Business Leaders interview: Sabina Shaida

Tell us a little about yourself and your business.

I have worked in marketing for 14, 4/5* London hotels and 7 Kenyan Hotels. I then worked as a part of a task force as commercial director for Pollypeck/Noble Raredon to build and run tourism beach hotels in Turkey and Cyprus. I returned to UK and as director of Sales and Marketing for Huntington House and the Green Park Hotel for a year. I left and set up Mosaic Holiday UK and ran it for 16 years until I sold it. I then joined Culture trip to build an OTA. I am currently looking to set up a start-up Wellness online travel company. 

What motivates you in your work and what do you find most fulfilling about being a business leader? 

The team motivate me at work to grow and support them to reach their goals. I endeavour to practice a servant leadership style, supporting the teams by improving their skill and guiding them to grow to eventually enter leadership roles.

How did you develop your leadership skills and how would you define your leadership style?

The travel and hospitality industry are a people’s industry where anything can happen, and it often does. It is therefore important to understand that at the heart we are here to support and grow our employees and serve the guest and make their stay as enjoyable as possible. I worked in London hotel consortium of 14 hotels for 2/3 years as marketing Director learning and improving my marketing skills by learning by my mistakes and studying commercial marketing to deliver growth. My leadership developed with each different position learning from my mistakes, seeking advice from mentors and researching and studying best practice. I have always endeavoured to practice a servant leadership style based on leaders prioritizing the greater good. Servant leadership This is achieved by serving the team and organization first and don’t prioritize their own objectives and creating an environment where employee’s voices are heard.

Innovating is crucial in our very diverse industry. How do you stay ahead of trends and incorporate them into your global strategy?

I am a growth marketeer at heart, I am always researching the marketplace for data, trends and competitors to create opportunities, increase customer awareness and acquisition, improve customer experience navigate any upcoming challenges.

What do you consider to be the key component(s) of effective business operational development?

Ambitious objectives, a great culture that encourages trust and collaboration a robust strategy and a diverse competent team who work collaboratively, support each other and are agile and can adapt to changing circumstances. 

How do you approach identifying areas for improvement within a company's operations?

Work with the various teams to discuss any issues and problems and then work with them to put forward their solutions for improvement.

Where do you think the most promising investments should be focusing on and/or made on? 

On growing the product proposition and increasing the number of employees as well as offering growth opportunities and access to courses such as AI. I am also a big fan of HR who are great in supporting the employees and culture of the company.

What is or are your biggest career achievement(s) 

Building, growing a luxury tour operator, developing employees and eventually selling Mosaic Holidays

How did you identify and seize opportunities for advancement in your career?

I have always been a self-starter. I create opportunities such as proposing to culture trip that they needed to lobby their content to increase the number of unique monthly users and presented a plan to compare themselves as a travel information hub such as google. I am currently interested in the travel wellness sector. 

Have you achieved everything you wanted in your career so far?

No not even close, we live in a fast-changing world, and we need to learn and adapt to the future in Travel. AI is beginning to play a more important role I and there is a lot to learn and implement. 

How important is personal development to your success, and how do you approach it? 

I question myself all the time analysing what I have done has succeeded and failed, what I need to improve and how to support the employees to be the best version of themselves.

How do you prioritise tasks when everything feels like a priority?

Thats a good question. I would ask the teams to review all the projects and to map effort to return and then reprioritise them. 

What was the hardest decision you have taken as a leader?

Reducing staff during tough times.

What steps do you take to measure your own performance?

I set clear goals and have my own OKRs an KPIs and invest myself by continuously learning to continuously be aware of industry trends, opportunities and challenges.   

What does success mean for you as a business leader?

Meeting the companies Vision, goals and values including financial targets, driving innovation and increasing market share. Providing the best product for excellent customer experiences. Empowering and supporting employees supporting and motivating a strong diverse skilled team. 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Leadership & vision

How would you define diversity, equity and inclusion, and why are they important to you as a leader?

I am aware that diversity and inclusion increases the cultural depth of the business different views and opinions are a positive addition to explore opportunities and solve problems.

How have you incorporated DE&I into your organisation's culture? 

I would make it one of our companies’ values. 

Has there been a moment or experience that significantly shaped your views on DE&I?

No employees need to be themselves and be respected for who they are. They need to feel comfortable in the business and working with their colleagues. 

Business strategy

How do you measure progress toward your DE&I goals?

Create targets and make them a part of our KPIs.

Culture

What can businesses do so that all their employees feel equally valued and respected?

Make it a part of the business Value.

Do you have a policy in place to address and prevent discrimination and harassment?

I have not had one to date but 

Do you encourage open dialogue about diversity and inclusion among employees?

Yes absolutely, 

Challenges and Solutions

Have you faced challenges in your DE&I efforts and were they difficult to overcome? 

No, I haven’t 

How do you handle resistance or pushback from employees regarding DE&I initiatives?

We would discuss their concerns and work with them on the issues.

Impact & outcomes

How do you measure the impact of DE&I on your organisation's performance and culture?

Collect and analyse data on diversity in the company to better understand the diversity in the business.

Can you provide examples of how DE&I have positively influenced your business outcomes?

We live in a diverse society, and I feel our businesses should reflect our society.