The conclave sparked important conversations about women breaking through societal barriers to become successful leaders in the hospitality industry

The Lexicon Group of Institutes recently hosted The Lexicon Conclave on Women In Leadership at the Lexicon Institute of Hotel Management, Wagholi, Pune. The conclave sparked important conversations about women breaking through societal barriers to become successful leaders in the hospitality industry. Women taking up leadership roles or entrepreneurial journeys is no more a talk of yesterday; it is becoming more and more a norm. Women’s role and their forming an identity of their own in today’s entrepreneurial world is something that is not only commendable, but also very inspirational and integral

As quoted by a celebrity, “Don’t try to slip into a glass slipper, instead shatter the glass ceiling”, is a quote that stands to be very encouraging and motivational for all those young girls out there. Today, as we see women leaving no stone unturned, the hospitality industry is also no exception. “My mother has always been the source of inspiration and motivation to me throughout my life. It was personally important to her during her lifetime that women empowerment should be a focus and that’s how she raised both of us brothers… to learn to respect and appreciate talent irrespective of sex, colour, race… and through our journeys we have tried to create opportunities to support these important yet undiscussed issues,” said Nasir Shaikh - Group CEO, The Lexicon Group of Institutes, MultiFit & EduCrack.

The Lexicon Conclave on Women in Leadership witnessed the presence of many key personalities who have made a mark in the hospitality industry. The conclave witnessed the presence of Mahesh Dharamadhikari - Regional Director, CBSE, Pune who was the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker along with Anika Gupta - Director Development Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts as the Keynote Speaker.

‘The Glass Ceiling - Real or Perceived’ the topic for discussion witnessed the spark of many thought-provoking conversations and ideas. Each panellist had a lot of insightful thoughts to share with a personal touch as they shared their own journey in this industry and the challenges they’ve faced. The panel members present included Sapna Jairam, Area Director of Sales, South and West Duet Hotels; Trupti Mishra, Director of Rooms, Novotel, Pune; Sheryl De Sa, General Manager, IBIS, Hinjewadi, Pune; Pooja Gawas, Commercial Director, Conrad, Pune; Janine Fernandez, Former Director Operations, Kochi, Marriott; Smita Mukherjee, Director of Human Resources, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park; Commander Shweta Kapur, Naval Veteran and Sanjay Patil, General Manager, Hyatt Place, Pune, Hinjewadi. The panel discussion was moderated by Nasir Shaikh, Group CEO, The Lexicon Group of Institutes, MultiFit & EduCrack.

The women of today’s generation are out there breaking gender norms and stereotypes one by one and live to be an inspiration for generations to come. “The Hospitality Industry has thrived on the participation of its women workforce in all its areas of operations. The Lexicon Conclave on Women in Leadership was an amazing balance between what constitutes the resilience required by a woman to face societal pressures and professional hurdles and how effortless the process is once the mindset is changed. The Conclave was an eye opener for our young aspirants to the Hospitality Industry, as to the journey they need to make for achieving their goals,” shared Gladvin Rego, Principal, Lexicon Institute of Hotel Management.