Press Kit

WOMENSWORDS
FEBRUARY 2015

SUMMARY

SOPHIE STABILE
EDITORIAL: LETS AMPLIFY THE VOICE OF WOMEN

P.03

CARO VAN EEKELEN

IS TEAM DIVERSITY THE KEY TO GOOD
MANAGEMENT?

P.04

JULIE GRGOIRE
FOR WOMEN BY WOMEN

P.06

SHEILA MITCHELL ET MONIKA STADLER

JOB MOBILITY, A KEY TO SUCCESS FOR WOMEN

P.09

NICOLA HOCHGRUBER ET LAETITIA NYOP

WOMEN GENERAL MANAGERS IN MALE
TERRITORY

P.12

MALGORZATA MOREK
WOMEN AT ACCOR GENERATION IS
A REAL SUCCESS IN POLAND

P.15

CHRISTINE RUMBLE
WOMEN AT ACCOR GENERATION: A REGIONAL
INITIATIVE WITH LOCAL UNDERTAKINGS

P.17

LUCIANA NAKAMURA
AN EXEMPLARY CAREER WITH ACCOR IN BRAZIL

P.20

FABIENNE ZANFONI
ASSERTING THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN SPAIN
AND PORTUGAL

P.22

FRDRIQUE POGGI
DIVERSITY: A MUST AT ACCOR

P.24

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

EDITORIAL

Lets amplify
the voice of women.

e know that more women graduate from top universities than

men, yet they hold fewer positions of responsibility in companies.
We also know that diverse teams are more innovative and
efcient, but quotas are still necessary in recruitment processes
Women at Accor Generation aims to give women condence in their potential, incite them to dare and accompany them as they adopt this approach.

Sophie Stabile,
Chief Financial Officer of
Accor and President of Women
at Accor Generation

Ever since it was created in 2012, Women at Accor Generation has been
working towards this aim through various lines of action. The rst is its
mentoring program, which now has 90 mentor-mentee pairs around the
world. Each mentor, male or female, supports and accompanies a mentee
at an important moment in her career. We also encourage the sharing of
experiences, the creation of networks and exchanges with womens networks
outside Accor. Lastly, we foster womens access to training, which is an
essential aspect of career development.
As well as our internal initiatives, we take an interest in the 50 million female
customers who stay in Accor hotels around the world. A work group initiated
by Women at Accor Generation has conducted a wide scale survey to
identify their needs and respond better to their expectations by adapting the
Groups service offer.
Today, we are proud to have a network that comprises 2,500 members, both
women and men, on all ve continents. We have nine regional leaders in eight
geographic regions so we can offer activities tailored to local issues. And we
are not stopping there! 2015 is beginning with a strong commitment coming
from Accor: the signing of the WEPs (Womens Empowerment Principles). This
program, an initiative of UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact,
denes seven principles that foster the empowerment of women in the workplace, the marketplace and the community. By adhering to these principles,
Accor is asserting its commitment to diversity and gender equality at an international level.
This year, we will include more men in our activities, we will step up the mentoring program, we will continue to support local initiatives and we will also
develop training courses. Our watchwords are action and audacity.
In this press kit, I invite you to read the testimonials of women who work for
Accor in various positions across different levels of the company. Here they
give their assessment of the place of women in the workplace, talk about their
achievements, the challenges that still await them, their desire to take action
in order to change things and the possibilities offered by Women at Accor
Generation to amplify the voice of women across frontiers

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

IS TEAM DIVERSITY
THE KEY TO GOOD
MANAGEMENT?
Caro van Eekelen, Accors only woman Chief Operating
Ofcer in Europe, is convinced that different genders,
ages and origins are the making of a strong team.
Every day, Caro van Eekelen observes that commitment
to diversity management helps enhance the companys
performance.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

CARO VAN EEKELEN

Dare to diversify
your experience!
You are the only female
regional COO in Europe and
as such illustrate the potential
of diversity.
How did you achieve this?
A lot of it has to do with temperament. Mine was shaped when I
worked for Disneyland Paris where
I changed jobs every two years.
When I returned after my second
maternity leave, I was astonished
when I was offered the job I had
held six years earlier. It was a real
step backwards! However, I dared to
turn the offer down and managed to
obtain another position. Also, when I
was a student I was very bad at languages. However, afterwards, when
I went to work in the Caribbean I had
to learn English and then French in
Paris in just a few months. Thats why
I rmly believe that we can always
achieve a lot more than we think. In
fact thats the message I communicate to my teams every day: dare to
diversify your experience! I have also
always believed in diversity within
a company. In fact, part of my job
involves working with teams made
up of people from very different
backgrounds. Obviously, my management team also comprises men
and women of different nationalities,
with a wide range of experiences
and degrees.

What are the characteristics

of a diverse team?
A diverse team is more creative when
solving a problem. A team made up
of people of different ages can have
combined benets. For example, the

younger generation may have a better command of new technologies

and the older generation could have
a better understanding of a well-anchored corporate culture. In teams that
respect and account for all types of
diversity, employees also feel more at
ease. If they feel good about themselves, they perform better. Upholding
diversity also means encouraging
gender diversity. Sometimes certain
measures have to be taken. Thats why
we have launched an initiative that
is still being tested in the Benelux
countries, whereby when we recruit,
we insist that both a man and a
woman feature on the shortlist. My
objective is to have women represent
35% of hotel General Managers.

