – SAATHIYA Skill Development Initiative draws extensively from the experiences of the industry, training partners, NGOs and government agencies and institutions.

Meena Bhatia, National Advisory Board Member, WICCI National Hospitality & Tourism Council explains, “The programme aims to guide and prepare the youth, transforming them into confident, career-focused individuals in the organized sector and endeavours to positively transform the lives of these vulnerable and less privileged members of the society. Our goal is aligned with the country’s skill development vision, as also with the industry’s future need for a well-groomed and well-trained workforce.”

Kanika Hasrat, National President, WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council along with Ritu Chawla Mathur – National Vice President, WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council ventured into this initiative with the belief that this was their opportunity to give back to their industry and communities.

Both having had illustrious careers in the industry, Ritu Chawla Mathur reminiscences, “There is much to celebrate and be proud of in our industry that I would like more women to experience the same and sign-up!”

Echoing her the statement, Kanika Hasrat shared, “The most successful people in the industry have a very positive, enthusiastic “YES I CAN” attitude and I believe that together with the team of WICCI hospitality and Tourism along with SAATHIYA and Industry Skill Council will train for skill and build a passion for the industry.”

With this shared passion, they have set out with a team of like-minded women to identify young women (and men) from marginalised backgrounds, empower them with industry-specific core skills through Short Term Training programs for entry-level roles, to make them employable and job-ready for the Hospitality & Tourism Industry, while also giving them the opportunity and support to build a career while helping them build a firm foundation.

A program like this is sure to create a positive impact in making them employable and enabling sustainable livelihoods. The WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council team with the support of its National Advisory Member, Jyoti Joshi who has experience in skill development is certain that this program stands out, in a way that the WICCISAATHIYA collaboration aspires to build a long term relationship with students by providing coaching for career growth and hand-holding them through their challenging starting years (2-5 yrs), post the training.

By focusing on skill-development, along with career development in order to serve guests better, the partners are making sure that women (and the youth) appreciate their hospitality jobs become well-rounded employees with specialised skillsets.

Shruti Shibulal, CEO and Director of Tamara Leisure Experiences, at the helm of the philanthropic initiative at SAATHIYA says, “Diversity and inclusion have always been top priorities for Tamara Leisure Experiences. This is also our ongoing focus with SAATHIYA, a non-profit Skilling Academy under the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives, which offers vocational training, job placement and career mentorship to economically-disadvantaged youth.”

Shruti Shibulal went on to say, “Our partnership with WICCI National Hospitality and Tourism Council will bring two like-minded organizations together that have similar objectives of increasing the women in the workforce in the hospitality industry. I am confident that the complementary strengths of SAATHIYA and WICCI will help create a multiplier effect on outcomes and help empower women with livelihood options and career growth in the hospitality industry.”

Meena Bhatia, Vice President & General Manager, Le Meridien, New Delhi will be rolling out the Pilot batch of 30 young women and men, under her care and supervision at the hotel, operating as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ or training hub.

Meena Bhatia strongly believes, “WICCI’s vision is twofold, one to strengthen the industry with skilled professionals and two to give an opportunity to urban youth to realize their true potential and strive for a better life and livelihood while being leaders for tomorrow.”

The Skill Development Initiative is an 8-week online theory training program, along with practical sessions at identified WICCI training hubs, followed by a minimum of 8 – 12 weeks of on-the-job training for F&B and Housekeeping operations. Students will have to undergo and clear a screening test to be eligible to join this course. Post completion of the entire training, candidates will appear for an NSQF level Assessment post, and a certificate will be awarded to successful candidates.

The Assessment Partner is a reputed Assessment and Certification body backed by the WICCI Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council.

Read More: News

Her life philosophy is an in-your-face attitude: “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”- Ayn Rand.

It is very much what Asha Pathania stand for – a direct, energetic individual committed to value systems that are organic and learnt along the way, each time she faced a challenge and worked with it.

So, in a nutshell she is the kind of person who has never allowed a down in her life without learning from it and moving on.

Integrity, Passion, Compassion and Hard-work

Integrity, Passion, Compassion and Hard-work are the four cornerstones of my life on which my whole professional and personal life is built.

I have completed 27 years of my professional journey and have had my share of Ups and Downs. Those who know me closely would agree that the “Downs” of my life ultimately move to the bracket of “Ups” once I have finished working on them.

Being Dependable

I call myself the chosen one- being a happy and chirpy student at school; I was quite a favourite of my teachers and very happy to find myself on stage. Any teacher could depend on me to read the News, Current affairs or perform for Independence Day, Republic Day, Annual day, etc.

