Women are still notably underrepresented across a range of industries globally, but being a general manager in a hotel, where the hours are long and there is often a need to relocate, has been notoriously tough for females looking to juggle family life with their careers.
Hotelier meets four general managers who challenge this view, asserting that anyone can rise to the top despite traditional gender roles or cultural boundaries
Meet the experts
Anke Glaessing
General manager, Mövenpick Deira
Anke Glaessing is general manager at 215-room Mövenpick Deira, Dubai. The hotel has two F&B outlets and seven meeting rooms, and is located right at the heart of Mubarak Square. Anke has worked at the hotel for two years, prior to which she was hotel manager at Al Murooj Rotana, Dubai. A German national, Anke has been living and working in the Middle East for seven years.
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Chantel Moore
General manager, Burjuman Arjaan by Rotana
Chantel has been heading up Bur Dubai-based deluxe apartments, Burjuman Arjaan by Rotana for two-and-a-half years, and has held GM roles for the past eight, having worked with Habtoor Hotels. She also previously held a business development role with Accor. Her current property has 148 suites, seven meeting rooms, a four-bed penthouse and three duplex townhouses. Chantel has lived in the Middle East for 10 years and hails from Australia.
Eleni Tsolakou
General manager, Centro Barsha, Dubai
A four-star business hotel for price-conscious modern travellers, Centro Barsha has 243 rooms, two meeting rooms and a rooftop pool, and is located near the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. Eleni has been with Rotana for three years, and a general manager for two years, before which she was a hotel manager. Eleni comes from Greece.
Debrah Dhugga
General manager, Dukes London, UK
At the helm of the prestigious, five-star Deluxe Dukes London, located in Mayfair, is Debrah Dhugga, who operates the hotel herself and reports into owner, Dubai-based luxury property developer, Seven Tides. The hotel feature 90 bedrooms and is recognised as one of the leading boutique hotels in the UK. Debrah has held her role for five years and was previously director of retail and spa at ghd, a leading worldwide beauty brand.
What are the opportunities for females seeking a GM role in Dubai?
Chantel moore: I’ve had the best experiences I’ve ever had in the Middle East. And it’s not because I’m a woman, it’s because of the job I do. Both of the groups I’ve had GM roles with are local companies, which just shows their belief that we can be leaders. I think it’s very dynamic here.
Eleni tsolakou: Definitely for me there have been more opportunities here than in other parts of the world, because things move so fast, it’s so dynamic, hotels are coming up all the time.
Anke glaessing: People move here because there are international chains, they do four or five years and then move somewhere else. They don’t get into the comfort zone so I think here you have more opportunities for progression.
Chantel: I think it’s easier to be a GM here. If you’re put in front of clients or government authorities everyone is super polite here and if you’re a female in business the door is always open. So if you want to be a GM and get to that level I think it gets a lot easier, and you actually get things done and there’s a certain level of respect.
Eleni: I’ve worked in Egypt before, and Africa and Asia. In Africa it’s up to you. At the beginning they think ‘oh you’re female’ but you need to put your point across, and you can do it. And I find that in the Middle East or in Egypt it’s easier. There’s a perception that working in the Middle East as a female is harder but it’s really just a perception, it’s not reality.
So why are there so few female general managers in Dubai?
Chantel: Maybe it’s not for everybody. If you want a career in hospitality the opportunity is there, if you’re looking for it, and if you’re willing to work hard hours, because hotels don’t close.
Eleni: It’s up to the individual. It’s just a personal choice if they want to take that challenge, but no one will stop people getting those jobs.
Chantel: It’s a career choice and whether you’re a man or a woman it just happens. We happen to be in the right place at the right time so it’s a case of whether you want to get the phone call at 3 o’clock in the morning, and whether you are willing to take that phone call. All of us in this room are obviously willing to do that, but I don’t think it’s about male or female.
Anke: I get emails to ‘Mr Anke’ or ‘Mr Glaessing’, and the other day somebody called me and said ‘oh hello can I speak to Mr Glaessing?’ and I said, ‘yes that’s me’. It still is male-dominated, it’s a man’s world (laughs).
Debrah Dhugga: I really don’t think it’s easy; I think a female general manager really has to stretch because it’s still a very male-dominated industry out there, no matter what we say and how much we like to think it isn’t. I’d love to be sitting here and saying we’re the majority, but we’re not. We do have to stretch ourselves an awful lot to go that extra mile, but if you’re strong and confident there’s no reason why you can’t do it.
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