As one of Women at Accor

Generations regional
representatives, how do you
help other women to surpass
themselves?
When I became Managing Director
for the Netherlands, I was very exposed and held up as an example.
Because I was in a more visible
position I was able to share my experience. My nancial independence
is my freedom. Women should have
no inhibitions about being mothers
and working at the same time.
Thats the message I wanted to
convey to my female colleagues
who are mothers, and thats why I
decided to join Women at Accor
Generation. I run mentoring activities
for the network, am invited to offer my
testimonial at training sessions, etc. At
the same time, I have made the per-

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

sonal commitment to go to schools to

undermine gender stereotypes and
explain that women can successfully
manage both a family and a career.
I hope to inspire the female students.

Her

CV

1987
School for Hospitality
Management in The Hague
1987-1992
Rooms Division Manager for
hotels opening in the Caribbean,
the Netherlands (Amsterdam),
France (Paris) and Ghana.
1992-2006
Various management positions
with Disneyland Resort Paris
2006-2007
Creation de CVE, a hospitality
management consultancy firm
2007-2009
Chief Operating Officer Adagio
City ApartHotels
2009
Managing Director, Accor
the Netherlands
2012
Senior Vice President Novotel
& Suite Novotel UK, Ireland
and Benelux
2014
Chief Operating Officer
Hotel Services Benelux

JULIE GRGOIRE
AND MGALLERY: FOR
WOMEN BY WOMEN
Sometimes its the small details that make you feel as
comfortable in a hotel as you would at home. However,
these small details still continue to be devised for men
by men. With the Inspired by her offer, Julie Grgoire,
Accors Senior Vice President France Luxury and
Upscale intends to adapt the services offered in
MGallery hotels to the expectations of female guests.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

JULIE GRGOIRE

Accor has a trump card to

play with its attentive services
specially designed for women.

ath robes in rugby player sizes,

magnifying mirrors that are
positioned too high, a stopgap
kit that contains a razor, etc.
These are the sort of irritating things
that might annoy or even spoil your
stay in a hotel if you are a woman.
Julie Grgoire was one of the rst
to realise this and she decided to
change things. She is the woman who
created the MGallery brand, which
already has a feminine element in
its DNA and communication codes.
She initiated Inspired by her, an ambitious program which aims to adapt
the welcome provided in MGallery
hotels to the growing number of
female guests included in the
business travel sector. Indeed, men
have long since relinquished their
monopoly over business travel. In fact,
43% of business customers are now
women. What is more, women have
also taken over when it comes to
organising leisure trips. In threequarters of cases, they are the ones
who decide which hotel they will set
their vanity case down in. Yet, the
market has taken time to react to this
underlying trend and Accor therefore has a trump card to play with its
attentive services specially designed
for women

Specific expectations
Julie Grgoire is one of these
frequent women travelers and often
goes on business trips. She cannot

The Inspired by Her offer has already been rolled out in all the MGallery hotels in France.

imagine travelling without taking

advantage of her stay to meet the
brands female guests. A few words
exchanged in a lobby, or a more
formal discussion over dinner provide
information that is as valuable as that

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

obtained in surveys. How else could

she nd out that women guests bring
a few sachets of herbal tea along
in their handbags because they are
worried the hotel wont have any?
Julie Grgoires professional career

JULIE GRGOIRE

Inspired by her has already

resulted in a 95% female
customer satisfaction rate.
has also taught her the importance
of paying attention to detail. She is a
graduate of EHL hotel management
school in Lausanne and started out
with the Hyatt in Bali before joining
KPMG consultants and then Accors
marketing department. To launch Inspired by Her, Julie Grgoire called on
WAAGs rich diversity. Using data from
the Le Club Accorhotels loyalty program, a WAAG work group carried
out a survey of 250 women who
agreed to disclose their expectations.
Julie Grgoire points out Our female
guests want comfort and security, but
they also want calm and well-being.
Enjoying lighter meals is also one of
their most widely expressed wishes.
MGallery is now the rst upscale
hotel brand in France to cater for
these expectations. It seemed
logical to rise to this challenge
since MGallery is the Accor brand
women prefer in this segment and
they currently represent one third of
our guests.

An attentive welcome
Early in 2014, the Lyon Carlton, the
Grand Hotel de Cabourg, the Grand
Hotel Roi Ren in Aix-en-Provence,
and the Baltimore in Paris were the
rst to adopt this program. Before
assigning a female guest her room,
these hoteliers are particularly

attentive: some women guests

prefer a smaller, cosier room to a
larger one. They might also feel safer
if their room is located close to the
lifts rather than isolated at the end
of a corridor. Once they are in their
room, they also nd a host of small
details just for them: beauty products
by famous brands, a pocket mirror
and a full-length mirror, non-slip
hangers so that skirts dont end up on
the oor or crumpled at the back of
the cupboard The beauty menu,
based on the principle of room service, is another service that allows
women to order high quality cosmetic products from their rooms so they
can pamper themselves with body
scrubs, massages and moisturizing
masks. Once again, it was by talking
to women guests that Julie Grgoire
was able to pinpoint the fact that
women wanted to take advantage
of their time in hotels to take care
of themselves. And if theyve left an
accessory at home, theres no need
to panic, the reception desk has the
answer to everything: hair ties for
sport, clothes brushes, hair straighteners, nail polish remover so their nails
are perfect for tomorrows meeting,
and much more. Last but not least,
the food and beverage service
has gone that extra mile and now
includes dishes for ladies watching

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

their waistlines, for example fresh

fruit, salads, soups, fromage blanc,
and a selection of herbal teas.

