As March, and Women’s History Month draws to an end we are pleased to bring you our last interview in the Inspiring Women series. Lilly Gentner, a journalism student, asked Leman Selamet, Commercial Director of The Landmark London and Group Director of Revenue of her career journey. She joined the Landmark in 2023 and is responsible for strategic business planning, overseeing hotel management systems, marketing campaigns and leads the commercial team across revenue, sales, events and marketing…
Has working as a woman in leadership in a male dominated industry created challenges that you had to overcome?
I might actually be one of the lucky ones to have had appreciation and recognition from my male bosses throughout my career. They mentored and guided me to help me improve and develop my skillset before I took on the next role and challenge in store.
2. What steps does marketing sector need to take to ensure more women progress into top leadership positions?
I think there needs to be more opportunity for women to have a clear career progression plan as well as more mentorship programs and leadership training put in place to encourage more progression and to help develop skills at every level. I believe businesses should also offer more support to parents and flexible working hours so working mothers can be agile and flexible.
3. How important do you think mentorship is for women aiming for leadership roles in marketing?
Mentorship is one of the most powerful tools, as you’re able to learn from someone that might have gone through very similar experiences and challenges before and would therefore able to give informed advice and guidance. Mentorship also builds confidence in women, encouraging them not to be afraid of taking risks and making bold decisions.
4. What advice you’d give to the next generation of women looking to build a successful career in this industry?
Use every challenge as a chance to sharpen your skills, build resilience and prove your capabilities. Step out of your comfort zone, take initiative, share your ideas, don’t wait for others to recognize you – always be ready for next step.
5. What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
For me, it’s about celebrating women’s achievements and the positive changes made in the last 100 years. It’s also a celebration of women’s resilience, hard work and progression worldwide.
6. How do you balance work and motherhood? Is the industry supportive to working mothers?
I was very lucky to have had the support of my heroes, my parents, that helped me 24/7 to raise my daughter until she went to school. My oldest daughter is now 17 but back then companies were not supporting flexible working hours and maternity leave. They wanted me to go back to work when my daughter was only 2 months old which was difficult. I think today most companies are more accommodating and supporting of working mothers or fathers but the hotel industry is still far behind. Hopefully, with more women in leadership positions, things will progress and shift further so that more and more women are encouraged to take on more leadership positions.
7. What’s been the most challenging in your job? Equally what do you enjoy about it the most?
The biggest challenge in my role is adapting to fast paced and unpredictable market demands, delivering short term financial results in line with budget expectations, as well as managing a large and diverse team.
At the same time, I love my role as is drives me, excites me and keeps me motivated. I love implementing strategies to drive revenue, elevate the brand positioning in the market whilst also creating memorable guest experiences. I am also supporting, mentoring and building relationships with my amazing team. Creating memorable experiences together makes me be happy at work every day.
8. What’s your advice to other working mothers?
I have learned that balancing a demanding career with family is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. My advice is to own your unique journey. When I reflect on the positives, I think that I have two confident, kind and mature daughters, that have sometimes complained about my working hours but are also truly proud of their mother. My oldest daughter wrote on my last birthday card that, “she thinks I am role model, inspiring and would like to be like me in the future”, that was very emotional for me to read. Every decision I took in the past and take now, my daughters understand, is to give them a better future.
