Ann Peggy named most influential woman in hospitality industry

PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and SPA General Manager, Ms. Ann Peggy displays her award after she was named Kenya’s most influential woman in the hospitality business by CEO Global Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government list this year, October 25, 2019. [COURTESY].

PrideInn Paradise Beach Resort and SPA General Manager, Ms. Ann Peggy has been named Kenya’s most influential woman in the hospitality business by CEO Global.

Ms. Peggy bagged the prestigious award out of her exemplary work in the hospitality sector and notably being the only female General Manager leading a 5-star hotel in the country.

“Winning this award wasn’t an easy task, the hospitality industry, unlike other industries, historically has had a scarcity of influential women among its ranks. Fortunately, this is now changing, with many more women in the types of positions,” said Ms. Peggy.

During an awarding ceremony at The Boma Hotel, eleven women made their debut on CEO Global Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government list this year.

Notable women from Kenya include Suzanne Wokabi of Suzie Beauty, Mary Muthoni of Women in Business Kenya and many others.

PrideInn management broke the gender barriers early this year by hiring for the first time a female head of their Shanzu hotel and Ms. Peggy’s leadership has been instrumental in delivering a great product and outstanding service to guests at the 5-star resort.

 “There are very few female GMs in this sector. The first challenge is time, as this job demands a lot of working hours and an irregular working schedule. It is sometimes difficult for women to balance personal life and work, but it is also very possible,” said Peggy.

Peggy said that there is also a negative perception of women in the hospitality sector.

“There is this perception that women have to sacrifice their careers to take care of their families. Women, especially in Africa, need to take care of children, family, housework after working hours. But managerial positions are jobs great for women because women tend to be detail-oriented,” she added.

Chief Executive Officer for CEO Global Annelize Wepener affirmed the company’s commitment to gender diversity despite the proportion of women at every level in East Africa’s corporate remaining low.

“In today’s business environment there is a lot of pressure on women to both conform and perform. If you want to be viewed as a success you need to deliver on the business objectives of your employer and ensure your work performance measures up to established benchmarks – even exceeding them where possible,”  said Anne