Making dunes in the desert: Girl from Strandfontein taking over Qatar one luxury hotel at a time
The Girl from Standfontein is taking over Qatar!
Meet Jade Ward (36) from Doha Qatar. She is the Director of revenue management for the Marriot International luxury portfolio.
For the last 5 years she has been climbing the ladder in the world of hospitality.
Originally from Strandfontein she quickly learnt that the Middle East is not an easy place for a female to grow, thankfully she knew that she had to push through everything and anything to make it happen.
In Cape Town Jade worked in the hospitality industry for more than 10 years and was requested to the Middle East to lift the game.
She spearheaded the revenue strategies for Ritz Carlton in Doha, Shark Village and Spa – Ritz Carlton Hotel, Al Messila, A luxury collection and the Sheraton Grande hotel in Doha.
To us this may be a something small but it is a big deal when the country is hosting the Fifa World Cup during 2022.
Her responsibilities included the execution of the revenue strategy and many other duties.
For this and her efforts she won the Q1 (Quarter one) award for MEA (Middle Eastern Africa) international award and the EMEA (Europe Middle Eastern Africa) elite rising star award in 2023. She manages a team of five different nationalities (Nigerian, Indian, Turkish, German & South African).
Speaking to Jade in the city of Doha you can easily see how at home she is in this space, a dedicated professional with leadership qualities. A home girl making dunes in the desert.
Qatar is a country with very strict rules like not being allowed to live with your partner when you’re not married, you can’t have children before marriage, drinking alcohol openly is strictly prohibited, those who want to indulge will require a license to consume it and the list goes on.
However you are surrounded by beauty everywhere you go, the streets are clean without a pothole in site. The grass patches and trees are trimmed daily leaving you in awe of a proud nation.
According to Ward “the country and the industry is very big on sport, culture and entertainment. Not leaving out other things like religion which is a very big priority to the people of this land”. She adds “it was a huge adjustment in the beginning for me, I cried for the longing of family and the normal that I once knew, today I am at peace with my new norm.
“There are times where you have to find strength in different things especially when your family at home calls to say your mom was diagnosed with a deadly illness. Last year I got the saddest news, I lost my mom (Felicia Dawn) who was my rock. She was 69 old.
“During these times it is the hardest to be in a different country and you have to make peace with these things before you make this drastic decision. Other than that, you can benefit your life in many way”.
All I can say is when you have dream that doesn’t scare, it simply isn’t big enough. I find myself in a desert that was turned into an elaborate country, the city of Doha alone is a hub for different activities open to all nationalities.
I hope we can one day see the future of South Africa shine to such an extent. With Freedom day around the corner let us remember the sacrifices of the brave men and women who fought for our freedom. Let the next 30 years of our new democracy become a shining beacon for our generations to follow.
Please make sure we make the right choice when we cast our vote during the election time and let us remember the children who still have a very long way to go. From the Middle East I wish you a safe an blessed weekend ahead.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za