Her Story
About Shakeera
Shakeera Harden serves as Events Operations Manager at ABCD and Company. Her professional journey includes nearly ten years at Marriott International, where her longest role was as a senior administrative assistant supporting hotel openings, followed by approximately three years in an educational nonprofit before joining her current organization. She graduated from Virginia State University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in hospitality and has accumulated over ten years of experience in events overall, with the past two years focused on events and marketing. She is currently working toward a project management certification to further support her work in operations, events, and team support. Harden attributes her growth to supportive leadership that encouraged her to pursue management roles she had not previously considered.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shakeera
01What do you attribute your success to?
The leadership at this company has pushed me so hard and believed in me in a way I have never experienced before. In all my time, I never thought I even wanted to be a manager until leadership came to me and said I have these qualities and can do this. Having that backing and push I didn't know I needed has made me dream a bit bigger.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Always remember that a company will survive even if you die, so don't make any company your life. Do what makes you happy, but always remember that your life is your own.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Always make sure you have time to dream. A big part of operations and any support position is dreaming about what's next and providing vision for the team. Don't get so bogged down in the day-to-day tasks. If you want to grow in this field, you have to make sure that you have time to dream.
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