Star power

Work, vision, style: the iconic Renu Hanegreefs-snehi, Vice President of corporate communications, PR and reputation management for the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, shares her recipe for success.

My background

I was born in New Delhi, India, to a middle-class family at a time when women were less than equal. I started working in fashion at a young age, despite strong pressure to find the ideal husband, and become the ideal wife and mother.

The day the neighbours told my parents I should be married off was my turning point. I couldn’t stand the pressure any longer.

Determined to find my own way, I left home without telling my parents and moved into a women’s hostel near my work.

I was only 16, but I knew I had to choose between upholding society’s dictates and my own career and life. Even though my parents were upset, they didn’t try to change my mind.

“I love this saying by the Dalai Lama: ‘When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.’”