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Empowering women to fulfill their full potential is a vital part of Hyatt’s strategy for talent growth and success.
Hyatt has launched two pioneering initiatives including Women@Hyatt, a globally dedicated diversity business resource group, and the Inspirit Mentorship Program, created exclusively in the EMEA region, to support female colleagues to feel a sense of belonging and be inspired in their daily roles. Now in its sixth year in EMEA, Women@Hyatt supports Hyatt’s regional diversity, equity and inclusion mission through cultivating and maintaining an active network, fostering a culture that supports a gender-diverse and inclusive workplace and supporting the needs and advancement of women at Hyatt.
With 29 branded properties in the Middle East, Hyatt is committed to championing women across different roles within the region, including those of leadership and setting a benchmark across the industry.
The company’s purpose is to care for people so they can be their best, which is reflected in Hyatt’s 2025 DE&I goals, setting out three main areas to accelerate the organization’s progress toward advancing diversity and inclusion efforts. This includes doubling the representation of women in senior management roles at Hyatt, across the region and globally.
Katrin Melle, regional vice president of DEI and talent, Europe Middle East and Africa, Hyatt, said: “It is truly inspiring to see the growth of Women@Hyatt and the Inspirit Mentorship Program across the EMEA region. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of Hyatt’s values, and I’m proud that our teams bring our commitment to life, continuously working together to embrace equity and empower female leadership growth at Hyatt.”
Women@Hyatt is a global initiative designed to accelerate and increase professional growth opportunities for female employees at Hyatt. Founded in 2012, the initiative has seen significant growth in activity during 2022-2023 in the EMEA region. At present, there are six active “chapters” in the region including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan, spearheaded by female employees with many male allies. Women@Hyatt chapters are country-based, city-based, or functional focused networking groups supporting women and are based on voluntary formation and participation.
The goal of the program is to foster a culture that promotes professional and personal growth opportunities for women.
Britta Leick-Milde is the general manager of Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai. She is an active mentor in the Inspirit Mentorship Program and a participant in Women@Hyatt, through which she has introduced new initiatives and resources for female staff, including extended maternity and paternity leave options to provide new parents with ample bonding time with their children.
Inspirit Mentorship Program
A core component of Women@Hyatt in EMEA is the Inspirit Mentorship Program, a bespoke mentoring program for female employees at Hyatt in the region. The program was launched in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi at the end of 2022, with Jordan launching soon. Currently, there are 18 colleagues from the Middle East in the regionally run Inspirit Program for female leaders.
Ruba Taha is the director of marketing and communications at Grand Hyatt Amman in Jordan. An award-winning hospitality professional, Taha is also the chapter chair for Women@Hyatt in Jordan. One of her main achievements is to apply for menstrual leave as an official monthly two-day off for the women working in Grand Hyatt Amman. The hotel team also received a 2022 award from the UN Women’s Women’s Empowerment Principles program for their best practices, recognizing all their efforts made toward women’s empowerment.