The Women taking great strides in the Hospitality industry
Mar 05, 2023
In the run-up to International Women's Day this Wednesday 8th March, we wanted to share with you some of the amazing female staff members on our platform and in hospitality who are taking great strides in the industry.
Meet Stephanie Bull, Events and Service Manager at Iris Capital
Did you always want to work in hospitality?
Since an early age all I've wanted to do was put on lovely dinners for my family. I remember my Dad saying "no more tomato based dishes please!" So I moved to Asian influenced dishes, and so the cuisine changes continued.
That love is still very much alive today. Good food and wine/cocktails are so many people's love language and is 110% mine! Bringing people together and creating a memorable moment is something that has always and will always bring me joy so being able to do that in my professional life is simply a dream...most of the time!
How did you get to where you are today?
Started with hospitality and food tech back in high school. After a few years in supervisory and duty manager roles this then led to my commercial cookery certificate and my first exec chef role. I then stepped into event management whilst completing my diploma of business. This then took me into my first general manager role for a small restaurant group. My latest role with Hotel Steyne is where I finally got up the 'lady balls' to step into a large hospitality group and I couldn't be any happier with my decision. I have lived and breathed hospitality from every sector in my 20 years of experience, too much to squeeze into a few paragraphs. Being in a large group gives me the confidence to know the capacity is there for new challenges and career growth.
What's your go-to comfort food when you need a pick-me-up at the end of the week?
Ooo hard decision between dumplings and pizza
Meet Barbara Bicalho, General Manager for Applejack Hospitality at So Cal
Who's the first woman who inspired you?
All the women in my family are truly an inspiration to me. They have overcome so much in their life and taught me to be kind and empathetic to anyone even in times where we are struggling. Their strength, their care to our family taught me to always do my best, be strong in times of struggle, and treat others the way I want to be treated. Be empowered and kind. But my mum definitely is the woman who inspired me the most. In times where I struggle and feel down about myself, my mum is always there to encourage me to stick up for myself and what I believe in.
Did you always want to work in hospitality? How did you get to where you are today?
I’m fascinated by knowing new cultures, meeting new people, new experiences and as a reformer athlete, challenges have driven my life. All these led me to move to Australia for a life experience 7 years ago. I never planned that as my career. I started as a runner in a restaurant with not much English, just the basics to ask for a job. My goal at the start was to learn a new language. With lots of hard work and big challenges, the opportunities happened. From a food runner 7 years ago, I worked my way up in the industry becoming, proudly, General Manager at AppleJack Hospitality. I still have the feeling I’m still learning new skills, meeting amazing people and challenging myself every day. I have always worked looking after others and my goal is to always influence people's life positivity. Hospitality taught me skills that I could not learn anywhere else.
When it comes to women empowerment we have come a long way, how do you think the hospitality industry matches up?
The whole world and all industries are going through a moment where more women are taking leadership roles more than ever before. And this will only keep growing. We are movers by history and nature, we are driven, multitaskers and we care. Hospitality needs our emotional intelligence. Our sorority is important too, you can’t be what you can’t see. Supporting and inspiring the new women starting in the industry is our only way to bring to hospitality more women in leadership roles in equality.
Meet Ligia Mak, General Manager at O’Connells Hotel (Colonial Leisure Group)
Who's the first woman who inspired you?
My mother, I admire her resilience and compassion. She taught me to be a better version of myself, staying true to my values no matter what life throws at you.
When it comes to women empowerment we have come a long way, how do you think the hospitality industry matches up?
Our industry has certainly progressed over the years. We would see more opportunities given to young female professionals, and more women in senior and executive positions. CLG/Morris Group is a great example of gender diversity. It's inspiring to work beside so many amazing women every day.
What's your go-to comfort food when you need a pick-me-up at the end of the week?
Definitely pho. Nothing better than a big bowl of heart-warming carbs.
Lydia MacDonell, Cluster Talent & Culture Manager at Accor
Lydia works across multiple venues including Novotel Melbourne South Wharf, Ibis Melbourne Glen Waverley and Ibis Budget Melbourne Airport.
How did you find yourself in your current role?
I worked for Accor for 2 years before being ready for a change. I moved to a different employer but it wasn’t long before I missed the culture and people we have at Accor, where I could really develop my strengths and be myself. I was very grateful to be offered an opportunity to return in 2022, and as that opportunity wound down, another appeared! I am currently covering a maternity leave. You never know what opportunities could be coming down the track!
Who’s one role model or mentor that you’ve looked up to throughout your career?
While I was studying my HR degree, a program alumni came to speak and she was a Senior International Director for HR for a hospitality group. I knew straight away I wanted a career that looked just like hers. Also, I’ve referenced Cal Newport and Brene Brown (Authors) around the office way too much. I’m very lucky to have always had strong female managers to learn and develop from, and who have supported and pitched for my growth.
See here to read more about Lydia, her hospo journey and experience working for Accor Hospitality Group.
Meet Kimberly, Marketing Manager at the Morris Group
\The hospitality industry is all about constantly changing and personal growth. Providing a platform to work in a wide variety of positions and can even help you travel the world.
Over the past 11 years, Kimberley has had 8 different roles, originally starting in hospo and working casually throughout her uni degree.
“I’ve always loved tourism, hospitality, and marketing. Being in marketing was always my dream but I never thought that starting out working in guest services could one day lead to me being Marketing Manager and part of the Executive Management Team. I’m so glad that the happy accident of working my way up through the company has brought me to where I am today. I love having a job that is so fun, creative and challenging.”
