Acorns 2019: Judith van der Heijden, 29
Assistant chief concierge, Rosewood London
Nominator Ashley Harman, chief concierge, Rosewood London
Proudest moment "Becoming part of the Les Clef d'Or association as one of only 18 women in the UK and being nominated for Young Concierge of the Year in the same year."
Greatest inspiration "As a mentor, chief concierge Ashley Harman has taught me about leadership and about fine-tuning the details needed to be a concierge for a luxury hotel. My biggest inspiration would be Rosewood's chief executive, Sonia Cheng. Her vision in building luxury hotels with a sense of place and without cultural boundaries makes us feel part of a bigger family that is Rosewood worldwide."
Why hospitality is a great career "I love being part of a guest's personal journey. Every day is different and every day as a team we try to revive the true meaning of hospitality."
A lot of remarkable things stand out about Judith van der Heijden, not least the fact she was made an assistant chief concierge in 2017, four years after starting as a junior concierge. She has also proved herself an adept manager, leading by example to inspire mostly male peers to adapt to a fast-changing environment.
Thanks to her commitment, she has created a family feeling within the 28-strong team, providing constructive feedback and being known as "the person to go to" for any situation.
Her remit includes heading up the mentoring programme and acting as departmental trainer. Her training initiatives include a full-day training every six months for the whole team. Van der Heijden is also in charge of recruitment and has streamlined the structure of the team.
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