An evolving concept
Within just a few months, the Inspired
by her approach demonstrated its
relevance since 95% of the customers
that use its services say they are
very satised, explains a delighted
Julie Grgoire. They especially
appreciated details being able
to order the bathroom beauty
products and the womens press
that is available for them so
they can take a break from their
dossiers at breakfast. Now that the
pilot phase has been approved, the
offer is currently being rolled out in
all the brands hotels. Other services
could also be added to ensure that
women are even better looked
after.

JOB MOBILITY, A KEY

TO SUCCESS FOR WOMEN
Neither Sheila Mitchell, General Manager of the
Novotel Blackfriars London, nor Monika Stadler,
VP Upscale Operations for 16 up-and midscale hotels
in Switzerland, shied away from taking risks in order
to rise up the career ladder. Their career paths and
experiences are different, but they both share
the same satisfaction at having achieved professional
success through job mobility.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

SHEILA MITCHELL / MONIKA STADLER

I had to demonstrate
that I was capable of
changing and adapting.
Monika Stadler

Monika, you went from being

Chief Housekeeper to General
Manager in eight years, and
Sheila, you also rose from Front
Office Manager to General
Manager. Had either of you
envisaged this kind of career
progression?
Monika Stadler: To be honest, no. I never really established a precise career
plan. However, I knew that I couldnt
do the same job for ever. I like diversity and therefore actively looked for
jobs that I could do after occupying
one position and then another. I
seized the opportunities that came my
way. I had to demonstrate that I was
capable of changing and adapting.
Sheila Mitchell: When I started with
Accor in 1976, there were very few
hotels in the UK. It was only after I had
been with Accor for ten years, that the
opportunity of moving came up. At
the time, I was married to a General
Manager who had the opportunity to
move to New York and then back to
the United Kingdom. I followed him,
but then I stayed in New York, which
gave me the chance to build my
career there. I worked in three hotels
in the United States before returning
to the UK. Since then, between 1996
and now, I have worked in four UK
establishments.

Do you believe that job

mobility is just a question of
personality and motivation?
M. S.: Its true that you have to be
curious, exible and enjoy new
challenges. Having a clear view of

the objective is essential, but you

must also be aware of the fact its
a step by step process. You have
to be enthusiastic even though the
workload is heavy.
S. M.: I think you have to be a good
listener, keep an open mind and
provide constructive reporting about
your activity. Its also crucial to give
credit to the decisions you take
even if the results arent always what
you expect. Lastly and most
importantly, you mustnt be afraid of
asking for help, although you should
gauge which situations you can
manage alone. Support from your
superiors is essential when you want to
build an international career.

Has being a woman affected

your career progression?
M. S.: Its actually helped me.
Throughout my career, Ive often
heard customers or team members
say that women make the best
General Managers. They have an
eye for detail when it comes to
organisation and logistics, as well as
keen relational and social sensitivity.
The female approach to hospitality is
in some ways fresh and different.

Her

CV

SHEILA
MITCHELL

1976
Front Office Manager,
Novotel Bradford
(United Kingdom)
1986-1996
Director of Sales & Marketing
for Novotel New York Time
Square (United States)
1996
General Manager of
the Novotel Wolverhampton
(United Kingdom)
October 2012
General Manager of the Novotel
London Blackfriars
(United Kingdom)
since its opening
2013
Received a Bernache Award
in the Performance category
for her entire career.

S. M.: For me, being a woman wasnt

really an advantage when I started
out. There were less women than
there are now working in the industry.
I remember meetings where it was
difcult to establish the legitimacy
of my opinion. I have also had to
face customers who insisted that
they wanted to complain to the
manager, but never for a second

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

10

SHEILA MITCHELL / MONIKA STADLER

I joined Women at
Accor Generation to help
women at all levels.
Sheila Mitchell
imagined that the manager could
be a woman! Its true that at the time
I was one of a minority. With time,
I have learnt to impose myself and
realized that we were all, both men
and women, on a level pegging.

Monika, what advice would

you give women who would
like to use international job
mobility to build a career like
yours?
Above all, you have adapt to different cultures and maintain a healthy
work/life balance. You probably
need to have an understanding
partner and you should expect to
have to make a few small sacrices. However, you will obtain great
rewards in return. For example, as
far as I am concerned, international job mobility has allowed me to
greatly improve my French, to enrich
my network and to benet from the
skills inherited from both cultures. In
France, I have learnt to move ahead
and develop my creativity. German
culture, on the other hand, has
given me great rigor and a sense of
organisation. Lastly, you must be
curious, sensitive and not afraid
to take time to think about your
personal and professional aspirations
before you forge ahead!

have enabled me to progress more

quickly. I lost too much time
questioning my abilities. This said,
the knowledge and understanding
of
certain
procedures
can
only be achieved with time and
experience

You are both members

of Women at Accor Generation,
why did you join this network?
M. S.: I see it a very good initiative,
even more so as women are currently
gaining momentum in business thats
why I wanted to be part of it.
S. M.: I joined Women at Accor
Generation to help women at all levels
to progress in their careers, at a pace
that meets their work life balance, but
also to share my experience with other
women.

