SPECIAL REPORT

the globe in the process . That ’ s a more difficult proposition for two-income families . “ Anecdotally , the women GMs I ’ m thinking of don ’ t have kids , or their kids are grown ,” Russo says .

Running large full-service city hotels or big resorts is the last frontier to conquer , says Anne Marie Wemmlinger , vice president at Marriott International , who oversees support services for branding , marketing , sales and consumer services .

Women have made substantial inroads in corporate staff positions and in running smaller properties , Wemmlinger says . But running big hotels usually involves moving , which , if you have a partner , involves a negotiation . “ Whose career is more important ?” she says . “ Something has to give .”

Wemmlinger moved often for operations jobs in her 30-plus year career with Marriott , including a stint as GM of the 288-room Greenbelt Marriott in Greenbelt , Maryland . Her frequent moves were easier because she married later in her career , she says . “ If you ’ re a strong leader you can figure it out ,” she says .

Hotel families can make the nomadic life work , says Holly Gagnon , CEO of Seneca Gaming Corp . in Niagara Falls , New York , who raised two daughters while moving around the country for gaming industry jobs . “ I have a lot of stickers on my furniture ,” she says . “ You ’ re spinning plates but you don ’ t

Eileen Moore worked in revenue management for more than a decade at places like The Waldorf Astoria in New York , Fairmont and Harrah ’ s . “ When it came time to branch out , I got that uncomfortable feeling ,” she recalls . “ It was great being the expert . People had to come to me to get the answer .”

When a pricing position on the gaming side opened at Caesars Entertainment , Moore raised her hand . “ I said I could take my knowledge from the hotel side and assist with the layout of the casino .”

She served as vice president for gaming operations at Harrah ’ s while earning her MBA at Northwestern University ’ s Kellogg School of Management . She went on to become assistant GM at Harrah ’ s , New Orleans , and regional president and general manager for Caesars Entertainment in Louisville , Kentucky . Now she ’ s regional president of three Caesars Entertainment casino resorts in Las Vegas : The Flamingo , The Linq and The Cromwell .

“ If I had stayed in revenue management , I would have tapped out ,” Moore says .

Source : Castell Project 2019

20 hotelsmag . com March 2019