LAGNIAPPE
MARY ROGERS
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER FONTAINEBLEAU MIAMI BEACH MIAMI BEACH , FLORIDA
Contributed by ERIN SUND
As vice president and general manager of the glamorous Fontainebleau , Mary Rogers prioritizes teamwork and cultivating talent .
HOTELS : How are you disrupting your field ?
Mary Rogers : Historically , the success of hospitality professionals has been unofficially measured by the hours they put in on the job — it can become a contest of who spends more time at work . The truth is , hospitality is an industry in which you need to be physically present in order to be successful , but there has to be a balance . I believe in coming to work every day and working extremely hard , but I also believe in going home and putting an equal amount of effort into my family and occasionally taking time off to travel and explore our industry in different areas of the world . I like to inspire our team members to do the same — to go home and spend quality time with their friends and family , and to do things outside of work that make them happy .
It ’ s all about teamwork and surrounding yourself with the right people . When one of our leaders is away , whether taking a day
HEAD LINE
off or on leave because they just had a child , I don ’ t want them to worry about work — I want them to trust that we are here and have things under control . When you can take time off and have full DECK faith in your team to get things done , that ’ s when you know you ’ re doing something right .
H : What Ehem is the ma industry , eto inat ignoring , nocus at , its porevid peril ? Cupime audam inte consum MR auconvocum : Talent . I believe hos auc our tamdi industry , probse needs impost to focus videtris on the ; inihicaeque next generation nonem cus of , hoteliers consultum and que convey pervir to publia them mo that ineris really ? An extra- sinum in ordinary ta nonem careers pliae can conte be adhucon made in finatic this widely asdam diverse . Utelutem industry acerfictus . commoer ebatque const ? P . O tem dem aucta L . Sat . H : What are you reading right now ?
MR : I am currently reading ‘ First : Sandra Day O ’ Connor ’ by Evan
Thomas , the intimate and stimulating biography of America ’ s first female Supreme Court justice . I find her story fascinating and inspiring . And I constantly check TripAdvisor to read our guests ’ feedback and I like to keep up to date with the news via various channels .
H : Where do you find inspiration outside your industry ?
MR : Through philanthropic efforts and volunteering . I recently joined the board of directors for Camillus House , a nonprofit agency providing humanitarian services to poor and homeless people in Miami-Dade County , Florida . It ’ s important for me to give back to a community that has provided me with such wonderful opportunities , both personally and professionally .
H : Who inspires you ?
MR : My mother . When I was growing up , her strength and selflessness always amazed and inspired me . Now that I have two daughters of my own , I am even more in awe of her accomplishments .
H : What ’ s one prediction you ’ re willing to make about the industry ?
MR : Guest profiling and personalized communication between hotels and guests will continue to increase . Also , I believe digital interactivity will dominate the in-house guest experience in coming years .
Fontainebleau lobby
64 hotelsmag . com July / August 2019