We celebrate this Women’s Day with an interview with the CEO of The Collection by Liz McGrath, Jacqui Elliott.
“Passion, hard work and resilience are the key ingredients to success.”
Please can you share your thoughts on Women’s Day in South Africa?
We have come a long way, and need to celebrate this. The words that signify the march that resulted in us celebrating women, “strike a woman and you have struck a rock”, are very meaningful words and we should be reminded of these words as often as possible. It makes you think…We have some pretty impressive women in top leadership positions in SA which is great to see, and certainly signifies progress in my opinion. Let the journey continue.
The Collection by Liz McGrath was founded by a woman – Mrs M – how does it make you feel to also be a woman now taking over the running of The Collection?
I had the privilege of working with Mrs M for a mere 8 months before she passed, but in that short time I was very inspired by what she had achieved as a woman in the hospitality industry. It was certainly a great honour for her family to offer this position to me and I will, with the help of the hotel teams, do my very best to ensure we all continue her legacy and look after her beautiful hotels.
Your thoughts on women in leadership roles in South Africa?
It always thrills me to see women achieve success in business. Its not always easy though, but with the right support on all fronts, the sky is literally the limit. There are some truly inspirational women in both politics and commerce in South Africa. Long may they serve.
Do you have any advice for young women wanting to obtain prominent positions in the business world?
Passion, hard work and resilience are the key ingredients to success, our young women who will one day hold the top positions need to learn this. My personal belief is than humility is the greatest strength. If the young women of today are willing to put their all into what they do, they will achieve. Always exude confidence and if you don’t know the answer, make it your business to find out what it is.
And…
I’m an ex-Gauteng Girl, so I love everything the Cape has to offer… I remind myself to always be thankful for the beauty that surrounds us in the Cape. I hope it never becomes something I take for granted.