Hence one of my most important characteristic of life foundation Being Dependablewas laid very early in my life! This is a trait which I feel my seniors and juniors have always found in me and has helped me succeed in my professional journey too.

No job is too small

My professional journey began in the year 1993, with a Campus placement at the Taj Ganges, Varanasi in Front office. I started my first job with great trepidation as my choice to work in a small city like Varanasi was met with raised eyebrows and sympathy and to many it felt that I had put a full-stop to my career before it had even started.

Being the batch Topper for three consecutive years and having represented my institute in “All Rounder’s Competition”, I had leading hotel brands considering me during the campus placements; however, I was fully committed to my decision and moved my bags and baggage to Varanasi to justify my first professional decision.

Though tentative at first, I got fully immersed in my role as a Management Trainee and being a quick learner got to handle the entire shift in very short period of time.

I got my recognition and promotion in quick succession but never faced any resentment for it. My peers and seniors could see the hard work I was putting and never tried to steal anyone’s credit; a trait that has kept me steadfast in my professional journey till date.

My father’s next posting (yes, I am an Army brat too!) meant shifting base from Varanasi to Ajmer and soon I found myself bored sitting and re-reading my collection of books at home.

To better utilize the time in hand, I enrolled myself in Graduation through distant learning and simultaneously started doing an Honours Diploma Course in Computer Science.

Noticing the long hours that I spent coding at the centre, I was offered a job as Centre Coordinator which I readily accepted. No job is too small for me and I was keen to continue on my hospitality skills acquired at the hotel.

Hard work done with honesty seldom fails

In the years my father was posted at Ajmer, I finished my graduation in Public Administration, got my Honours Diploma in Computer Science and an experience certificate from a renowned Computer centre having excelled in my work.

I secured an award “An Award for Excellence” for achieving highest targets by any centre in that region. Another lesson of life reaffirmed – Hard work done with honesty seldom fails!

We moved back and I resumed work at the hotel in Front Office till I got married in 2001 and moved to Manali. It’s around that time that I first experienced the inherent bias the system has against women.

I refused a subordinate’s position to the HOD-Front office based on my experience and past performance and was not willing to compromise to accept a limited role in Front-office.

This definitely caused a furore at the hotel and perplexed the Corporate HR as it was their first encounter with an assertive professional who also happened to be a woman. The hotel in the past had worked comfortably with couples where the husbands were always in the leading position and the wife given an honorary position to work alongside.

This stalemate was broken only when I was offered an equal position as an HOD with equal salary albeit in Housekeeping. I gave it a careful thought and then agreed to accept the position as it gave me an opportunity to explore another department and build a 360 degree of understanding of my role as a Hospitality professional.

This decision earmarked a very significant change in my professional journey – from Front Office to Housekeeping or literally moving fromFront of the House to Back of the House Department!

To my surprise and great dismay I observed a shift and ‘not-so-pleasant’ attitude of the hotel staff towards me.

The respect and authority that I commanded being in Front-office in my earlier roles diminished like vapour before my eyes. It was a very painful transition for my professional ego and I almost started regretting my decision to change my department. For the first time in my life I experienced self-doubt and felt uncertain about my work.

I felt that the only way to change the perception and earn everyone’s respect was to perform and deliver the unexpected.

With that attitude, I started by infusing fresh energy in the team and giving them direction to perform. We aligned ourselves to the hotel business and delivered high on guest satisfaction.

The hard work that we put in as a team won us the First position in Mystery Audit(s) amongst 23 other hotels from South East Asia that year which had never happened earlier in the hotel’s history. My work was finally acknowledged and I earned respect for leadership too.

Learning to deal with the Unexpected

Having delivered in my new role, I then took a break from work for almost three years to welcome my baby and focussed all my energies to take care of my child. It was a completely new experience for me and I thought that i could ace it by being hands on mother.

I learnt the hard way that motherhood is never easy and that my child would teach me the most important lesson and skill for life – Being Patient and Learning to deal with the Unexpected.

While I was taking care of the child, I never allowed myself to lose focus and kept myself updated through my husband who not only supported me throughout this new chapter in my life but made sure that I did not miss out on critical happenings and kept pace with the ever-changing trends of the Hospitality industry .

My next significant move which also became a turning point of my professional innings happened in the year 2005 when I decided to join Patu Keswani, who was coming up with a brand new chain – The Lemon Tree Hotels. This also meant that my husband moved with me by sacrificing his position as a General Manager of a hotel and give me wings to fly to reach my destiny.

The next six years working with him were like an awakening with continuous, rigorous training on all the aspects of Hotel Design, Business, Standards and Operations.