Her

CV

MONIKA
STADLER

1982
Head Housekeeper at Novotel
Wien Airport (Austria)
1984-1991
Assistant to the General
Manager of the Mercure Wien
Zentrum (Austria)
1994-1996
General Manager Mercure Wien
Zentrum and Mercure Wien City
1999-2001
Head of Loyalty Programs and
Partnerships, Accor Hotels
Germany, in Munich (Germany)
2001-2003
Head of Novotel Worldwide
Integration, Accor SA Paris-Evry
Paris (France)
2009-2011
General Manager of MGallery
Hotel Am Konzerthaus,
in Vienna (Austria)
2011-2012
Director of Brand Operations
MGallery, Novotel, Suitenovotel,
Mercure (14 hotels) in Austria
2014
Vice President of Upscale
brands, in Switzerland and
Austria (45 hotels)

Sheila, would you say that you

have had the perfect career?
I wish I had had more self-condence earlier, so that I could have
seized more opportunities that would

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

11

WOMEN
GENERAL MANAGERS
IN MALE TERRITORY
Nicola Hochgruber and Laetitia Nyop, the General
Managers of hotels in Abu Dhabi and Lom, talk about
their day-to-day lives in jobs that are usually held
by men in these parts of the world.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

12

NICOLA HOCHGRUBER ET LAETITIA NYOP

I always had to convince

my entourage.
Nicola Hochgruber

How did you become

a General Manager in
a country where women
rarely have access to positions
of responsibility?
Nicola Hochgruber: During a regional meeting for Suite Novotel, I heard
that an establishment was being
built in Dubai. I jumped at the opportunity. I had been with Accor for 18
years, including nine as a GM and
had acquired a good reputation
in my home country, Germany. My
bosses supported me fully and reassured management in the Middle
East regarding my abilities. However,
there were some reservations regarding my application as I was a woman and had never lived abroad.
Laetitia Nyop: After completing my
studies and working in a rst job in
France, I continued my career in
Africa. In 2008, when I arrived at the
Sotel Malabo, in Equatorial Guinea,
I was faced with the challenge of
replacing a man as Front Ofce Manager, which is a key position. I had
to be available around the clock
and worked tirelessly. In 2009, after a
crisis situation which earned me an
award (see box), I decided to join
the ibis brand. Thanks to the support
of Jean-Marc Schnell, Director of
Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa,
I was appointed GM of the ibis Lom
in 2012.

What obstacles did you have

to overcome?
N. H.: When I arrived in Dubai in May
2008, I realised that women rarely held
positions of this kind. At rst, nobody
had condence in me, despite my
experience and years of service with
the Group. I always had to convince
my entourage. I also had to adapt
to a different culture and this was a
signicant challenge for me. For example, given the relatively unreliable
punctuality of work meetings, I soon
understood that arriving on time was
a waste of time! I also realised how
important family is in the Middle East.
When there are problems in their
family, employees are entitled to
leave their positions to look after their
loved ones. Its considered normal.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

As for women, they are increasingly

young when they start working, but
as soon as they are married they
return home to take on their family
responsibilities. Pension funds dont
exist here and children are therefore
the elderlys only chance of survival.
L. N.: I had to overcome two major
obstacles: my age and my lack of
experience in a similar position. At 29,
I was much younger than the average
GM, most of whom are between
45 and 50. I therefore had to demonstrate that I was motivated and that
I could adapt and learn fast. I also
relied on the very formative, hands-on
experience I had gained in my four
and a half years in Malabo.

The day I experienced

a crisis situation
In 2009, I was in Malabo at the Sofitel which was located within
the Presidential Palace compound. We came under a violent attack
against the authorities. Our building was shot through with bullets.
Luckily there were no victims, but I had to take the right decisions:
move customers out of their rooms, reassure them and close the hotel.
After this event, I was honored to receive the Esprit Accor Bernache
Award from the Group.
Laetitia Nyop, GM ibis Lom (Togo)

13

NICOLA HOCHGRUBER ET LAETITIA NYOP

Women at Accor Generation has

given me self-condence, courage
and even more ambition.
Laetitia Nyop

The day I left Germany and discovered

the Middle East

What kind of stereotypes do

you face every day and how
do you handle them?
L. N.: Im often asked who my GM
is, or who I married to get the job,
or how I manage both my work and
my family life. In Africa, women
are frequently viewed as good
assistants, but certainly never as
company managers. Employees
think you are less competent and
they test you. In response, I highlight
my ability to draw up an income
statement,
to
talk
strategy
Basically, I demonstrate that I have
knowledge of the job. The only
miracle is the work!
N. H.: I dont really have to deal
with stereotypes. Its more the surprise that people show when I introduce myself as the hotels General
Manager. However, very quickly,
once they have got over their
initial astonishment, their expressions
change and I can see respect in their
eyes. Theres just one exception, and
that concerns unhappy customers
who want to talk to or even shout at
a man. Its culturally impolite to shout
at a woman, so I have found a solution to this problem and make sure
I am assisted by a man who speaks
Arabic.

