A NATURAL LEADER
It’s often said that hospitality is in Christiane Germain’s blood. A natural leader and innovator, the co-president and co-founder of Group Germain Hotels, is a three-time winner in the Top 100 Awards Entrepreneurs category.
Thirty years ago, she and her brother Jean-Yves built their business from a startup to a rapidly expanding national hotel chain with 17 properties and counting. “Jean Yves is more involved in the business development and finance side while I am more involved in product development and marketing,” she says. “We complement each other very well.”
Her love of the hospitality industry came naturally. Her parents were innovators in their own right, opening a number of restaurants, including the first steakhouse in Quebec City, Le Fiacre. As a child Germain recalls sitting on the counter and watching her mom prepare the food. But she realized over time that her interests leaned in a different part of the hospitality industry.
The revelation came on a trip in the 1980s to New York, where they stayed at the Morgans Hotel. On that visit, Germain and her brother realized they had found their real calling. “The concept was so unique, we felt it had a place in Canada,” she says. “Even though we both worked in our parent’s restaurants, opening a hotel was a first for both of us.”
After 30 years at the helm of her company, Christiane Germain remains closely involved in the day-to-day, strategic business operations. Despite the proliferation of properties and their distance from the Quebecbased head office, she makes a point of regularly visiting the various hotel teams within the Group Germain family. Between visits she interacts frequently with employees and shares words of encouragement via the company’s Facebook group, amongst other things.
“One of my biggest personal challenges is remaining close to our people,” she says. “As you grow, it’s all too easy to lose your connection with them, but I make every effort to keep up that connection as well as encourage others to do the same.”
A savvy business strategist and marketer, Germain has always had an unshakable belief in the power of creating relationships at all levels. “The secret to our success is people,” she says. “In saying that, it’s not just about creating emotional bonds with guests and employees who share our values and approach to hospitality. It’s also about connecting with the local communities in which we operate and building lasting relationships with suppliers. Many of them have been working with us for the past 30 years.”
Despite the length of time she has been leading the company, Germain has never lost her passion and drive to bring innovation to the industry. For example, in 2017 they introduced an industry first for Canada when they abolished fixed departure times for guests booking directly with the hotel.
This year they launched a committee of creativity and innovation, led by two general managers who are tasked with finding and reporting new ideas that could be applied to the company’s operations.
Germain and her team continue to introduce progressive programs and training tools, including an employee ambassador program as well as new leadership training opportunities for up and coming managers.
Their training programs are unique in that they focus a lot on developing emotional skills, Germain says. “We believe that we are a people business, whether on the customer or employee side. In order to make the two connect, they have to have emotional as well as technical skills. When we choose and train people to be future managers, we want them to learn about themselves and others. The human touch is very, very important. It’s what makes the development of our business and our people possible.”
One positive aspect of the hospitality industry is that it has a healthy percentage of women leaders, she notes. “The industry has quite a few women executives, especially in areas such as HR and marketing. Better yet, in the past 10 years we are seeing more and more women accessing the C-Suite.”
As a longstanding senior executive, Germain believes her key strengths are in her closeness with their people and their product, and her willingness to drive change. “I am not afraid to bring new ideas to the table and am always ready to question the status quo. I am always asking, is there another way to do this? I think that’s one of the reasons we have been good at what we do at Group Germain.”
Germain also encourages the same drive for change in others. “I like to see when people develop and challenge themselves. It’s important to recognize people’s talent and their ability to bring something to the table. I’m especially proud to offer career opportunities to people who share the values of the business. That’s what makes a sustainable company.”
Outside of the day-to-day operations of the company, Germain is also a high-profile and active supporter of nextgeneration entrepreneurs. She has been a member of the Dans l’oeil du dragon team — the Quebec version of Dragons’ Den, for the past two seasons. She says the show allows her to help young entrepreneurs achieve their goal of operating a successful business.
Germain, who is an Order of Canada recipient, also dedicates her time to a number of worthy causes. She is the chair of the board of directors of Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, she is also involved in supporting numerous charities, such as the fundraising campaign for Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital.
When looking at the state of women in leadership, Germain says she is heartened to see more women entering senior roles. “It’s important for women and for society to see that those numbers continue to grow.”
Women leaders for their part have to trust themselves, as well as trust the people who trust them, she believes. “So many times I see a woman being promoted to a higher position and her first reaction is that she doesn’t think she is ready for the job. If someone thinks she is ready, then she is. Women have to stop thinking they need to know everything in order to get there. What she doesn’t know she will learn.”
If she were to choose the proudest achievement in her career, Germain says her family is first and foremost. In fact, her daughter is now among the next-generation Germains entering the family business.
Her second point of pride is having the opportunity to create jobs and opportunities for others. “I’m very proud of the fact that we are doing well as a business and are able to do that.”
For anyone following a career path to senior management, she offers the following advice. “In order to be a good leader you have to first know where you’re going and show the way with confidence. If you don’t do that, it’s difficult to have people follow you and embrace your vision.”
THE SECRET TO OUR SUCCESS IS PEOPLE. IN SAYING THAT, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT CREATING EMOTIONAL BONDS WITH GUESTS AND EMPLOYEES WHO SHARE OUR VALUES AND APPROACH TO HOSPITALITY. IT’S ALSO ABOUT CONNECTING WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE AND BUILDING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPLIERS. MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH US FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. — CHRISTIANE GERMAIN