I learnt to evaluate every aspect of the business before taking any decision which involved Money, People, Product or Standards, a wisdom which has served me well even today and kept me a notch above my peers. He was my first true mentor and I owe a lot of my professional success to him.

I was given independent charge to conceptualize and help design the product- service mix for the budget brand of LTH, The Red Fox Hotels.

Under his guidance and leadership, I went on to launch the first three Hotels of Red Fox at Jaipur, Kondli and Hyderabad. However, due to extensive travelling and separation from family for weeks (which sometimes stretched for months) forced me to evaluate my decision and I gave up on my dream job in 2011.

Little did I realize at that time it also turned out to be my final goodbye to the world of Hotels.

Fix long standing issues with long term solutions

Being the restless soul that I am, very soon I found myself working as the Head of Administration for a huge Real estate company – a job which came with its own challenges and opened new windows of opportunities for me to grow in a completely new direction.

I found myself learning new skills and applying my hospitality experience in the new role. I once again found my happiness in doing what I now know that I do best – fix long standing issues with long term solutions – all with a smile!!!

My portfolio not only included Housekeeping, but exposed me to Building and Fire Safety, Visitor’s & Parking Management, Security & Maintenance, Travel & Transportation, Staff Cafeteria & Gymnasium, Official Events, Insurance and Compliance, Government liaising, etc.

It was a complex job to handle but it came with an added bonus of two day weekend off; something unheard of in the hospitality industry where I had spent almost 18 years! It propelled me towards self-development and at the ripe age of 40 plus; I completed my MBA in HR from IMT Ghaziabad with distinction.

Change, grow and transform

By now I had gathered over two decades of experience and was ready to shoulder bigger responsibilities. It happened in the form of my accepting a position as the Head Housekeeping with India’s leading brand of Multiplexes – PVR Cinemas in mid-2014. I had to manage over 130+ physical locations pan India and handle a team of over 1500+ employees directly under my department.

I had to really transform myself into a sponge and soak as much information as I could in very little time as all eyes were on me.

My predecessor, a well-built and experienced Manager had somehow not met the desired standards at work and no one at the new company, had any confidence in a female HOD to deliver the goods, given my small stature and soft disposition.

I must confess that I had huge doubts on my capabilities and I gave myself three months to either shape up or ship out. I spent long hours learning the business and how things worked, what caused the issues and what needed priority in fixing.

It was a test that I couldn’t afford to fail and I ensured that I gave it all without any fear or pre-conceived negative emotions and while I was bloodied and scathed, I came out a winner having moved the big ship in the right direction.

 Again, this would not have happened without the rock-solid support of my CMD and CXOs who gave me time to learn and waited patiently to deliver on my KRAs and not breaking the chain of mentoring that I was privileged to have in my earlier assignments.

As I continue to work towards achieving professional success and fulfilling my destiny, my one takeaway from my various experiences can be summed up well by this – When life throws curveballs- hit them out of the park! And while there might be impediments to success, it’s imperative to keep pushing with the knowledge that mistakes will be made and failure is inevitable.

“The greatest glory in living lies, not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” –Nelson Mandela

Read more : Corporate Connect

Seeing her easy camaraderie amongst her peers, she belies the various ‘critical to company’ roles she has held during her professional career in the field of Sales, Marketing and Development.

Her belief systems are her own yet firmly grounded in everyday life. “Each of us has our own custom made magic hat – just look inside and you will find something useful,” she shares humorously as she makes light of the many challenges she has been faced with at various points of her life.

A yoga enthusiast, an amateur poetess and an aspiring storyteller, Anika Gupta loves the outdoor and travelling with her children 12 and 7 years. She stretches her time to include being a National Advisory Member – WICCI Tourism & Hospitality Council and a Mentor to Women Inspired World.

Here, Anika Gupta recounts her ‘Big 10 and counting’ learnings as she shares candid moments during her journey that brought insight and perspective and strengthened her conviction that “no matter one’s birth, privileges, education or the lack of it – a moment of action belonged to oneself – neither could it be given nor taken away.”

Let’s start from the very beginning

School was no less than a mad hatter’s tea party. One adventure to the other. There was never a dull moment in my school life. Among theory, practice, inter school competitions, house activities, rotary clubs, annual days, social work, debates, literacy projects – lives were being shaped, made and solidly built. One was mine.

Very early on, I had created a mental map of the first two educational milestones I would achieve. One to become an Engineer, influenced heavily by my erudite family (each member alternated between a doctor or an engineer as many Indian households of the 80s did) and the other to obtain a master’s in Business Administration, advocated by my strong circle of (lifelong) friends.

