Many things- Ms. Vipula Gandhi

We were batchmates at IHM Mumbai. She was friendly, lively and a fun person to be with. Her speech used to be ‘many more words per minute’ than most of us because she was a fast thinker. She worked hard and was ambitious; she was one of the toppers all though the college years. Focused on what she wanted and achieving not just that but much more. She has lived a life probably just the way she had planned it to be. She is one of the fittest women I know and also a great parent. She keeps giving people around her many professional and personal goals; making her a complete package!  She is truly a star, an inspiration to many men and women. Presenting to you Ms. Vipula Gandhi, Managing Partner at Gallup Inc, and is based at the company’s headquarter in Washington DC. IWH in conversion with her.

IWH: Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc.

Vipula Gandhi: I am the youngest of 3 kids born in middle India to highly educated and middle class parents. I spent my early years in a steel city, Bhilai, where my father worked as an engineer. My parents had difficult childhoods in strained circumstances common to many other  refugees from Pakistan. By the time their only daughter arrived, they had built a reasonable life for themselves. My father bought a car the day I was born to celebrate and ensure that his only daughter comes home from the hospital in a car! As I look back, I am in awe of my forward thinking parents, they raised me just as they did their other two boys- I rode motor bikes and was introduced to the concept of independence very early on. We were not rich but a wholesome and loving rearing made up for a great childhood for all of us. They ensured that I studied in good schools and was supported when I requested help.

I did very well in school and then met my first big failure in life – inability to become a doctor which was my father’s dream! My late father always meant a lot to me. I was lost. I knew from early age that I get energized by delivering great customer service, I applied for IHM because one of my other friends was applying and suggested I would be a good fit. So really not a thought through strategy at that juncture in my life. I just wanted to start doing something to get myself going after the big speed bump. Hospitality was an emerging industry in 1994 and not a place where many middle class parents saw their daughters working.

IWH: What made you select Hospitality as a career? Was it easy making that decision?

Vipula Gandhi: IHM, Mumbai and OCLD years shaped who I am. Hospitality industry taught me basic fundamentals of business that I still hold dear in my heart – customer is the reason why businesses exist. Everything that we do must have customers’ interest at its center. Having spent 4 years in hotel operations and Sales, I realized that my calling was elsewhere and when offered a sales role in Financial sector I made my move. Then followed 7 years in Banking sector that led me to a Corporate Banking Director role in London with Barclays Bank. In spite of success in this role and an MBA in Finance, I soon felt I needed an intellectual challenge and when head hunted for management consulting role, I changed industry again. I now feel fulfilled helping organizations grow; growing businesses have huge impact on building successful societies. This is my contribution to making this world a better place. When I look back, the industry changes make complete sense  but they looked risky and out of comfort zone when life presented those doors of opportunity. I have lived and worked in Mumbai, Delhi, London, Dubai, Singapore and Washington DC.

IWH: What is your current role?

Vipula Gandhi: I am now the Managing Partner for a management consulting firm, Gallup Inc, and based at the company’s headquarter in Washington DC. My teams and I help  C- Suite leaders of Fortune 1000 companies on designing and delivering on business strategy through advise and analytics.

Continue reading at:

http://www.theiwh.com/life-is-many-things-ms-vipula-gandhi/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

The answer is ‘YES’ what’s the question!!

My Association with Ms. Nandita Lad Deora goes to more than 20 years now. We worked at the Taj Mahal hotel, Mumbai as colleagues. She was a great professional, extremely passionate about her work but made things look really easy with her great sense of humour. She did not come from a hospitality background; she is a commerce graduate but learnt the ropes of the trade and the finer nuances with her dedication and hard work. She won everyone’s appreciation. The journey that began in 1996 has had interesting benchmarks all along. She started her career in the Housekeeping department but went on to become a  General Manager at the Gordon House Hotel in 2007, the company that she joined in 2001 as the Executive Housekeeper.  In 2016 she moved to head the  Sales and  Events for the Banqueting Division of  K-Hospitality .K-hospitality currently leads  high quality banqueting ,catering services and F&B .  Copper Chimney , Irish House, Blue Sea Banquets and The Palace Halls are just to name a few under the K-hospitality umbrella .

She has had an extremely enriching career pre- opening properties, handling design  as well as positioning of various brands that she was associated with. Learning has been an integral part of her professional journey. She is a Certified Hospitality Administrator from the American Hotel and Lodging Association Educational Institute. She also acquired “CHHE (Certified Hospitality Housekeeping Executive)”,a Certification course (exclusively for Executive Housekeepers) from AHLEI. She earned her certification for completion of ‘Introduction to Global Hospitality Management’ course offered by the prestigeous Cornell University, New York, USA  in Feb 2015.