By 2008, I had inaugurated a three-hotel complex on Potsdamer Platz,

received an innovation award, and made the headlines of Accors
internal magazine. I was starting to get bored in Berlin and
I was looking for a new challenge. I was very attracted by Dubai
and by the new Suite Novotel project. I knew instantly that it would
be a big task, but I decided to take up the challenge because
my partner offered to accompany me.
Nicola Hochgruber, GM Novotel
& ibis Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

Nicola, why did you chose

to become Women at Accor
Generations representative
for the Gulf region?
As the only woman GM in the region,
I felt it was my duty. It is essential for
me to help other women meet their
objectives and encourage them
to aspire to their dream job. Its also
important to share the satisfaction
that comes with taking on a
managers position in a company
and explain the price one has to
pay to get there: very long working
hours and being available beyond
geographic frontiers.

Laetitia, how has Women at

Accor Generation helped
you?
Thanks to Women at Accor
Generation, Ive been able to talk to
brilliant women in key positions. It has
given me self-condence, courage
and even more ambition. I have
understood that the Group wants
to encourage women to take
on greater responsibilities. Two
years ago, we had no women representing the region1, now there
are three of us. Thats huge progress!
I have become a mentor myself.
I want to be an example for those
mothers who look after their homes
and work to improve the daily lives
of their families and never dare to
have ambition. I tell them: yes it is
possible. Work and be bold!

Africa excluding Maghreb

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

14

WOMEN AT ACCOR
GENERATION IS A REAL
SUCCESS IN POLAND
Malgorzata Morek, Head of Franchise Development
Poland and the Baltic States, devotes a lot of energy to
Women at Accor Generations activities in Poland. In
this interview, she discusses past and future projects that
have helped make Women at Accor Generation Poland
a showcase for the network.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

15

MALGORZATA MOREK

43% of our General

Managers are women.
In Poland, Women at Accor
Generation is a great success.
It boasts a total of almost
100 employees members,
which is more than in
other countries.
How do you explain this?
From the very beginning of Women
at Accor Generation, we communicated very clearly about our
objectives. Women at Accor Generation is there to develop womens
leadership, to create a community
for the exchange of best practices
and a place where we can get
inspired. This has generated a strong
show of interest from employees. In
2014, we launched Women at Accor
Generation Empowerment, a program especially tailored for women
working for Accor hotels and for
Orbis in Poland. Two sessions have
already been held. The Women at
Accor Generation Empowerment
Program comprises such issues
as building up self-condence,
developing womens leadership
and presentation skills. I took part
in the rst session and it was one of
the best coaching courses Ive ever
been on. Exceptional women ran
the program and they taught us
a lot of things about ourselves. We
are also very active at a local level,
especially in Cracow where we
are cooperating with a local
association the Womens Business
Network (900 members) where
several meetings have been held
enabling employees to hear the
testimonials of women who have
dared and are prepared to act

as role models. With people like

that making the top billing, interest in
Women at Accor Generation and its
audience is bound to increase!

Gender parity is a maxim

in Poland. Can you give
us figures to back up this
assertion?
A growing number of women hold
positions of responsibility within the
group. For example, 43% of our
General Managers are women and
60% of our head ofce managers are
also women in functions as diverse as
Marketing, Revenue Management
and Risk Management.

What does participating in

Women at Accor Generation
involve for employees and
what is the outlook in Poland
for 2015?
Belonging to Women at Accor
Generation means the assurance
of mutual support from its members,
both female and male. This bond
helps boost condence and visibility.
In 2015, we want to implement more
cooperation activities with institutions in order to enhance the work
done by women. I am a member
of the Polish Organization of Franchisees, which is an entity run by a
woman, and I also sit on the board
of the Polish Hospitality Chamber of
Commerce. My position within these
organizations helps me promote
women by deploying joint activities
with Women at Accor Generation.
For example, we have organized
meetings for women with the same
professional status so they can

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

exchange good practices and discuss their experiences. I am also

planning to ask the women working
for these big institutions to contribute
their testimonials and explain the
reasons behind their own success.

Her

CV

Start as a receptionist
in Chicago (United States)

Different positions within

Orbis hotels (Poland)

Following the partnership

signed in 2000 between Accor
and Orbis, she was in charge
of integration of Orbis hotels
with Mercure brand

Head of Franchise Development,

Accor Poland and the Baltic
States

16

WOMEN AT ACCOR
GENERATION: A REGIONAL
INITIATIVE WITH LOCAL
UNDERTAKINGS
The problems of diversity and gender equality in the workplace are not felt in the same way all over the world. These
issues can sometimes vary signicantly from one country to
another. Christine Rumble, Accors Vice President Learning
and Talent Development Asia Pacic experiences this on a
daily basis. Her response is to proactively promote talents,
especially female talents, through her position and through
Women at Accor Generation (WAAG).