As they say you are in many ways a reflection of six people around you. I have always chosen my six wisely. Assessing, adjusting, adding but never accommodating. (Big learning no. 1). Also remember, family is important at the beginning of your life, then in the middle and of course towards the end. Make sure your circle of six includes at least one family member. For me, it has been my mother, the pole star that never let my ship stray. Identify your pole star and never let it out of sight.

Lords and ladies of our moments

Midway through my Masters in Business Administration at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade Delhi, I received a pre-placement offer to join the illustrious Tata Administrative Services (TAS). Only a (then) tomboy such as myself wouldn’t pay heed to being the singular lady among a batch of 22 fine gentlemen.

First assignment with TAS took me to a small industrial town, Mithapur to work for the Okhai Handicrafts, a CSR project under the aegis of Tata Chemicals. A typical day comprised of long walks under the scorching sun of Gujarat, eight-hour bladder control drills while visiting the villages to pick and drop handicraft material, pitching products to corporates, armed forces ladies leagues and even mainstream retailers.

However all my efforts paled in front of the resilience that the women of Mithapur displayed in giving energy to this noble cause. What I learned among these brightly clad, always equipped with a smile women was – no matter one’s birth, privileges, education or the lack of it – a moment of action belonged to oneself – neither could it be given nor taken away. (Big learning no. 2). We may or may not be the master of our destinies, but we surely are the lords and ladies of our moments.

A series of assignments at Voltas Forklift Division, Tata BPO and Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles Division followed, culminating into a new journey at Taj Hotels. I joined IHCL as Brand Sales Manager for erstwhile Taj Leisure Hotels.

Not only was I managing sales for a portfolio of 30 hotels across the Indian Ocean, but also colleagues 5-15 years my senior in the industry. Since I was a designated newbie in the industry, I had to quickly find a way to deal with this apparent handicap. I looked into my magic hat and took out two things that I did best – numbers and analysis. That won a few arguments, colleagues and eventually bosses. (Big learning no. 3) – Each of us has our own custom made magic hat – just look inside and you will find something useful.

While at that time I never viewed leaders around me as a man or woman, I must admit that the statistics were highly balanced. This was a naturally good (and strong) influence for me during my formative years; to see empowered and spirited women around me.

Interestingly, the immediate team I was working with was an all-women quadrilateral. There was also one particular woman leader (who would later play a very important role in my career), who drew me to the function of Hotel Development.

A life defining elevator ride

I took the leap of faith from a flourishing sales and marketing career to the maverick function of Development, resulting in a life defining elevator ride from the 2^nd to the 1^st floor of the then Taj Corporate Office. A wise man once said – don’t get too busy admiring the red Porsche in front of you, focus on the exit meant for you. And if need be, change the destination too, not just the route. I did exactly that, changed the destination, map and route! (Big learning no. 4)

Close to 40 projects, seven years and two children later, I migrated from hotel development to real estate development as part of the TAS rotational program and moved from IHCL to Tata Realty. I also transitioned from Mumbai to Delhi – one of the toughest real estate markets of India.

With little experience in real estate and select contacts in the Delhi market, I used a strategy that would theoretically work in the region – speak from the heart and act from the gut. My honesty and transparency won trust and some great friends over the years.

Unabashedly, I took help and advice from those more experienced than me, both externally and internally. Even today I have some trusted confidantes and ‘gurus’ in the industry who would be able to provide any advice, clarification or contact in the realm of real estate.  As guru-dakshina, I became their ‘go to’ person for all matters hospitality!

Hotel development is like playing Jumanji

But hotel development is like playing Jumanji – you get thrown into it unprepared, every step, every turn is a new thrill, you can rarely leave it; even if you do it will seek you back. That’s what happened to me. The game did seek me back. This time with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels globally. I joined Wyndham in late 2015 to champion new hotel development and branding in the Eurasia region.

Travel is my first love. The veracity of this love was rightfully tested at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Although being in the hotel business always meant travel one way or the other and I was always game for it; the magnitude amplified at Wyndham, in the backdrop of an international company, a diverse region to grow and our philosophy of ‘making travel possible for all’.

In the last five years I have delivered one fourth of the Eurasia operational portfolio. In recognition of this brick and mortar contribution to Wyndham as also to the hotel industry at large, I was awarded Hospitality Leaders Industry Choice Awards for ‘Brand Developer of the Year 2019’ by Hotelier Summit India.

The last five years have been dotted with many firsts – I executed the first Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham hotel for the region at Dwarka Gujarat which opened earlier this year. Recently, I signed the first Wyndham resort for the region, currently under development in Jaipur. Last year I also signed and opened the first Wyndham hotel in New Delhi.

