Sonja Vodusek has built a wealth of experience from an exciting career which has seen her work in senior management positions in world cities like Dublin, Melbourne, New York, Prague, Sydney and Tokyo. Now as the General Manager of The Peninsula Manila, the elegant address of choice for foreign and local guests, she adds her formidable credentials to a team known for its gracious Filipino hospitality since the hotel opened in 1976.
As a hotel management school graduate yourself, what role do you feel your formal studies played in establishing a successful career?
In the past many people entered professions by starting at the bottom and working up the ladder. We’ve all heard about the fellow who started in the mailroom and became the CEO. But I believe in today’s very competitive world it makes good sense to start with a good education. It may be education from a hotel management program however we have some excellent talent who have different backgrounds. So I’d say education is very important but we look for diverse experience and talents when we hire our people – and in the end we hire for attitude.
Following your studies you entered the industry through the Housekeeping Department – what advice would you give other young hoteliers about pursuing a similar pathway to senior management?
Working in the business where you can get as close to your client or guest is likely the best training. The more you know about the business from experience the more you’ll be able to lead the business. But the other piece of the puzzle for me in developing your career path is to try to get broad experience working with very good leaders who will push you beyond what you think you can do.
It is hard to not mention the fact that you are a female in what is still a male dominated industry at the most senior levels. Why do you think we don’t have more female GM’s and what, if any, are the challenges faced by ambitious females in the industry?
You know I think you could point to many roles and businesses that have been slow to develop opportunities for female leaders but we see that changing before our very eyes as women workers constitute 40% of the global workforce. In fact, the Philippines is a great place for a woman – we’ve improved from # 8 to # 5 in the 2013 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap. I think in an era of war for talent, businesses will hire the best person rather than worry about other factors.
Peninsula is recognised as one of the great luxury brands of the world – apart from the obvious physical attributes of luxury hotels, what is the secret to meeting guest expectations in a luxury environment?
Luxury is personal. It means different things to different people and to different cultures. We serve very discerning guests and so our focus is on serving them in the most personal manner attending to their every need before they realize they want or need it. Every single person working in our hotel is focused on understanding and meeting the individual needs of our guests. So if it means one guests likes Champagne and another Pepsi, it is our job to figure that out. We call that the Art of Peninsula Hospitality.
Your career has taken you all over the world. Has this been a blessing or a curse, and why?
There has been very little in my career that I can say has been a curse. Every new location, every new role and every new team has provided me with an opportunity to learn and grow and allows me to share my experiences and mentor young managers. So I can say unequivocally that the tour around the world has been a blessing.
About the author
Timothy Millett’s training roles have seen him deliver programs across Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and America ensuring cultural sensitivity as well as a broad base of experience in lecturing, teaching and training.
A graduate of the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, his hospitality career spans management and director positions in Front Office, Guest Relations, Public Relations, Food & Beverage and Training with organisations including the Regent of Melbourne, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Mövenpick Gastronomy. He was also a founding staff member of the internationally renowned Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School in Australia.
Tim is currently the Director of Training and Development at iperform, an organisation that specialises in Sales and Service, Leadership and Effective Personal Organisation programs.
