Marianne Saulwick, director of industry liaison at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management joins this year’s judging panel for the Leaders in Hospitality Awards. 

With an extensive background in hospitality having owned restaurants and an events company in Australia, Saulwick is currently the director of industry liaison for the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, and represents the Academy at local and international levels. A restaurant reviewer in Australia and the UAE and a lecturer in Leadership in the GCC region, Saulwick shares her thoughts on what it takes to be a leader.

What are you looking to find in a Hospitality Leaders Awards winner?

There are many different models for leadership but for me, apart from looking for innovative ideas and performance results, I want to see how people within an organisation respond to a leader or the concept. A true leader or a winning concept must have the ability to capture the imagination and bring people to buy in to it.

What category are you most excited about and why?

I like all of the categories but am particularly interested in the Best Interior and Best Refurb categories having had a long standing interest in design. The new generation of guest is often design conscious and hotels have to respond to this. I’m also keen on the Young Nationals award as we have many fine young men and women making their mark on the industry.

Why are awards like these important for the industry?

We have the privilege of being part of the phenomenal growth of the global city of Dubai. Very talented people are drawn here from all over the world to contribute to the hospitality industry and recognition of their efforts is vital to affirm these individuals and the industry in general. Having been part of awards for quite some time, I see the affect they have on younger colleagues and how they inspire.