IWH in conversation with the extremely talented Ms. Deora.

IWH: Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc.

Nandita: A Daddys Girl, Mommys best friend and brother’s pet Sister best defines me as a child. Born and raised in Mumbai in a  simple Maharashtrian family set up,I grew up with practically no ambition but a deep desire to live in the moment and seek happiness in whatever I did. I completed my schooling from St.Columba School and then graduated in Commerce from Elphinstone College . Childhood meant fun filled  and carefree days right until a point when it hit me that everyone around me had a plan when drafting one for myself wasn’t even on my To-do List . It was only then that I strove to hold on to anythimg that I got and decided to make it work for me. Once I had a job at hand .. the aim was to make a career out of it .

Hosting was in my blood. I had pandered to my family remember likes and dislikes and catered to every visitor’s wish all my life. Whilst unconsciously I was absorbing these practices at home I consciously began my first course of training  as a Graduate Trainee with The Taj  Mahal Palace and Tower. This convinced me further that Hospitality begins at home . I feel deep and act with intensity but I am a peoples person at heart.

Married to a Chef  for over 13 years now, professional discussions are very much a part of dinner conversations and this has helped us get a trusted perspective to any issue. Understanding our professions has only helped us build an emotional connect as well . As parents of two children who deserve our  time and attention ,we often  find ourselves struggling with finding the right work-life balance. This is always at a Work in Progress stage. Nevertheless, for someone who couldn’t even boil an egg correctly, marrying a Chef has been one of the best decisions !

IWH: What made you select Hospitality as a career? Was it easy making that decision?

Nandita: Hospitality chose me. I just wanted A job ! It seemed fast paced and the glamour that it is always associated with ,made it easy to grab the opportunity. Making the decision wasn’t as much as a challenge anymore. In 1996, it wasn’t common for a girl to take up jobs at hotels. It was the era where the bank jobs were considered the best you could have . My parents were supportive and that’s all that mattered to me.

IWH: What is your current role?

Nandita: Currently,  I manage business at The Palace Halls ,Luxury Banquet venues located at Worli in Mumbai as the Sales Head  for Events since its pre-opening phase in 2016.

My role primarily involves  leading a sales team to bring in business and manage premium events for clients .We manage premium weddings, corporate events , award functions and social gatherings .Meeting happy people at happy occasions and helping  them create happy memories is something I totally love about this role.

IWH: How has your hospitality journey been so far? Pros, cons etc?

Nandita: I actually consider Hospitality as part of my Lifestyle. I think of it as selling a product that is “Experience”. Experience in itself being subjective and unique to the various elements in every circumstance, there is not a standard formula to excel in it. I think the better one is at problem solving the more rewarding Hospitality gets.

My journey began as a job at The Taj Mahal Palace which is one of the most revered places in this sector in India. It created a strong foundation for my career in hospitality. You realize what you learn early on really goes a long way in shaping the rest of your career. The only way to enjoy this journey is to love what you are doing and do it well. Humility and professionalism are the key factors towards making “Hospitality” a success. Having learnt this with the Taj, I was quickly able to move ahead with confidence which led me to taking up larger responsibilities at every role. In this journey thus far, I have been able to learn from effective leaders and also lead teams who shared the same level of passion and enthusiasm.

After  2 decades of being  so passionately engaged at work ,there did come a time when I felt short on energies to manage what I was meant to do, professionally and on the home front. Its never easy to realize or accept the need to “recharge our  batteries “ until even positive events begin to feel overwhelming if they take energy to enjoy !

Playing  a 24×7 Mommy  at home was the best reward  I could have give myself then.The psychological space from the demands of life and the attachment to the other identities you worked so hard for didn’t really seem difficult to be kept aside.Afterall ,It didn’t mean  shrinking responsibilities , it simply meant taking care of myself. I spent dedicated time ,almost a year , to decide which direction I wanted to go next .Analysing my  preferences, strengths, values, experience, goals and what is  more  important now,   I am back into the journey to keep moving forward.

Pros – There is a considerable amount of glamour that people associate with the industry and and that can totally drive your motivation. The atmosphere at work is vibrant , lively and bright, no matter how busy it gets. The energies and synergies that surround you can keep you on a consistent high.  There is enormous scope to diversifying into a variety roles which lead to a rapid horizontal expansion of experience and maturity in this career .

No major cons …just long days. Extended working hours especially on weekends does get a little disturbing especially when you have a family. It is not uncommon to miss out on your family or personal time on occasions. Finding a work- life balance can be challenging especially if you are married to someone who works on a similar routine.