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

17

CHRISTINE RUMBLE

Accor adapts to the culture

and economic maturity of
the 19 countries.
How does Women at Accor
Generation intervene in
a geographical region as
vast and as culturally diverse
as Asia Pacific?
The more than 1000 members of
Women at Accor Generation in the
region want to develop their skills
and we have therefore created
monthly webinars in which the
contributor, either a woman or a
man, shares her/his experience
with 200 employees on issues
like
leadership,
empowerment
and building condence. We also
have a collaborative website that
features Women at Accor Generations latest news. In 2014, we set
up close to 60 mentoring programs.
In addition, forums are held in each
country which feature womens
success stories, such as those of
Sophie Stabile, the Groups CFO
and President of Women at Accor
Generation, and Louise Daley, Chief
Executive Ofcer, Accor Advantage
Plus. Accor adapts to the culture
and economic maturity of the 19
countries in which it operates in the
region. The members of the Asia
Pacic Committee of Women at
Accor Generation come from
China, India, Indonesia, Thailand,
Singapore, New Zealand, Australia,
South Korea and Japan. Each
representative has created an entity
that ensures the local relevance of
gender equality initiatives.

What do members of Women

at Accor Generation expect
when joining the network?
When launching Women at Accor
Generation two years ago we asked
our members upon registration to
complete a survey which gave us
some insight into their expectations
from the network. From this survey it
was evident that there are two distinct
objectives for joining Women at Accor
Generation Network in Asia Pacic
one is networking and the other is
career development. Indeed, in Asia,
it is quite frequent for employees to
be more productive when they can
benet from an environment of
camaraderie
and
collaboration
where working relationships are
built on mutual respect and
barriers caused by hierarchy are
removed. Women at Accor Generations Committee favors this type
of environment by providing opportunities for members to share their
individual challenges, both professional and personal, in a safe, inclusive
environment. Whats more, for many
women there is an enormous cultural
pressure that compels them to focus
on family commitments rather than
to work: the networks objective is
to help them maintain a work-life
balance.

Her

CV

1991
First job in a resort (Australia)
From 1993 to 2005
Different operational positions
in Australia
and New Zealand
2006
First position with Accor
as General Manager, ibis
Wollongong (Australia)
2007
Regional Human Resources
Manager in New South Wales
(Australia)
2009
Awarded with the National
Tourism Legend Award by
Tourism Training Australia
2010
Accor Silver Bernache,
Innovation category
2014
Vice President Learning
and Talent Development Accor
Asia Pacific

A contraction of Web and seminar. These interactive online meetings are designed to enable collaborative
work or remote learning

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

18

CHRISTINE RUMBLE

WOMEN AT ACCOR GENERATION

ASIA PACIFIC: EXAMPLES
OF LOCAL INITIATIVES

In
Australia
Context
Difculties in having your children
looked after due to expensive child
care arrangements and waiting lists.
Women at Accor Generations initiative
In collaboration with the Australian
HR team a exible work policy was
put in place which looks at options
of varying hours per day allowing
both men and women to work from
home.
Early results
Both women and men can benet
from this policy so that family responsibilities are shared evenly. Mothers can
now return to work quickly.

In
Indonesia
Context
There needs to be more women hired
as General Managers in our hotels.
Women at Accor Generations initiative
Quarterly meetings with female
leaders who share about career
success to show that it is possible to
climb the ladder.
Early results
Over the past 12 months we have
seen the number of women taking
on management positions in hotels
increased from 8 to 13.

Women at Accor Generations initiative

Quarterly meetings to develop skills
in various elds: among the last
workshops were subjects including
self-opinion, self-condence and
gender.

Over

1000

members

19

nationalities
represented

60

mentoring
partners in 2014 and

45

to come in 2015

In
Thailand
Context
Women are willing to nd the right
balance between professional and
private life.

WOMEN
AT ACCOR
GENERATION
ASIA PACIFIC
KEY FIGURES

In
India
Context
Women only represent 11% of
Accors hotel staff in this country:
most of them view the hospitality
sector as an unsafe environment.
Women at Accor Generations initiative
Against this preconception, to
vgive talks in universities and to dialogue with parents of worried young
women. Also to offer Self Defense
classes to reassure women.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

nationalities
represented on
the Women at Accor Generation
Asia Pacific Committee
In 2014,
Accor appointed it

rst woman
regional manager
in Asia and the

rst woman

to hold a position as
a Hotel N2 in India

19

AN EXEMPLARY CAREER
WITH ACCOR IN BRAZIL
Before taking up her current position as Operations
Manager at the Pullman So Paulo International Airport,
Luciana Nakamura Furstenau climbed the corporate
ladder by working at ibis and then Mercure. This 35-year
old Brazilian has had an exemplary career and has
managed to nd her place in a business environment
that still very masculine.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

20

LUCIANA NAKAMURA

In Brazil, 51% of hotel General

Managers are women.

s access to high-responsibility jobs still

a male prerogative in Brazil? Not at
Accor, where that glass ceiling was
broken several years ago. In Brazil
51% of hotel General Managers are
women. After 13 years with the group,
35-year old, Luciana Nakamura
Furstenau can conrm that talented
women have the same opportunities
to build successful careers as men.
Before reaching her current position
as Operations Manager at the Pullman So Paulo International Airport,
Luciana started out by working for
two years as a receptionist at ibis. She
then took part in an ibis trainee program that allowed her to become a
General Manager Assistant. This was a
precious door opener in the Brazilian
job market where women have to go
the extra mile, compared with men,
to demonstrate their qualications
and access positions of greater responsibility. Ever since then, the group
has constantly supported her. When
Luciana returned to Brazil, after interrupting her career for three years to
study in Germany and get married,
Accor welcomed her back and she
worked at Mercure and then Pullman.
Lucianas time in Germany allowed
her to experience life in a society
where men and women are on a
more equal footing both at work and
at home.

