Northstar

4 | www.travelweekly-asia.com INDUSTRY VOICES Jane Jie Sun is Ctrip's CEO and has been a member of the board of directors since November 2016. Prior to that, she was Ctrip's chief operating officer since May 2012, co-president since March 2015, and chief financial officer from 2005 to 2012. She is respected for her extensive experience in operating and managing online travel businesses, mergers and acquisitions, and financial reporting and operations. Why women make good leaders Women have been asking for equal labour rights and social status since the establishment of the International Women's Day in 1910. It is common sense for a responsible company to provide equal career development and remuneration for women. Disconcertingly, workplace gender equality still has a long way to go. According to research, only 10% of Fortune Global 500 Companies have female directors on their boards. And only 3% of these companies have female CEOs. Internet companies' female representation is even lower. There is also a disparity when you compare Chinese and Western economies. According to an Economist report, Chinese women's participation in the workplace is almost 70% – higher than most of developed economies like the U.S., EU and Japan. far exceeds the average Internet companies in China and Silicon Valley. Female leadership is well represented, with nine women leaders, including myself, forming our key management team. Out of our 7,000 engineers, roughly 30% are female, demonstrating that women can be as good as men in technology development too. From day one, we have been promoting gender equality, recruiting based on each employee's competency and having policies to encourage workplace growth for women. We adhere firmly to United Nation Women's Empowerment Principles. This organisational diversity has, in turn, allowed Ctrip to generate large and sustainable investment returns for our stakeholders through the years. I feel it is critically important to encourage and incorporate the female voice, especially by fellow women leaders who can help to provide guidance and become aspiring role models. But we are making some breakthroughs. In recent years, a quarter of entrepreneurs in China are made up of women. And I am heartened to learn that women in China, according to the Chinese government, start 55% of new Internet companies. As the Women's Rights Movement continues, I hope more and more women can be liberated from traditional family roles and given more opportunities to work alongside their male counterparts in driving growth and innovation. Every company is responsible for instilling a gender equality foundation to create a fair environment for our future generations. Ctrip will continue to lead the charge. Technology companies represent innovation and revolution. It is only fitting that we see more taking the lead in fostering equal rights for women, providing processes for women to grow their careers, and most importantly, shattering any sort of 'glass ceiling' by providing equal opportunities for women to take on leadership roles. At Ctrip, women represent more than half of our 30,000- plus employee base – a rate that Every company is responsible for instilling a gender equality foundation to create a fair environment for future generations. 15 CONTENTS 2 TALKING POINT The Murray has me singing like a lark 5 TECH TALKING Here's how hoteliers can win back the customer from OTAs 10 DESTINATION: MALDIVES Good reasons to book a getaway here 12 DESTINATION: SOUTH KOREA Banging a drum for Seoul 19 HOSPITALITY Revealed: 'INN'side story of Melia Hotels International in Asia 21 PRODUCT: WINES & VINEYARDS Art, design, food and wine lure visitors to Australia JW Marriott Singapore South Beach. 13 Quantum of the Seas at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore. Quy Nhon, Vietnam 16

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