Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts is celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, dedicated to all the women in the hospitality industry. The group currently operating five resorts in Maldives. In the corporate and resort departments, three of the five resorts are currently run by female general managers. Additionally, many additional management positions are also filled by women. The role of the general managers is to inspire all staff and to ensure their professional development, whether male or female.

Monica Suri, General Manager of VARU by Atmosphere, (opened in October 2019), provides regular feedback and catch up sessions to all female staff. Her aim is to help encourage women to climb the career ladder by setting personalised professional goals. Suri also uses this open platform to enable women to highlight any issues and encourages an open debate on the issues surrounding women in the workplace. She says: “After a long sabbatical, I felt in a position to return to the professional world and could only have done so with the support of my family and friends. I advise my female colleagues that the best place to start is to believe in themselves and set goals – then anything is possible.” 

Lisa Gerosa, Resort Manager at OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo, has set up the monthly women’s forum “La Femme.” It promotes the professional development of female employees and ongoing communication between colleagues. Specific topics include free breast cancer screening offered to all female employees by the resort doctor. There are projects such as supporting local children’s homes and mental health workshops.  Gerosa says: “We have regular Skype conferences with female executives across all resorts, to exchange ideas and look for ideas and ways to contribute to female empowerment within the company. These can range from one-to-one sessions with staff, to addressing female-specific professional issues, such as ensuring a good work-life balance.” 

Maria Luisa Lalli, General Manager at OBLU Helengeli oversees a project involving local Maldivian women and guests at the resort. Each week, women from the local islands can visit and sell authentic, handmade items. Not only does this activity help boost women’s incomes, but also gives them more independence and confidence. Lalli says: “Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts takes care of its female – and of course male – staff in a variety of areas. We are like one big family and ensure the company’s core philosophy, The Joy of Giving, is always adhered to.