Hilton KK celebrates International Women’ Day
KOTA KINABALU: In conjunction with International Women’s Day, Hilton Kota Kinabalu recently celebrated the annual occasion with a motivational talk to raise awareness on women’s role in today’s society.
International Women’s Day has been observed since the 1900’s and celebrated on March 8 worldwide, commemorating the political, social and economic achievements of women.
Over the decades, the objective of Women’s Day celebration has evolved and embraced culture and ethnicity to emerge as a celebration of appreciation, unity, reflection, advocacy, diversity, respect and love towards women.
As part of the hotel’s celebration, strong women from diverse backgrounds successful in their dedicated fields were invited to give talks.
Led by Hilton Kota Kinabalu general manager Linda Pecoraro, Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professional Association (Swepa) past-president Datin Jeanette Tambakau and Sabah Tourism Board general manager Suzaini Ghani shared their experiences, success stories and achievements that contributed to where they are today.
Linda Pecoraro, who helms the role of General Manager Hilton Kota Kinabalu as well as exemplifies significance of women leadership in Hilton, shared her experience growing up in a conservative family and how she overcame obstacles in such a male driven industry.
“Being a woman means having a choice in everything you believe in. All you need to do is take a chance and you can achieve greatness. I believed in making a future and following my dreams of working in hospitality and I persevered,” she said.
Hilton Hotels & Resorts signed the CEO Statement of Support for the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principals in 2014 that places great emphasis on promoting women in leadership, engaging women as business partners and fostering community partnerships that invest in women and girls through education, training and professional development.
“At Hilton, we are proud of our long history of supporting a diverse and inclusive workplace and appreciate that it is fundamental to our success. Our purpose is to not only be the most hospitable company in the world but we also commit to attracting and developing women in the workplace and helping them advance their careers.
“As part of Hilton worldwide ongoing effort to develop a pipeline of diverse talent, Hilton’s Women in Leadership program places additional focus in promoting female leadership,” said Linda.
Datin Jeanette Tambakau, born in Ipoh and coming from humble beginnings, the Sabah Women Entrepreneurs and Professional Association past president shared her story of growing up with 11 siblings and a single mother and how her experience shaped her into who she is now.
“My siblings and I had to walk more than three kilometres every morning to get to school. To make a living, my mother made nyonya kuih and would still have a smile on her face despite the hardship,¨ Jeanette said.
With her mother as her role model, Jeanette was inspired to help others, especially women who do not have the opportunity to help themselves, through the formation of Swepa’s Barefoot Solar Project, a project that transforms rural women into solar engineers in their villages.
Started in November 2013, the project aims to provide solar energy to more than 100 houses in remote villages to improve their standard of living.
In line with their mission and vision to empower and educate women to become solar engineers that targets the semiliterate or illiterate grandmothers, the program has since trained three women who have brought their expertise and knowledge back home to install lights in their respective villages, with more than 2,000 villagers benefiting from the project.
The villages have since saved RM1,200 per year per household on diesel for generators and batteries for torches.
“Set your mind to become who you want to be and you will get there,¨ Jeanette said referring to the amazing women who worked to better their lives and communities.
Sabah Tourism Board general manager Suzaini Ghani who shared her experience said: “Everybody has to start off from somewhere and I was no exception. Before becoming general manager, I was first a coordinator and slowly climbed up the ladder to director of Sales & Marketing in one of the world’s renowned hotel chains in Kota Kinabalu. The experiences I gained over the years, while juggling both personal and my career as well as being a single mother, have taught me strength, responsibility, independence and the opportunity to work in hotels in Sabah and West Malaysia before finally settling with Sabah Tourism Board to lead the team to a higher level.
“With hard work, nothing is impossible. Use the power and will that you have been entrusted upon to push and strive for the good,” Suzaini added.
The event ended with a 30 minute Tabata workout, a popular type of interval training named after a Japanese professor Izumi Tabata. It is an intense four-minute workout done five days a week for six weeks to improve oxygen consumption and anaerobic energy supply system.