Her Story
About Jennifer
My journey started in the interior design field where I was a practicing interior designer working on multiple residential and commercial projects. I joined a commercial space focused on government work and transitioned into the business side of business development. Growing up with two parents who were heads of corporations, I leaned on them for advice and used that knowledge to strategically position myself for success early in my career. I found a real love for the business side, being able to communicate artistic and architectural solutions with business sense, and became far more specialized in negotiating contracts early on. I practiced in all segments of construction including gaming, government, hospitality, and healthcare, but found myself really attracted to the niche hospitality-specific space dealing with cruise ships, superyachts, and luxury hotels. I went back to school for project management, which helped me facilitate the entire process from ideation and design to sourcing materials and hiring subcontractors. About a year and a half ago, I took a course at Cornell University for hotel real estate and asset management, which reshaped my career path. Now I work with very large hotel owner groups globally, often out of New York for my North America projects, helping them understand this as a return on investment from a stakeholder standpoint. I've become very specialized in this, reviewing every detail from land development to which hotel brand they should work with, and it's really driven our success and my career path forward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jennifer
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my commitment to continuous learning and education. I'm a big proponent of continuing to learn, and that really helped me shape and understand what my clients are looking for. From a consultative approach, I've been able to resolve certain issues. Knowledge has always been power for me, and being able to understand each job aspect from every angle gave me the confidence to win projects and be successful in the whole process from fruition to delivery. In the construction industry, especially as a woman, you have to work that much harder to make a name for yourself. It was always very important for me to establish myself from the construction aspect, understanding how the trades work, understanding the bid process, and being able to communicate with the different individuals responsible in that field. Understanding both the construction aspect as well as being able to negotiate at a high level and understand where the revenue is being allocated is almost an art form, especially in this industry.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I've always been a big advocate in helping others. I like to collaborate, and I feel that sharing knowledge and really being a cheerleader has always been something I've taken pride in, especially with women. When I left my last position, I had some very beautiful notes that brought me to tears in that I helped them shape their career path, or thank you for their encouragement. I think as women in general, we need to support and uplift each other, and it is that much more challenging to get higher-level positions, even though I've gone back to school numerous times. I still find I'm educating male counterparts in meetings, so I think these challenges are still very real in today's world, and anything I can do to help and support other women in the industry is something that I always pride myself on. As a female in the construction industry, you have to be a lot more knowledgeable, and you have to work that much harder to be taken seriously. Understanding the nuances of construction and the way bids are allocated, and then working with the asset management team as well, to be able to have a voice in the room, you really need to be assertive and be able to articulate the process within the industry and the solutions at hand.
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