In celebration of the upcoming 2024 International Women’s Day and WA’s AHA Awards for Excellence, Novotel Perth Murray Street shines a light on one of our star employees, Jai McNaughton.
Celebrated annually on 8 March, International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. On this special day we take a moment to recognise the outstanding achievements of one of our own – the hotel’s Talent & Culture Manager, Jai McNaughton.
Our focus on Jai’s numerous talents is timely, as she has recently been announced as Finalist in the ‘Emerging Female Leader’ category of the AHA WA Accommodation Awards for Excellence – a new award category announced by the AHA for 2024, sponsored by Women in Hospitality & Tourism.
All About Jai
Jai has worked for Accor hotels since 2017, transferring to her role at Novotel Perth Murray Street in 2020. She has always had a deep-seated commitment to inclusivity alongside extensive experience as a senior human resources professional in the hospitality industry in Perth. Her passion for advocating for diversity and inclusion, coupled with her qualifications and expertise, make her a prime example of what International Women’s Day is all about.
Passionate about all areas of diversity and inclusion, Jai has worked to help the hotel navigate the legal and regulatory landscape related to disability inclusion by ensuring that our business adheres to all relevant laws and have actively sought out partnerships with local disability support organisations to promote employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, with her successful nomination for the Hospitality Disability Network Board in October 2023.
RIISE Up!
In October 2023, Jai was also recognised as an inspirational woman for Accor’s global RIISE program, a truly prestigious achievement. Open to all Accor Heartists®, RIISE is an internal network for gender diversity and equality that counts 20,000+ members across five continents via the mobilisation of strong regional communities focusing on two key objectives:
- The transmission and empowerment of our teams in understanding their roles in guiding, inspiring and nurturing personal development.
- The elimination of any form of discrimination, harassment or violence by giving teams the tools so they can actively act and report unacceptable behaviour.
Jai also champions the hotel’s Inclusion and Diversity calendar of events, including White Ribbon Day, NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week, R U Okay Day and arranging wonderfully engaging guest speakers for the hotel team.
International Women’s Day
For International Women’s Day, Jai has been organising these annual events since she started working for Accor and it is a significant day in our Inclusion and Diversity calendar so it seems only right that we also celebrate her today.
She is particularly passionate about International Women’s Day as it serves as a reminder to celebrate the achievements, resilience, and contributions of women around the world, not all of which are treated with the respect that we are in this country. She believes IWD gives us the opportunity to highlight the progress made towards gender equality while acknowledging the ongoing challenges that women face. For Jai personally, IWD is a moment to reflect on the women who have influenced and inspired her, recognising their strength and determination.
“International Women’s Day for me is a call to action, urging us to continue advocating for women’s rights, fostering inclusivity, and creating a world where every woman has the opportunity to thrive.The day when advocating for gender equality becomes obsolete marks the true attainment of equality and I hope to be part of that in any way that I can,” Jai McNaughton.
Please join us in wishing Jai the best of luck as she goes on to complete at the 2024 AHA WA Accommodation Awards for Excellence Gala held on 15 April in Perth. To us, she is already a winer!
Novotel Perth Murray Street also celebrates Finalist medals in multiple categories of the Awards for Excellence including ‘Superior Accommodation’ and ‘Hotel Restaurant’.
About the AHA Awards
Awarded annually, the AHA Perth Airport Accommodation Awards for Excellence honour outstanding hotels in Perth and Western Australia, celebrating their dedication to providing unmatched service, quality and amenities for hotel guests. Presented at the esteemed Penfolds Gala Ball held in Perth on 15 April 2024, the awards recognise only the very best hotels, restaurants and hotel staff and their passion for delivering excellence across the hospitality industry. Learn more.
