Women Hold 58% of IHG's Senior Management Positions in Malaysia

IHG Hotels & Resorts is delivering on its commitment to support female colleagues in Malaysia, where 58% of its senior management roles are now held by women which surpasses the country average of 40%

IHG Hotels & Resorts is delivering on its commitment to support female colleagues in Malaysia, where 58% of its senior management* roles are now held by women which surpasses the country average of 40%¹.

Providing career pathways and development plans suited to individual needs are among the key elements of IHG’s approach, as it continues to attract and develop a diverse range of talent in the country.

The company has also evolved its recruitment and retention strategy to attract strong talent, and elevated the focus on people development, alongside enhancing other commitments including creating a strong and inclusive culture and providing flexible working conditions for its workforce.

Sophie Mougel, Director of Operations, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “At IHG, we are greatly invested in the diversity, equity & inclusion agenda, and extremely proud that 58% of our senior management roles in Malaysia are female – ahead of the country average of 40%.

“Our business is more globally connected and interdependent than ever before, and I strongly believe that having a culture which enables us to draw upon different ideas and experiences is setting us up for long-term success.

“One of the many wonderful things about the hospitality industry is the breadth of opportunities available for people seeking rewarding and enriching careers. At IHG, we value and respect the different backgrounds, experiences and aspirations of our colleagues, and encourage all of them to build a career through which they can thrive.”

Recognised as Kincentric Best Employer in Malaysia in 2023, IHG has seven open hotels in Malaysia in destinations including Johor Bahru, Melaka, Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, and 11 in the pipeline including two highly anticipated openings by the end of 2023 – Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur on the Park and Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

By championing a diverse culture where everyone can thrive, and through driving gender balance across its leadership in the country, IHG continues to deliver Journey To Tomorrow – its 10-year action plan of clear commitments to drive change for its people, communities and planet.

IHG has introduced a range of career development initiatives, including:

• RISE – a 12-month global mentoring programme for aspiring female colleagues seeking hotel leadership roles. To date, the Global RISE Alumnae community has created a strong sense of belonging for female leaders to continue growing their careers, exchanging ideas and removing barriers with and for each other.
• Journey to GM – launched in 2021, this talent acceleration programme supports IHG colleagues seeking to transition into a first-time GM role within two years by providing a pipeline of talent that both matches IHG’s growth ambitions and fulfils the aspirations of its colleagues.

• All IHG colleagues can benefit from the newly launched IHG University, which provides them with a comprehensive range of tailored offerings while championing individual learning and the building of skills, knowledge and capabilities.

Emelyn Rosales, General Manager – Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre, is a member of Lean In Circle – one of IHG’s Employee Resource Groups – at her hotel. She explained: “IHG has given me the opportunity to work across the region in Philippines and Malaysia, embrace different ways of working and develop new skills. This has enabled me to develop my understanding of different cultures, gain varied business practice insights, and achieve some personal ambitions. My colleagues at IHG continually inspires me, supports my career goals and challenges me to move out of my comfort zone – now I hope to support our future leaders to achieve their dreams as well.”

Stephanie Cheong, Director of Sales & Marketing - InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, is currently a mentor for the RISE programme. She said: “It’s heartening to see how IHG is committed to playing a key role in supporting women in leadership positions by providing best-in-class training and holistic programmes that nurture our female leaders of the future. People are the bedrock of our organisation, and we must continue to appreciate and embrace the unique strengths and experiences of our people if we’re to keep growing. I love every single moment with my team and want to inspire them to become the best versions of themselves – something IHG enables us to do every day.”

Loni Tan, Executive Assistant Manager, Commercial – Holiday Inn Melaka, said: “Over the past 14 years at IHG, I have been encouraged to scale new heights by my leaders, mentors and colleagues. Since starting as a Catering & Event Coordinator, I have moved across functions and teams, and taken up greater managerial responsibilities, which has been fundamental in enabling me to achieve my dream of becoming a successful leader.

IHG is one of the world’s leading hotel companies with more than 6,200 hotels and nearly 2,000 in the pipeline globally. In South East Asia and Korea, it operates in 10 countries with over 110 open hotels and over 90 in the pipeline.

*Senior management positions are defined as department heads of the hotel Executive Committee across nine hotels in Malaysia.

Numbers are updated as of 30 September 2023.

¹https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2023/03/27/not-enough-women-in-senior-positions-in-malaysia/