I was privileged to have found a platform that allowed me to learn and unlearn; to introspect yet externalize; to act yet imagine; to discipline yet liberate; to rise and even fall. When you love your work, you work for love, not wealth, status or fame, but undiluted elementary love. This is your ikigai. (Big learning no. 5).

Yin and yang of work and family

During this period, I also evolved as a mother, version 2.0, raising 2 children – now a pre-teen lady and a fine young lad, all of seven. During this complex period dotted with ups and downs; yin and yang of work and family, dawned an important revelation (Big learning no. 6) – whether as a leader or a parent, our conduct should be to take a stance and not ‘sides’. Mothers and leaders don’t play favourites.Sometimes my fairness perplexes my children; but they finally come around, days, months or even years later.  

Being associated with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts EMEA gave me an immense exposure from a diversity angle. Diaspora of countries, people, and ethnicity, religious and cultural beliefs opened my mind and heart to all things different from me. When one is exposed to a multitude of people, one is able to embrace more, which ultimately helps one evolve as a person and as a professional.

The last five years at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have been nothing short of an evolution. I always call ‘Development’ as the first line of defense for a Hotel Company. It is Development that inducts new hotels into the system, befitting the system, complementing the system and yet in many ways breaking the glass ceiling of the system.

Simpler the solution, surer the success

It is a job that comes with immense responsibility and accountability as well as complexity. One piece of advice I got from a leader – ‘Anika, simpler the solution, surer the success’. (Big learning no. 7). The problem may not be simple, but when broken down and analyzed at an atomic level, the answer will turn out to be quite singular. But there are no shortcuts to breaking down the problem.

There are some qualities one is born with – innate and pure; some skills one builds upon and some that one acquires inorganically. For example, I am blessed with a gregarious disposition, but I systematically built upon communication skills. Most importantly, I consciously engineered the ability to network with purpose.

Networking and collaborating with community and stakeholders is at the core of the Development function. While networking for women may be slightly restrictive in the traditional sense, I use empathy and ‘listening’ to cover gaps if any. I make an effort to call for no particular reason, I make an effort to remember birthdays and anniversaries, I make an effort to provide a solution even if I am not required to.

I got a very valuable piece of advice early on in the pandemic from one of the finest leaders I have worked with – Just make a ‘How are you today?’ call to your hotels, your franchisees, your clients and your colleagues. This one act of kindness will pave the way for everlasting relationships, resilience and recovery. (Big learning no. 8).

What I chose to keep with me was the learning

17 years in the Industry, I have been a speaker, a panelist, a recruiter, an interviewer and a manager. Many of these interactions left me stumped with the youthful wisdom around me. I have realized that now more than ever, traditional classifications of ‘learned’ and ‘learner’ are blurring. In this age of coaches and gurus, be sure to have an under 25 ‘reverse mentor’ too, just in case the learning curve is plateauing. Of course, some of us are blessed with free resident coaches in the form of our own offsprings. They keep a check on our waxing egos and waning sartorial sense. (Big learning no. 9)

After writing this piece, when I read it for the first time I realized that I never spoke of any of my struggles here. Was it because there was none? No way! I have had my fair share of trials and tribulations.

Most of the learnings above are an outcome of a disappointment, a mistake or a complete failure. But what I chose to keep with me was the learning. Choose wisely what you will keep with yourself. For you are a treasure chest. At eight, when I observed the degree of resilience, energy and joviality around me (mostly radiated by my father), I prophesied innocently – ‘Life is tough and also busy, you have to live it and make it easy, you have to live it and make it easy…’ (Big learning no. 10)

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Meet the dynamic Managing Partner of Prognosis Global Consulting, a full service Consulting, Asset Management and Advisory Services Company focused on Hospitality, Leisure and Food Services industry in the South Asia Region. 

In a career spanning almost 25 years, with 17 substantial years in the field of hard-core Hotel Operations, today, Ritu Chawla Mathur is one of the few senior women managing partners in India’s Hospitality Consulting landscape; and one with an ideal blend of hotel operations proficiency and high-yielding hospitality consulting expertise.

In her new avatar as an entrepreneur, she also made time to revisit her latent passion for Art. Ritu has had no formal education in art, except her art classes that she thoroughly enjoyed while in School. 

Ritu Chawla Mathur says “Even though I am a Hotelier by profession, I’ll always be an art fanatic at heart, first. My style is evolving every day, but I enjoy abstract and bold representations of simple things in life. For me my paintings are a reminder of celebrating the ordinary, a time to stop and smell the roses”. 

Ritu has been part of the Organizing Committee for ‘Oorja – A redefining expression’ an Art Show for a Cause, in Bangalore, along with being a participating artist.