Continue reading at:

http://www.theiwh.com/ms-nandita-lad-deora-the-answer-is-yes-whats-the-question/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

Dynamism of a young entrepreneur!

I know her brothers well as both of them were my students at IHM Mumbai; at different times though. Vishal and Vikram were well bred, disciplined young boys from an established family that was in hotel business. I have extremely high regards for their parents Mr. and Mrs. Vithal Kamat for bringing them up as any other boys next door. They had no airs about them and did not disclose who they were. I also remember them travelling to college by local trains and having a simple college life. They were disciplined and focused on their learning; probably knowing it well that they were heirs to the legacy created by their father and had the responsibility of taking it to newer heights.

And here’s their sister, who matches up to her brothers in all the parameters that I mentioned above- truly dynamic, fun loving and focused young lady  who wears her chef coat with pride!  Being a Part of the family that runs the Kamat Group of Hotels; Vidita Kamat has tried her best to be a part of the culinary industry with grace and strength in an inimitable way. She started working in the hospitality industry at the age of 16, and now is an established Chef entrepreneur,  food blogger and food stylist. She says that nothing else satisfies her than cooking for people and sending them home with full tummies and even bigger smiles. Innovating and creating new recipes as well as trying out new cuisines makes for the best thing about being a chef; she adds. She has many personal achievements that speak about her passion and dedication to her work.  She has been featured in many publications of repute such as the BBC Good Food. IWH in conversation with the dynamic Chef Vidita Kamat.

IWH:  Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc

Vidita: I keep my head held up high and focus on what is needed to be done at work. I am a strong-headed woman with a clear vision. Growing up, my life has revolved around food and foodies all the time, everywhere and anywhere I have been. From my childhood. Mom’s traditional food and dad’s innovative cooking gave birth to the chef in me! Cooking has always been my first love; I love everything that is associated with food and culinary. I have always been a bubbly and chirpy child through school and college years. I have been active in extracurricular activities; however, I was an average student in academics. Nonetheless, I had always focused on what I wanted to do.

Continue reading at:

http://www.theiwh.com/chef-vidita-kamat-dynamism-of-a-young-entrepreneur/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

Interview with Ms. Leena Gazmer

Leena Connected with me on Linkedin; she had shared a really beautiful , warm and encouraging message. We established an instant connect. I liked her journey so far and wanted to share her inspirational story with the readers here. Presenting to you Ms. Leena Gazmer, Image consultant, Coach and Trainer. She has  had a successful aviation career spanning over two and a half decades. IWH in conversation with the graceful and truly inspirational Ms. Gazmer.

IWH: Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc.

Leena: I was born in the hilly town of Darjeeling(West Bengal)and grew up in Kolkata, studied in a strict convent school till the 12^th standard at Our Lady Queen of the Missions School and later at St. Augustine’s School;so was taught from a young age how to be restrained in conduct and demeanor and Kolkata was pretty conservative then, still is in many ways. But I was a secret rebel and wanted to be more in life than just a well-manneredlady who studied art, literature or medicine. I did start college at St. Xavier’s Kolkata taking B.A.(Arts) but as destiny would have it, I happened to see in the newspaper that there would be an All-India entrance exam for Hotel Management studies at IHMCTAN way back in 1989,took that exam and got Mumbai as my study center. My family too moved with me as my father got a new job here. Coming to Mumbai initially was a culture shock to me as I came from a more conservative background. I was a quiet student but did receive lot of love from all my college instructors and peers. I made some good friends who I am still in touch with.

IWH: What made you select Hospitality as a career? Was it easy making that decision?

Leena: Choosing Hospitality as a career way back in the mid-nineties was a bold step for women who came from conservative family backgrounds or communities.I was warned by many older relatives that this was not the right field to venture into as a young woman and that nice women do not take up hotel jobs! But I chose to quietly ignore the naysayers and be my own cheerleader.Not only did I take up a hotel job (after my studies at IHMCTAN) at the old AIRPORT CENTAUR in sales and marketing, taking care of sales from airlines but later ventured into the world of airlines. I started my career in Aviation initially as a cabin crew for MODILUFT, a joint venture of LUFTHANSA and MODI, India (6months) and then OMAN AIR in 1997, an airline based in Muscat one of the most beautiful cities in the Gulf and the Middle East. OMAN AIR, winner of many prestigious awards;was voted the best in the ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline – Business Class’ and ‘Middle East’s Leading Airline – Economy Class’ at the World Travel Awards in 2017.Was also awarded for the second year in a row as “Best Airline in Europe, Middle East and Africa” within the Seven Stars Luxury Lifestyle and Hospitality Awards 2017.

Read more at:

http://www.theiwh.com/fly-high-interview-with-leena-gazmer/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/