Nadi 18 March 2021 – Marriott International Hotels & Resorts in Fiji launched the Women in Leadership program on the 17th March 2021 to support female leaders. The programme helps women through a “series of initiatives including a networking programme for existing leaders, a mentorship programme for future leaders and more focused learning and development initiatives”.
Regina Wilson, Market Director of Sales & Marketing – Fiji & Samoa who will champion the program said Marriott International’s founders, J.W. and Alice S. Marriott, were partners in every sense, with Alice Marriott being a force behind every major decision and a “woman of firsts,” as the company’s first woman vice president and board director. She set a high standard for the role women would play in company leadership.”
“I had implemented the Women in Leadership program for Marriott Thailand Hotels & Resorts a few years back and am honoured and eager to take on the challenge to champion this program here in Fiji,” she said.
Speaking also at the event, Farrah Shazleen, Cluster Director of Human Resources – Fiji highlighted that 41% of total Fiji associates are women and 40% women representation in Executive Committee. In addition to this, 30% of women are in management position roles within Fiji Hotels and Resorts.
As a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion, Marriott has firmly established its commitment to women’s advancement:
– Nearly two decades ago, Marriott established a board of directors’ committee focused on accountability and advancing inclusive opportunities for women, people of colour and other stakeholders. The committee is chaired by Debra Lee, Marriott board of directors’ member and former CEO BET Networks and comprised of other board members and Marriott senior executives.
– Marriott’s Women’s Leadership Development Initiative, established over 20 years ago, focuses on increasing the presence of women at the highest level of management and in other decision-making positions. Core components of the initiative include leadership development, networking and mentoring, and responsive workplace policies that promote work-life integration.
– The Emerging Leader Program is Marriott’s 12-month program launched in 2014 to ensure the development of high-performing front-line leaders, senior leaders and other managers who demonstrate the ability to excel to higher levels. The program has been instrumental in increasing the number of women and people of colour in leadership roles with 100 per cent of program participants promoted or selected for strategic developmental roles.
Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association
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