Leading With Purpose: Gözde Eren, Area Vice President, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, on Mistakes, Mentorship, and the Power of Accountability

With over 25 years at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Gözde Eren knows a thing or two about rising through the ranks. Today, as Area Vice President for the Netherlands and Sweden, based in Amsterdam, she leads seven hotels and a wide-reaching network of teams. She’s also the Chairperson of Women@Hyatt for EMEA, the company’s colleague-led resource group, open to all, and focused on fostering a culture and supporting a workplace where everyone can thrive across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

But Gözde’s journey hasn’t been linear—it started with a humbling internship restocking minibar bottles, followed by a detour in the travel agency world, and ultimately a return to hotels, driven by a desire to lead, grow, and create real impact.

I caught up with Gözde recently at the Andaz Amsterdam to talk about the evolution of her career, the importance of psychological safety, and how she’s creating space for more women to rise.

Top photo: is the housekeeping team from the Grand Hyatt Istanbul, Gözde was Assistant Housekeeping Manager. Bottom photo: the Global Hyatt Leadership Summit in Orlando in 2023.

How did you get started in hospitality?

Interested in the profession, I studied business at Boğaziçi University, a top school in Turkey, with a double major that included tourism management. My first hotel internship had me refilling minibars for three months straight. I thought, “This is not what I studied for!” So I decided hotels weren’t for me and joined a travel agency. It was a great experience—I traveled all over Europe—but eventually I realized I didn’t want to own a travel agency or stay in that world long term.

That’s when I returned to hotels—this time humbly, as a floor supervisor at a Hyatt property. I was on my feet all day, inspecting rooms after the maids cleaned. But I’m so glad I came back. This work gave me the structure, growth path, and opportunities I was looking for.

That sense of structure seems to have been really important for your career path. How did it shape your outlook?

It’s one of the strengths of hospitality. You may start in an entry-level role, but in five or ten years, you can become a general manager—something that’s very hard to achieve in other industries in the same timeframe. I always say to people starting out: it’s not about where you begin, it’s about how far you’re willing to go.

Early 2000’s – Grand Hyatt Istanbul, Front office team after a state visit with the head of security of the delegation. Gözde is on the far right.

You’ve talked about how Hyatt supported you in overcoming societal and systemic barriers—what did that support look like?

I’m a Turkish woman, and in the 1990s, it wasn’t easy convincing investors or teams that their GM was going to be "her"—a first-time female leader from Turkey. But Hyatt never treated it as a barrier. They were transparent about the challenges but also clear about the possibilities. I had mentors, allies—many of them male—who guided me and opened doors. That’s why I’m so passionate about mentorship now.

GM Summit 2013 – Hyatt Regency Bishkek Gözde won the GM of the year award

Another key factor in my growth was being open to working in smaller or less conventional markets to build experience. My first GM post was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan—a place where I hosted high-level guests and heads of state, and had a unique kind of operational responsibility that pushed me to grow as a leader. These so-called "secondary markets" actually accelerated my career. Hyatt was intentional about placing me in roles where I could thrive, even when a European post wasn’t possible due to my passport. Each of those assignments gave me new skills and credibility that prepared me for bigger opportunities down the road.

You’re the Chairperson of Women@Hyatt EAME. How did the initiative begin, and how has it evolved?

Ten years ago, a handful of us realized we were still the exception in leadership rooms. At one GM conference, there were only two women from our region. We thought, “We have to change this.” That moment inspired what would become our regional involvement in Women@Hyatt, a company-wide initiative.

Now, it’s one of several Colleague Resource Groups and we’ve structured it around three pillars: awareness, development, and networking. Each country chapter can localize those pillars, so what’s relevant in Bishkek might look different than Amsterdam or Nairobi. And that’s exactly the point—context matters.

2016 – Paris, Gozde is on the left. One of the very first Women@Hyatt Meetings with Chief Human Resources Office Malaika Myers from Chicago Corporate Office; and  ASPAC & EAME female Leaders.

How do you support women’s development under those pillars?

One of our strongest tools is mentorship. We created a high-level program called InSpirit, where regional leaders like myself mentor directors aiming for GM roles. But we also realized that women earlier in their careers need support too. So we encouraged directors to mentor more junior women within their own chapters.

The mentorship structure is flexible, and it’s open to everyone—men included. The goal isn’t to be exclusive; it’s to empower decision-makers. And we’ve seen impact: a strong majority of mentees have been promoted within two years.

2017 Park Hyatt Chennai, India with the HR team when Gözde was General Manager

What’s your leadership style now that you manage multiple hotels?

I believe in creating psychological safety. My teams know they’re allowed to try and fail—as long as they try. If it’s a mistake because someone didn’t care, that’s different. But if it’s a good-faith attempt that didn’t work out? That’s how we learn.

Looking back, what career lesson stands out the most for you?

Accountability—hands down. Early on, I missed out on opportunities simply because I didn’t make my ambitions clear. At the time, I was married and had never told my boss I was open to relocating. Then, after my divorce, he suddenly suggested an international posting—and I remember thinking, “Why now?”

At first, I assumed it was bias—that they hadn’t considered me because I was married. But over time, with reflection, I realized the real issue: I’d never actually said I was open to moving. I had expected people to read my mind, to know what I wanted without me ever saying it out loud. That realization changed everything.

I stopped waiting for others to guess my ambitions and started taking ownership of my own path. Your career is your responsibility. No one else can steer it for you.

Now, I actually teach accountability workshops as part of Women@Hyatt. Because once you realize that your trajectory is in your own hands—not your boss’s, not your company’s—it’s incredibly empowering. That’s also the foundation of our mentorship approach: we’re here to guide, support, and advise—but at the end of the day, it’s your journey. You have to speak up, show up, and steer.

Quickfire with Gözde

What is your morning routine? Coffee, get ready in 30 min and 20 minutes walk to work together with my partner by the beautiful canals of Amsterdam. (He makes sure I get to work everyday )

What do you do for self-care? Cooking, hikes, nature, travel. I am not highly sporty, my latest indulgence is pursuing a new BA in History (online).

What is your go-to room service order? Club Sandwich 100 % !

What is your top travel hack? Travel very light. Take audio books and earphones and no laptop if not on business travel.

What books/podcasts/or streaming are you into right now? Reading is my self-care! I don’t do work-related books or podcasts. Right now, I’m reading Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux. I also loved There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak.

On the podcast front, Empire by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand and In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg are top of my list. Oh, and I absolutely LOVE the print edition of the Financial Times Weekend—I read it cover to cover.

Thank you, Gözde, for sharing your story, your insights, and your passion for creating space for women to thrive in hospitality.