Personal and professional

success

WAAG Corner: gender marketing

for female employees
The WAAG Corner, which was launched in Brazil, then Chili and Peru, is an
innovation designed to cater better for the needs of female employees in Accor
hotels*. This space for female employees is located in the employees common area
inside the hotel. It features large, well-lit mirrors and counters where employees
can put their beauty accessories, hair dryers and make-up, so they can enjoy a
moment of well-being in the workplace. The WAAG Corner is contributing to
creating a new working environment that is more welcoming and in tune with the
expectations of the new generation, explains Magda de Castro Kiehl, Director of
Legal Affairs and Risks for Accor in Americas & Caribbean. Its a plus point that
can serve to attract new talent in a market characterized by full employment.
29 hotels in Brazil, 6 in Chili, 3 in Peru. Operation currently being
rolled-out in Argentina and Colombia.

Her
dened what is acceptable and I
have also learnt to be better organised, she explains. Last year Accor
helped her to develop her potential
by approving her participation in the
IHMP (International Hospitality Management Program). This international
course aims to develop and improve
management skills alongside other
international managers. Though the
preparation required for this course
meant Luciana had to make some sacrices, she is now delighted to have
completed it. I was able to go to Paris three times in nine months, which
was an enriching experience, she
explains. With Accors support and her
husbands, Luciana certainly intends
to add more chapters to her Brazilian
success story.

At Pullman, her challenge is now to reconcile her family life as a mother of

two and her career progress. I have

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

CV

1999
First job with ibis
2007
Guest Relation Supervisor for
Mercure Grand Hotel (Brazil)
2009
Front Desk Manager,
participated in the rebranding
of the hotel as a Pullman
establishment
2013
Operations Manager at Pullman
So Paulo International Airport
(Brazil)
2014
Participated in Accors talent
training program, IHMP
(International Hospitality
Management Program)

21

ASSERTING THE STATUS

OF WOMEN IN SPAIN
AND PORTUGAL
Fabienne Zanfoni, CFO and COO of HotelInvest
in Spain and Portugal, proves that today women
have their rightful place in the highest echelons
of the Iberian Peninsulas economy. However, in this
period of economic tension, their ght is never over.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

22

FABIENNE ZANFONI

At Accor in Spain and Portugal,

women represent 60% of
employees and 31% of hotel
General Managers.
In a society that has long
been dominated by men in
the workplace, you hold two
high-responsibility jobs. Is the
position of women in the workplace starting to change in
both Madrid and Lisbon?
Contrary to what one might expect,
these two societies are changing
very rapidly. In Madrid, over the last
fifteen years or so, I have seen women progress more than in other
countries. Before the crisis, nearly 25%
of them worked. It was an economic
necessity that ensured more income
for the household. What is more, the
culture of strong family units means
children can often be looked after
by their grandparents. The authorities
have also encouraged this change
by imposing gender parity, notably
on company boards. This all explains
why there are more highly qualied
women in management positions
here than in other countries. At Accor
in Spain and Portugal, women represent 60% of employees and 31% of
the hotel General Managers.

years there had been a positive drive

for gender equality with several legislative measures taken to encourage
it, the crisis relegated this issue to the
background.

How do you defend the

position of women in the
workplace on a daily basis?
These are issues that I deal with through
WAAG which I am responsible for
here. We develop relationships and
exchange experiences with womens
networks in other companies. WAAG
can expand further, especially in Portugal and I would like its members to
be more proactive in their proposals
and encourage them to assert themselves. Even though we are lucky to
work for an international company
that offers us career prospects, its
not easy when you also have to be
available at home for your children.
In fact, prejudices are still very strong.
However, we must learn to overcome
them, to accept that we are different
and take risks. The women who dare
are the ones who do best!

Her

CV

Began her career

as an auditor

Joined
Accors Consolidation
Department in 2001,
in France

CFO for Accor

and COO for HotelInvest
in Spain and Portugal

You mentioned the

economic crisis. Has it
affected the growing
feminisation of the job market?
Yes, because many women worked
part time. With the crisis, these were
the rst jobs to go. Sadly women have
served as the adjustment variable.
In addition, whereas over the last few

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

23

DIVERSITY:
A MUST AT ACCOR
To guarantee the inclusion of all talents is something
which both Accor and Frdrique Poggi, the Groups
Director of Diversity, strongly believe in. She gives us her
vision of diversity and explains the measures taken by
the Group to ensure better representation of every man
and woman.