Ritu Chawla Mathur is also the National Vice President of WICCI Hospitality and Tourism Council that provides an independent forum for Women in the Hospitality & Tourism Industry who can ‘connect and grow’ in their professional pursuits through its goals of networking, communication, education and support.

This is her story:

Beliefs
Does a glass ceiling exist??!! Frankly, I’m not here to answer that for you. But I’m here to share some subtle lessons that I have picked along my journey of 25 years as a career woman, which can help you arrive at your own answers. I’m going to be brutally honest and hopefully inspire and see ourselves less as victims and more as change-agents and rescuers.

Changing the narrative – Success to me
In a hospitality corporate career, defining success seems quite simple. Another step up the career ladder. A larger team. A bigger hotel to run. A better salary.

So when I told my dad, after almost two decades in a thriving career of my dreams with  some of the best Hotel chains in the country, that I was going to marry and then quit my hard-earned positions as GM, it definitely came as a shocker not only to my family but to many. Parting a high-flying job in the peak of your career as a GM of an International chain was almost looking like failure!  Was I giving up on my ambitions?

It was after 17 years as a busy career professional, that I married. I married very late! But let that be hope for women who have spent more time on their careers first and had to sacrifice personal priorities, because leaving my high-paying corporate job was one of my best decisions so far! 

It helped me discover what success really means to me. Today, as an entrepreneur and Managing Partner of my growing Hospitality Consulting firm I still passionately enjoy my cerebral hospitality work, feeling at peace with the right balance between work and relaxation and having enough time to pursue my other hobbies and passions be it art or philanthropy, also helping me connect with my self-identity. 

So I would say create your own ‘success-story’, and dare to dream differently. Find your own lane and proceed to win!

Indra Nooyi’s sweetest and shortest route to success for career women resonates with me, “Pick the right husband.” This couldn’t hold truer for me. I did. And here I am. So to be a future female corporate kingpin is to also give more thought to your choice of spouse. If I had one mantra to share it would be to find a man who is a mental match, but who is happy to play a supportive role in your career.

My real journey of growing into who I am today really started with these choices, uncovering parts of me with each new stage of my life and helping me change the narrative.

Raison d’etre
I am a second generation hotelier. Both my parents have been part of the Hotel Industry from the early years of its advent in India. So there was little surprise that this is all I’ve ever wanted to do and become from as far back as I remember! We lived in Hotels for most of my formative years. I would eat, sleep and dream hotels.

However, when the time came to take up a Hotel Management career my mother was never keen. In spite of herself being a product of the Industry, she had seen the difficult environment of long hours, less pay, glass-ceilings and even a social unacceptance of women in such roles and was hoping to protect me with the discouragement. 

However, I was adamant and with my father’s (hesitant) support, I was privileged to join the hand-picked first batch of IHM, Aurangabad (erstwhile, Indian Institute of Hotel Management) run by the Taj Group of Hotels. So I left home, at the young age of 17yrs, never to look back.

I believe my undying passion for the industry, determination to succeed (and maybe even prove a point!), and commitment to hard-work (as I had seen my parents slog long hours, so I knew what I was getting into) was all defining outcomes of my early growing years. 

In addition, my choice of a strong educational foundation and efforts to eventually join the Taj Group as a Management Trainee in the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel Palace & Towers, Mumbai in my foundation years, catapulted my career in the right trajectory. I later realised in life that following my passion that also pays me, with an organization that resonated with my personal values, was my very raison-d’etre.

My Success Mantra
With my first employer, they moved me every 2-3 years to new hotels and new roles across the country. In my younger years I grabbed the opportunity to explore new cities and just to experience the adrenaline rush of meeting new people – guests and colleagues, alike. 

I was extremely lucky and blessed (humbled and grateful to my mentors) to get my first executive position, as an acting HOD (FOM) in the ripe age of 26 years, leading a team of 30; in 2008 I was one of the youngest GMs of the Taj Group – at the Taj Fisherman’s Cove, Chennai – in those days, viewed as a very challenging position by many, owing to its aggressive labour union. 

I was also selected for the first batch of a sponsored Executive MBA at the SP Jain Institute, Mumbai while working almost 14-16 hours a day as the EAM of a Luxury hotel, leaving me to burn the midnight oil while working a demanding full-time job, sacrifice a lot of my personal life to upskill myself and complete the program, at any cost.

The point I’m trying to make is that there were many firsts and I volunteered for them all! I am of the opinion that every woman, if she makes the choice for a long-haul career, can succeed. You must have the grit, commitment, dream and you will. 