See here to read more about Kimberly, her hospo journey and experience working for Morris Group.
Meet Kayla, Venue Manager at Botswana Butchery Sydney
Kayla has been working in hospitality since she was 15 years old. Starting in fast food working at KFC in her hometown Waihi, NZ, she then made her way to Vancouver working as a waitress for 2 years. After coming back to NZ to study a Bachelor of Media Arts she found “the hospo pull too strong” and moved to Sydney to get back into the hospo world, starting her management career.
What do you love most about working for Good Group?
I would have to say the adaptability, creativity, and innovation within the company as well as the many opportunities that have been presented throughout the years. I also love the people - it helps having a great boss!
Who inspires you?
My mum! She's one of the strongest, kindest and fearless people I know.
See here to read more about Kayla, her hospo journey and experience working for Botswana Butchery.
Meet Thérèse, National Recruitment Manager at Australian Venue Co.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what's your role?
I started when I was 16 as a kitchen hand in high school, which then led me to get another kitchen hand role when I decided university wasn't necessarily for me, and then was given an opportunity to jump into a glassy role.
My manager at the time said “we need to get out of the kitchen” so she gave me an opportunity to get into the front of house. From there it's just been go, go, go. I progressed into several management roles, and then I've been running pubs for [the last] six years as a venue manager, 5 of which were with Aus Venue Co.
If you could have it all again, would you go into hospitality? And if the answer is yes, what would you have told yourself as you were entering hospo?
I beat myself up a lot over the years because I missed so many birthdays, so many events or whatever it may be, and while I thought I would have loved to have been a veterinarian (what Thérèse studied at uni), I often found myself saying to myself I wish I pursued my university degree. But the truth of the matter is, I would like to think I'm extremely successful. I earn really good money and I'm working for one of the best hospitality companies in the world. I'm now the national recruitment manager.
I would have just told myself to just run the path. I've travelled the world with hospitality. I've got friends for life because of hospitality, I've met so many amazing people. I've had so many great opportunities, I probably wouldn't change anything.
In all honesty there have been times where I really wished I had just finished my university [degree]. But I wouldn't be where I am now with the people and the knowledge, and the wisdom if I didn't just stay the course.
See here to read more about Thérèse, her hospo journey and experience working for Australian Venue Co.
Meet Kayla, Waitress at Bopp and Tone, Applejack
Kayla has worked for Applejack Hospitality as a casual employee for 3 years. “Kayla provides guests with excellent service every day, her personality & banter beaming through and always has a smile on her face.”
How did you get into hospo?
I actually got into hospo when I was about 16 - working at Pizza Hut if that counts, but after I finished school I joined a bunch of my best mates at a sports pub just for an excuse to hang out with them some more. Turned out I really enjoyed it, a couple of years went by and then I moved on to a cocktail bar, and then a few years after that I moved on to the restaurant side of things and found I loved that even more than bartending and have been doing it ever since.
What do you love most about being a waitress?
Lots of things, it’s pretty hard to pick. A big one is just the time I get to spend with guests – meeting all kinds of people, the banter, building rapport, the satisfaction of being part of their experience. I also love how good Bopp & Tone Management is, they definitely encourage everyones personality to shine. I know I definitely couldn’t work in a super fine dining place, I’m sure I have the skill but nah I need a place where I can be 100% myself, loud and sassy and happy.
See here to read more about Kayla, her hospo journey and experience working for Applejack.
Meet Jung Eun Chae, Owner and Executive chef of CHAE
Chae, the “one-woman show” is turning heads & expanding minds with her 6-seat restaurant "Chae", run from her residential home. Chae's take on traditional Korean cuisine & quality dining service has earned the restaurant a 8,000-person-strong waitlist.
“I realised after working with her that anyone can be my teacher, it doesn’t need to be famous people. I found my real teacher next to me, my mum. I was always looking for masters of cooking and didn't realise that my mum is a master,” says Chae.
"My dream is what I’m doing right now,” says Chae. “I want to make and give food to people and enjoy doing that for as long as I am physically able. People ask me to serve more people but that would compromise the goal of sharing this very traditional Korean food to Australian people. I want to eliminate all the noise that comes with running a traditional restaurant and focus on the cooking, to give small groups of people a quality dining service.”
See here to read more about Chae’s hospitality changing move for the hospo industry.
Meet Sarah Baldwin, Owner and Executive Chef of Joy
Sarah began her hospo career as a dishie & now runs one of Brisbane's most in-demand restaurants, "Joy". Sarah provides a “meaningful”, “highly engaging” and “personal” dining experience, and is an industry leader in innovation.
Baldwin has found some difficulty being a women in a male-dominated role “There are still customers who ask me who the chef is..Being a chef is a male-led role; I don’t think it’s our customers’ fault for not assuming I’m a chef” But has found ways to may ‘Joy’ the restaurant she believes in, “The best moments are when you’ve done a really good service, everything has gone smoothly and everyone has left happy,” says Baldwin. “Those days are the greatest reminder of why Joy exists. I don’t need a lot of huge-scale achievements; if a customer thanks me on the way out, it’s enough to know what I’m doing is worth it.”
See here to read more about Sarah and her experience running “Joy”.
If you’d like to thrive in the hospitality world just like these women, see here for our open roles you can apply for!
For more inspiring women in hospitality stories see www.womeninhospitality.org
Looking for ways to celebrate International Women’s Day this Wednesday (8th March)? See their official website here.