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

24

FRDRIQUE POGGI

The objective is not to stigmatize,

but to guarantee the inclusion
of all persons.
The creation of Director
of Diversity positions in
companies is a relatively
recent phenomenon.
How do you explain it?
These positions were created
between 2006 and 2008 in several
CAC 40 companies. There are many
reasons for this. The drafting of the
Diversity Charter in 2004 by Claude
Bbar, former CEO of Axa, helped
launch the movement. His initiative
was followed by stricter anti-discrimination laws which incurred criminal sentences for both individual
and corporate offenders. This said,
the corporate world has evolved
signicantly. We have moved from
a non-discriminatory stance to a
much more positive approach that is
both humanist and geared towards
performance and which goes well
beyond the regulations. That is the
approach that we continue to take
at Accor.

company. It was published in 2011,

translated into 15 languages, and
ofcially states the Groups commitments. The objective is not to stigmatize, but on the contrary, to guarantee the inclusion of all persons.
For example, to promote womens
access to positions of responsibility,
we encourage the drafting of recruitment lists that include an equal
number of male and female candidates. Although the world quota
bothers me, it has to be said that
quotas do mean action is taken. At
Accor, we therefore prefer to talk of
objectives and action plans.

What does diversity mean for

Accor?
It means welcoming all differences
and placing skills at the heart of our
recruitment, mobility, training and
compensation systems. Attention to
equal treatment is an essential part
of each stage of professional life.
Our diversity policy is based on four
priorities: ethnic, social and cultural diversity; age diversity; insertion
of disabled people and gender diversity. It draws on the Groups very
own diversity charter, which is a fairly original tool and is specic to our

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

How does Women at Accor

Generation help bring diversity
to life at Accor?
Women at Accor Generation accompanies womens personal and professional development and helps them
overcome self-censorship, thanks to
systems like mentoring. It supports
the Group, HR and management
in the promotion of gender equality
and the ght against gender stereotypes. We consider diversity a performance driver Therefore men have
their rightful place within Women
at Accor Generation and already
represent 25% of membership!

The employee representative

on the board is a woman
The law on employment security passed in June 2013 introduced
a new provision for companies with over 5,000 employees in France
(or 10,000 employees worldwide). It obliges them to have one or several
employee representatives on their boards of directors or supervisory
boards. At Accor, the person appointed in this capacity is a women,
Iliane Dumas. Ive already represented the employees on
the board for 10 years, but I had no voting rights. From now on,
she will have the same rights and powers as the other members
of the board. She provides the employees point of view, takes part
in the debate and in the voting. What is her aim? I certainly intend
to state my view as an employee by insisting on career management.
My dearest wish is that the Group should continue to give everyone a
chance. With Mercedes Erra, Executive President of Havas Worldwide,
Sophie Gasperment, Group General Manager of LOral, Iris Knobloch,
Chairman of Warner Bros Entertainment France and Virginie Morgon,
Member of the Executive Board and Executive Vice-President of
Eurazeo, Iliane is the fifth woman to be part of Accors Board of Directors.

25

FRDRIQUE POGGI

Women at Accor Generation

accompanies womens
personal and professional
development and helps
them overcome self-censorship.

What is mentoring and what are

the first results of the mentoring
program?
First Id like to remind you of the origin
of the word mentoring. In Greek
mythology, Mentor was Ulysses
advisor and friend and guided him
in his choices. Mentoring is therefore
not the same as a skills development
program. At Accor we have set up a
system that allows a mentee to discuss professional issues with a mentor
who has more experience. Mentoring is based on the sharing of experience and knowledge and should
lead to an enriching exchange for
both people involved. During these
meetings, problems like a job transfer, joining a management committee or returning to work after
maternity leave can be discussed.
All too often, women believe they
should have all the skills required
in order to apply for a job, whereas
men are less uncertain. This program
was launched at Accor in Asia Pacic, Brazil and France and the results
are very positive: 90% of mentees
say their self-condence has been
boosted and 70% say they now have
a better understanding of the companys codes.

What will be the key focus of

your work this year?
We
are
currently
developing
mentoring in Europe and across all
of France. We are going to conduct
a survey on the problem of stereotypes and generations and experiment the diversity label GEES1 in
the Netherlands, Belgium and
Luxembourg. Also this year we plan
to increase mens participation in the
network, particularly through a range
of mixed workshops which will be
open to them.

Her

CV

1985
Joined the Group as Sales
Representative for Novotel
in the United Kingdom
1989
Joined the Sales and Marketing
department of Parc Astrix
(an Accor subsidiary
at the time) in France
1996
Created Accor Reunions
Services within the Groups
International Sales department
2001
Joined Accors HR community
as head of school partnerships
2008
Appointed as Accors Director
of Diversity

Gender Equality European Standard, the first international label for equality in the workplace that is an
inter-company initiative

Press kit Accor WOMENSWORDS February 2015

26

Design and production:

PRESS CONTACT:
Marie-Camille Aubagnac
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 45 38 19 16
marie-camille.aubagnac@accor.com
Delphine Dumonceau
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 45 38 84 95
delphine.dumonceau@accor.com

CONTACT ACCOR
Group Media Relations Department
Immeuble Odyssey
110, avenue de France - 75210 Paris CEDEX 13
FRANCE

www.accor.com