Women at the top

HER VERY SPECIAL PLACE

For Rainy Chan at The Peninsula Hong Kong -- affectionally known as 'The Pen' -- it’s what lies within, and yes, some things count more than gender.

So, what is it like to be the first female, first Chinese General Manager of ‘The Pen’? Is it harder because you are a woman? What advice do you have for other Asian female hoteliers who want to pursue a career in this traditionally male-dominated industry?

These are the questions I am frequently asked by people. There seems to be a great deal of curiosity on Asian female General Managers and I can see why. There aren’t many of us around, especially in Asia.

When I first arrived at our property in Bangkok as the General Manager, people would come to the hotel and ask to see the ‘female GM’. During a road show abroad, I greeted a male business partner and he couldn’t believe it when I was introduced to him as ‘GM’ of The Peninsula Hong Kong. After exclaiming ‘You! General Manager? The Peninsula Hong Kong?’ he took my business card and proceeded to the nearest window so that he could closely examine the small print – my title -- on the card. I said to myself, ‘Oh boy! He’s going to come back and ask for my ID for verification.’

There are so many examples like these that sometimes I think I can write a book. It will certainly be very entertaining.

When I was asked to write an article for LEADER on how Asian women in Asia reach the top, I was a little hesitant because I don’t like to consider being a woman a critical element in our success or failure. Our industry is filled with some very intelligent, knowledgeable and experienced people and I think most of them are capable of seeing past the gender issue to focus on ability and competences. Also, being Asian, our culture of taking pride in being able to service our guests with such care in our hearts, makes it easier for us to love this industry.

Having said that, there are definitely some challenges I’ve faced as a woman, and I’ve had to make some decisions on a very personal level because of these challenges.

So, instead of giving advice, I will share some tidbits about my journey, and what I consider to have been an extremely fulfilling and rewarding road to the top.

The beginning

I was so fortunate to have joined the ‘right’ company, not because The Peninsula Hotels group is a super luxury hotel company but because it ‘s a company that despite being the oldest hotel company in Asia, also has a vision for the future regarding its product and its people. The company believed in me. It hired me as the first-ever female, Chinese Front Office Manager since it began operations 65 years before. Thereafter, it invested unconditionally in my development as a hotelier and as a person.

The opportunity

I joined The Peninsula at a time of change – when the oldest hotel in Hong Kong became the newest! I was hired to help launch the Tower extension in 1994. As an opportunity, the extension made everyone very open to changes and I was allowed to showcase my ability and passion. I also took part in setting new standards for the ‘The Pen’, and in the process I learnt a great deal about the company’s value and service philosophy in a very short time.

The bitter and the sweet

My being the first female, Hong Kong-born Front Office Manager created a lot of uncertainties amongst staff. They didn’t quite know how to take me in the beginning. I remember thinking ‘How can I feel so alone working in Hong Kong? It’s a place I call home, yet why was I so much happier working in Hawaii doing the same job?’

I decided not to wait for others to change their approach toward me; I would bring ‘me’ to them. One day, the Bell desk was really busy with lots of check-ins and check-outs. I started to help out with the Bellmen, just to carry some of the bags back and forth between the door and the baggage desk. They were all a little shocked that I was willing to get my hands dirty but they quietly accepted my help. That afternoon, they invited me to join their afternoon tea break in a local tea house. I was so happy I ate six egg tarts!

The mentor

I have been blessed with wonderful mentors in my life. The first and most significant one was the person who hired me. I remember he said, ‘Rainy, you are the biggest risk I have taken in my career, but I believe in you!’ And for almost 15 years, he has continued to teach me about work, style, integrity, life and being a good human being. Most importantly, he inspired me to want to be a mentor to others, because I hope that one day there will be someone I can help as much as he has helped me.

The tears and the people

After six years in Hong Kong, I was promoted to our New York property as Resident Manager. I still remember my farewell on the day I left the hotel. All the staff lined up to hug me and say goodbye. I cried so much I thought I’d used up all my tears and would never be able to cry again! How can I leave all these wonderful people, and who is going to help me in my new job?

Then I discovered that I have endless tears and that every time I’ve had to say good-bye to the people I worked with – and there were three more times after that – I’ve been devastated! I am so thankful for all the staff I’ve met and who have helped me and taught me so much around the world. And I’m so happy and proud that I’m still in touch with many of them. In our industry, they are the most valuable assets, and I’ve been so fortunate to have their wholehearted support and love. I learnt that if you want them to give you fifty percent of their hearts, you have to give one hundred percent of yours first. You will not be let down.

The glass ceiling

The famous glass ceiling. Does it exist? To be honest, I really don’t know. I never looked for the glass ceiling with the intention of breaking it. I just do what I need to do and look ahead as far as I can see to make sure I’m doing a good job while making as many people -- guests included -- as happy as possible.

I will admit that as a woman, you’ll have to make a decision at some point on your path to the top and about your work life and your personal life. Personally, I don’t believe that you can have the cake and eat it too, meaning you can’t have a full-blown career and a family at the same time. I’ve learnt a lot from my postings abroad – Hawaii, New York, Bangkok – but some women may choose not to move because of family obligations, which is understandable. But all of this is just my personal view. Sometimes my job leaves me drained at the end of a day, so I have the greatest respect and admiration for the ladies I work with who have to go home and care for the family after a long day.

However, I do believe that one can have the cake and eat it later, if you know what I mean. Nothing is ever too late in life as long as you want it badly enough, although timing plays an important role as well.

The top

Well, if you consider being a General Manager as the ‘top’, I’m here and I can tell you what they say true: it can be a lonely place at times. I’m sure this applies to the men too. Being a General Manager, I often feel like I carry the weight of the entire hotel (that’s a 30 -story building plus 14 Rolls Royces with 875 people) on my shoulders. My worst enemy is of course myself. I take my job too seriously, as I’m told by my mentor.

But how can I not?

However, I truly and wholeheartedly love what I do, and I’m thankful every day for the opportunity I’ve been given to do what I do. There’s a difference between loving your job and loving what you do. ‘If you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life.’ Whoever made that statement is a very wise person.

You see, reaching the top has little to do with gender, but a lot to do with what you hold in your heart.