‘Glass Ceiling- Real or Perceived’- A topic at the conclave that sparked important conversations
Pune, March 16, 2022: 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 them 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 famous 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,” says 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 important leaders such as Mr Mahesh Dharamadhikari – Regional Director, CBSE, Pune who was the Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker along with Ms 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 were distinguished members of the industry such as; 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.” – Gladvin Rego, Principal, Lexicon Institute of Hotel Management.
As various distinguished keynote speakers spoke about different aspects about women in leadership and a panel of trailblazers of the hospitality industry shared their thoughts on ‘The Glass Ceiling- Real or Perceived’, The Lexicon Conclave on Women in Leadership turned out to be a platform beautifully crafted by the efforts of the team at The Lexicon Group of Institutes, which addressed this otherwise uncomfortable but necessary topic of the Glass Ceiling, brilliantly. “The event was truly an eye opener and a pot pourri of different perspectives of what women felt about the existing “Glass ceiling” today. It was a great learning experience for me as thoughts came from women achievers from all walks of life and it was a great initiative taken by Lexicon to discuss a bold subject like “the glass ceiling,” that many refrain to talk about even today! The Lexicon team have set a great example of how these topics should be carefully but gracefully handled and yet, get the message across precisely.” Sapna Jairam, EAM Sales Four Points By Sheraton Pune and Area Director Sales South and West Duet India Hotels Pvt. Ltd.
Topics as these are uncomfortable and a few provide a platform to discuss the same. “The conclave was apt! To be able to convene for a day and have the opportunity to speak to other women with such great stories is always inspiring. The conclave wasn’t just for the audience to get inspired but for us to learn from each other as well. The focus on how women are shifting their professional direction in a challenging environment while simultaneously balancing their personal lives. I had the fortune of meeting with several formidable women, today true leaders in spirit and heart” Sheryl D’sa, General Manager, Accor Hotels. The event was a learning experience for each and every one present there.
Education and awareness are the keys to move forward in life and this event by the Lexicon Team was a perfect blend of both. “The Lexicon conclave on women in leadership was extremely well crafted and well thought off. The speakers and panellists were very good, learned, and thorough professionals in their relative fields. I congratulate the team for keeping up with the core values of the institutes and for inspiring, educating and motivating the students and the society” Neeraj Sharma, Vice Chairman, The Lexicon Group.