The game is to work hard, stay resilient and get into executive positions early, so you can exercise flexibility and work-life balance that helps you push right to the top. 

Give it your all! Work hard, take initiative, be fearless, don’t just lean forward – plunge in, at every turn embrace the opportunities that come your way — raise your hands and let people know you are up for challenging roles!

Be persistent, be resilient and be purpose-driven.

In the People Business

With each leadership role, I faced a unique set of challenges. In the initial years, as I became a manager at a very young age, it was simply to be taken seriously and have my team execute instructions (you must be aware of the rant : Boss ban gayi hai toh attitude dikha rahi hai).  

As I grew into my senior roles, the challenge became the ability to influence positive outcomes by motivating diverse teams for maximum impact and managing the various stakeholder expectations. 

However, whether dealing with my hotel gardener or my ownership team, some of the people-management skills that have always held me in good stead were: leading by example; empathy; never making it personal or below the belt; not seeking the spotlight but helping others become the stars of the show; respect and transparency while dealing with people across all levels; and never relying on favours but letting high standards of performance and work-ethics talk for me.

My Vision for my Industry
While we women have all that it takes to make good leaders in the Hospitality and related Services industries, from the time I joined and quarter of a century later, we continue to be under represented, especially at senior levels.

Diversity must not just remain a feminine agenda but become a business agenda! Having women leaders in our teams, yields unparalleled opportunities and competitive advantages.  And as smart leaders of tomorrow, to have winning gender-balanced teams – we must be aware of these advantages and support it!

It is time to shift the discussion away from a lingering women’s problem or an issue of equality or glass-ceilings and instead focus on this as a massive business opportunity.

Notes to my younger self

If I could give my younger self some advice it would be that some traits that we women bring on to the table cannot be undermined – well-organized, full of compassion, spiritually aligned and well-balanced (between task & people). 

The best women leaders I’ve worked with and role-modelled are well-rounded people. These women are master multi-taskers and highly collaborative (though not afraid to get territorial to protect their domain!). So my two-penny advice would be to spend the earlier days honing and capitalizing on these very traits that give you an edge.

I believe, theoretically, every woman could be capable of reaching the top of her organization. Right? What sets women such as Indra Nooyi and Ginni Rometty apart from the rest of the similarly talented women are: they embraced opportunities, benefitted from their higher emotional intelligence; sought out the right mentors at various stages; grew their teams along with them, looked for respect more than recognition, had supportive families and dreamt big!

As women, we do not have to “fit in” we just need to wear our superhero capes and don our superpowers of the strong-willed, purpose-driven, and passionate women that we are.

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She is the General Manager at Taj City Centre Gurugram, after her last tenure with Vivanta New Delhi Dwarka as its General Manager where she helped the hotel become a market leader and position itself as the new Vivanta.

With an illustrious experience of nearly 25 years, Kanika Hasrat has held leadership positions and worked with renowned domestic and international hospitality brands across key cities in India and worldwide.

Kanika Hasrat has been a Global Action on Poverty Change Leader and is a strategy advisor and a board member for Labhya Foundation, a non Profit NGO that teaches Social and Emotional Learning popularly known as the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ in Delhi government schools.

Kanika Hasrat is also the President of WICCI Hospitality and Tourism National Council that aims to enhance gender diversity in Indian hospitality through its goals of communication, education, and support.

In an endeavour to bridge the gender divide and help women reach the top echelon of their careers, Kanika Hasrat shares deep insights into moments of truth during her life that helped her grow as an individual and as a professional, with resilience and strength regardless of situations outside her control.

This is her story:

Beliefs

I believe that a General Manager’s role is diverse and versatile that makes each day different from the last!

I believe in harnessing the team’s strengths and strongly opine that true success lies in growing and developing people. I lend a strong voice for gender parity, and I have happily worked with organizations to build platforms that encourage women to share and grow other women.

Childhood

I come from a ‘fauji ‘family, a middle-class family. I remember my dad dedicating long hours at work,  the arduous nature of his work, and being out of station for long intervals. I remember my mother being the one getting us school admissions, making sure we played games, attended all classes on time as well as did all homework with discipline; whether dad was in town or wasn’t.

We also moved cities within the country almost every year and that meant we learned to make friends easily as well had an opportunity to experience different cultures and places. I believe my love for travel and varied experiences comes from this part of my life that has truly been enriching.

Initial years

Once I finished my schooling, the only professions which were known at that time – a doctor or an engineer – were the first few preferences, so when I choose hotel management, it was something which surprised everyone including myself because I too wasn’t very sure of what it entailed. I joined IHM Mumbai and after an initial few months of settling, I realised that in no time I was enjoying the diverse and versatile curriculum, the profound knowledge along with insights from some very passionate teachers.

