Why is the Entrepreneurship Award particularly important to you?
Jürgen Ammerstorfer: In my professional career I had the chance to get to know extraordinary role models whose actions have inspired people to think big for themselves. It is important to make this entrepreneurship visible in our society. Successful women entrepreneurs, who with their innovative strength positively stimulate economic development in our country, are the foundation of our future – not least that of the hotel industry. I am convinced that women, among other important qualities, are characterized by a remarkable emotional intelligence, which is indispensable in any company. It is with great pleasure that we accompany the success stories of women entrepreneurs of the future.
How important is diversity and equal opportunity for The Ritz-Carlton internationally?
Representative of the lived equality in our international company is the conviction of Arne M. Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc. that everyone deserves to experience joy, meaning and fulfillment in their work. Regardless of all the personal characteristics that characterize our world in its uniqueness, we strive for a culture of recognition and mutual respect.
After 20 years in the international luxury hotel industry and numerous stations around the globe, promoting equal opportunities is an essential success factor for me. Despite the multiple recognition for our corporate culture, we feel obliged to achieve even more and always do our part for a just society to be put to the test again – true to the words of JW Marriott, Sr .: “Success is never final.”
It is not easy for women to bring work and family under one roof – especially in an environment shaped by the pandemic. How do you help?
For us, equality means creating equal opportunities. As an employer, we expressly do not want to influence the private distribution of roles here. Rather, it is our concern to give all men and women at The Ritz-Carlton Vienna the freedom they need to reconcile work and family in the 21st century – this applies equally to mothers and fathers.
This is positively influenced, above all, by one of the main strengths of the hotel industry, the extraordinary flexibility in structuring the working hours. In the context of short-time working, in particular, we have only been able to gain good experience in terms of family care over the entire period. In addition, we fully support the measures taken to extend the special care time.
