Hospitality Plus presents you the 2020 edition of the Power 25 Women in Hospitality, the only list that recognises and celebrates the top 25 most influential women hotel professionals working in the hospitality industry. Two in a hierarchy out of these 25 women hotel professionals are covered every month. Give a read and feel inspired.
Elaine Watson
Cluster General Manager, Marriott International
The first female general manager for Marriott in the Middle East in 2001, Elaine Watson has had a diverse career, working across several of the hospitality group‘s brands.
As well as the UAE, She has held assignments in Egypt and South Africa and, in 2008, won the Hotelier Middle East award for General Manager of the Year.
Her greatest professional accomplishment to date was being able to transfer from the finance sector as a qualified ACCA into an operational role which is where her passion lies.
The three hotels (Aloft Me’aisam, Element Me’aisam and Aloft Dubai South) that she currently manages are continuing to develop their presence both in the larger UAE market and within their respective neighbourhoods.
Watson and her team are on a continuous journey to increase revenue and improve efficiencies and consistency in operations to ensure maximum returns for all stakeholders
https://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/lists/113105-elaine-watson
Feryal Haddon
Cluster Director of Human Resources, Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and Hilton Dubai The Walk and Hilton Dubai Creek
Having spent close to 30 years in a managerial role Feryal Haddon has had a hand in developing a significant number of hospitality industry leaders.
Along with achieving significant savings through the effective cost management of payroll and staff accommodation, Haddon has a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) certification and during her tenure, she has improved the cluster’s on-boarding process by adopting a bottom up approach to new arrival surveys.
Haddon says, “Looking after close to 1,000 team members directly is a considerable responsibility. My aim is to create and maintain a positive culture within the organisation.”
