Meet Eden

I joined Accor 13 years ago as a Receptionist at Pullman Sydney Olympic Park. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to take on 10 different roles across the business, from Receptionist to Sales and Events Coordinator. I also spent time as an Executive Assistant and later moved into project management roles linked to the Mantra integration in Talent & Culture. Today, I support the Asia team as Director Operations Excellence, Hotel Openings & Projects.

The challenge focused on hotel operations, particularly Front Office and Food & Beverage, and on showcasing what we do best. I represented Front Office, which meant demonstrating the guest experience — from welcoming a guest to creating a memorable check-in.

What I learned most from that experience was not to overthink things. I had prepared so much and tried to know everything about my hotel, from its location to the best local restaurants. But in the end, what people really wanted to see was me — my personality, my way of connecting with others. That was a real learning curve for me.

The program brought together around 14 people from across the globe to work collaboratively on a project. It was a great opportunity to learn how to work effectively with people in different time zones and in a fully virtual environment, even without meeting face-to-face.

On a personal level, the biggest lesson for me was learning to back myself. At the time, I wasn’t very confident in my own abilities, and when I was selected, I remember thinking, “Why me?” But being part of the program helped me recognize my own value. It gave me greater confidence and made me feel ready to take on what comes next.

For me, that would be Heartists®. I really connected with that training, especially the idea of striving for excellence rather than perfection.

At the time, I was working as an Executive Assistant and could be quite a perfectionist. That experience helped me realize that you don’t have to be at 100% all the time. If you are doing your best, that is enough.

I would say patience. It’s great to see people who are eager to grow and move into management roles, but it’s also important to remember how much there is to learn along the way.

By experiencing different roles and environments, people can build a much stronger foundation for leadership. Growth takes time, and sometimes allowing yourself that time is one of the most valuable things you can do.

That it’s okay not to know exactly what you want to do.

For a long time, I worried because I didn’t have a clearly defined career path. I thought that meant I was somehow behind. But over time, I realized that not having all the answers is okay. I still don’t know exactly what I want to do in life, but I do know that I want to keep challenging myself, learning and growing. For me, that is enough — and being open to opportunities is a strength in itself.