Marriott International continues to reinforce its commitment to developing the next generation of hospitality leaders in Saudi Arabia with a dedicated workshop for women participants and alumni from the company’s Tahseen programme. The event took place in Riyadh in the presence of H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud and Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International.
The workshop was attended by more than 40 women who are currently enrolled in or graduated from Tahseen, Marriott’s leadership programme in the Kingdom. During the event, H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud inspired the group by speaking about her journey and experiences.
H.H. Princess Nouf Bint Faisal Bin Turki Al Saud said, “I value this pioneering initiative by Marriott International for Young Saudi Women to learn and support the country’s Vision for 2030. The vision of the country promises Saudi women senior, executive and other management positions in various institutions, with their knowledge, awareness and experience.”
The group also heard from Marriott International’s Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Capuano, President for EMEA, Satya Anand and Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Sandeep Walia. Marriott’s leadership reinforced the company’s commitment to the advancement of women and increasing the presence of women leaders at all levels of the organisation. During the workshop, all participants also went through an exercise on their personal branding which included identifying and establishing their key strengths and building leadership presence.
Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East, Marriott International commented, “As part of our leadership development efforts in Saudi Arabia, we look forward to advancing the next generation of women hospitality leaders in the country. We remain committed to investing in local talent to ensure the success of the Kingdom’s travel and tourism sector.”
The Tahseen programme in Saudi Arabia has been designed in partnership with Cornell University to develop the next generation of hospitality leaders in the country. Since its inception in 2018, more than 110 candidates have graduated from the programme of which nearly 40 per cent have been women. The company also recently launched the High Potential (HIPO) leadership programme in the country, which is an extension of Tahseen. The HIPO programme places high performing and high potential leaders from the company’s successful Tahseen programme, onto an exclusive career development pathway to grow them as a Hotel Manager or General Manager within two years. The inaugural selection of candidates for the HIPO programme features three women leaders.
The Tahseen programme supports Saudi Arabia’s National Tourism Strategy, which aims to create a thriving industry that will provide new employment prospects to a generation of Saudis. The strategy works alongside the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aim to create one million jobs in the tourism sector, attract 100 million visitors annually, and shape the tourism sector to contribute to 10 percent of the country’s GDP by 2030.