My first job was actually more of training and learning! I had enrolled at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management, today call OCLD. The institute not only imparted knowledge of running and managing hotels but actually instilled in us the values of discipline, culture, respect and an attitude to never give up till perfection was reached. I know that these values ingrained at an early stage in my career have been the bedrock of my success.

The initial years in the job were tough. The job meant long hours, physical work and so much to imbibe and master. However, my biggest learning was how to deal with a lot of different people. Having started as a housekeeper, I realised that the strength of any process lies in the people.

The job taught me how to work with people of all ages and backgrounds. I learned that respecting individuals, sharing honest feedback and building trust are imperative and that has definitely helped me grow myself and my people.

Challenges

Being a woman in the hospitality industry in the initial stages may seem challenging. I was fortunate to work in companies that showed no discrimination with regard to gender.

So I learned to take responsibility, work shoulder to shoulder with men, and made no excuses for being a woman. I did all shifts, worked long hours, and learned to enjoy the job.

Probably, the toughest time in my professional life was when I became a mother and had to come back to work after three months of maternity leave. It was definitely a heart-wrenching time to leave my daughter at home and come to work.

Though my mother had travelled to be with me during this difficult time, after trying to cope for months – I was finally able to convince my hotel leadership team to allow me to bring my baby and her nanny to work.

The hotel team agreed and I do believe the first-day care and crèche in the Indian hotel industry came into being, due to this revolutionary decision. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity that allowed me to continue working and growing due to the support during a truly crucial time in my life.

Challenges as opportunities

At work, I have always embraced challenges to transform them into learning opportunities. The key is to have an attitude to gain from these experiences. I remember the time the Mumbai flash floods took place and the city came to a standstill. We at the hotel opened the doors to everyone on the streets and had the who’s who of the city stay and mingle with everyone, each one supporting the other.

For three days, we fed people, kept them warm, and served them with smiles while not one of the hotel associates went home. With no cell phone coverage, limited food, and drinking water everyone gave more than they took.

My daughter, all of 2, was in a play school and since I couldn’t reach her or connect with the play school; I decided to trust the goodness of the ladies who took care of her. When I got an opportunity to leave the hotel and managed to get to her after three days I found a locked door. I also found a note with the address of the ‘Didi‘ who took care of the children. She had waited for almost 6 hours for me and then she had decided to take my daughter home with her. When I finally met my daughter after three days she was mosquito-bitten but well taken care of and happy.

It is such instances of kindness that taught me that to give back – one doesn’t need money – all one needs is the desire, the gumption, trust, and hope!

Fun at Work

I enjoy my job and try and do justice to it every single day. However, I also have fun at work whether it is pulling a colleague’s leg or sharing a laugh. Working with people teaches you how to be humble and never judge anyone based on the last mistake. I strongly believe that as a leader, you should keep the team engaged to instill a feeling of togetherness – be it some fun activities at work, cleanliness and plantation drives, healthy competitions to highlights the true stars of the hotel, painting the walls of the staff dining area, movie evenings at the hotel for associates, exclusive Diwali and Annual Day celebrations – it keeps the energy alive!   

Work-life balance 

I know a number of women who struggle to continue working in hotels because they believe they are unable to contribute effectively to both – work and home. I was fortunate to have my parents at my side during the initial stages of motherhood.

Besides, my husband also comes from the same industry and understands my challenges. I have often witnessed pangs of guilt too but today I look back and tell all ladies that “Any relationship is give-and-take. So, each one of us should share the responsibilities undertaken with our loved ones. There is no shame in saying – I can’t do this but standing true to your commitment and delivering to the table in your own unique way and there’s always a way!.”

I also believe that having a good team at work helps us manage this balance better. Hence, it has always been my endeavour to develop my team. I have worked with many companies and for a good number of years and I do believe each person comes to work to make a difference every day and it depends on leaders to train, motivate, teach, handhold, support and help build careers and leaders for tomorrow.

My message

I believe the hospitality industry is an ideal fit for any woman since we deal with human beings – be it a Guest or an Associate. Quality of care, empathy, multi-skilling, creativity, and inkling to be experimental are in-built strengths for most women and these truly help women to grow in our industry.

I have worked with a number of brilliant women who added joy and energy to our day with their charm, smiles, passion to serve and their ability to walk hand-in-hand with men.

Be proud of being a woman. You have many inherent strengths that today’s HR professionals are teaching men to develop. Don’t hesitate to ‘lean in’; ask for support; learn something new every day and enjoy what you do.

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