Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is enhancing its commitment to gender inclusion across its properties, with female participation now at 19.5%. This marks significant progress toward its 2030 goal of achieving 30% female workforce representation. Presently, women occupy 22% of leadership roles within the group.
In Sri Lanka, female participation in the hospitality sector is just around 10%, largely due to social stigmas that lead to misconceptions about the industry being unsafe for women. As a prominent hospitality brand, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts strives to challenge these outdated perceptions, emphasizing that the industry is a safe, secure, and empowering environment for women to excel.
A significant milestone in this endeavor is the appointment of Thanuja Mudiyanselage as Resort Manager at Trinco Blu by Cinnamon. This strategic move not only increases female leadership representation but also utilizes that leadership to inspire and uplift others.
Thanuja, the group’s second female Resort Manager, has risen from humble beginnings in Welimada. Her admission to the Ceylon Hotel School in Colombo marked a crucial turning point, requiring her to adapt to the demands of city life, a stark contrast to her village upbringing. “I learned very early on to embrace changes that came my way,” she reflects.
A graduate of the Ceylon Hotel School and a scholarship recipient in Germany, Thanuja has progressed through Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts’ leadership pathways. She believes that “honesty, commitment, and a positive attitude are the keys to success. Women are more than capable of excelling in this field.” Her initiatives echo this ethos. During her time at Hikka Tranz by Cinnamon, she led sustainability and community programs, such as the Turtle Hatchery Project and the EmpowerHER Network, promoting skill development and local engagement.
For Thanuja, “leadership is about nurturing talent. It’s about providing the right tools, knowledge, and environment for individuals to thrive. It’s about believing in their potential and empowering them to achieve their best.”
She advocates for open communication and mentors colleagues, supervisors, and managers, instilling agility and confidence. At Trinco Blu by Cinnamon, she focuses on empowering her team by addressing their diffidence through workshops designed to overcome habitual shyness, a common trait among many.
These workshops engage staff from colleague to managerial levels across housekeeping and operations. Initiatives like Yoga for Female Colleagues and EmpowerHER Meetings encourage dialogue and collaboration, while recreational programs strengthen teamwork and balance.
These efforts are helping young women, including single mothers, to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and unlock new career progression pathways, positioning Trinco Blu by Cinnamon as a model for inclusive hospitality.
Thanuja’s journey is part of a broader mission within Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts to create workplaces where women lead, talent thrives, and inclusion drives performance.
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