Ally of the Month: Lennert de Jong on citizenM, Another Star and Championing Women in Hospitality

Some months, the timing just lines up. A major Lean In and McKinsey report lands showing a worrying dip in young women’s ambition, the hospitality world buzzes about the sale of citizenM to Marriott, and one of the leaders at the center of that transformation also happens to be a thoughtful, outspoken advocate for women in hospitality.

Enter Lennert de Jong. After nearly two decades shaping citizenM’s growth and innovation, he helped lead the brand’s transition into the Marriott ecosystem and now serves as CEO of Another Star, the company that continues to own and operate citizenM hotels globally. Throughout his career across tech and hospitality, Lennert has emerged as a male ally who listens, evolves and credits the women who have influenced his leadership.

We sat down to talk about privilege, progress and why supporting women in hospitality is not just the right thing to do, but essential to building better companies. Please meet our Mr. December, Lennert de Jong!

From Sales Calls to CEO of Another Star

How did you get into hospitality?

It goes back quite a long time. I always had a passion for sales. As a student, I worked for telemarketing companies doing cold calls for newspaper subscriptions, one of those annoying evening phone calls you could still get in the 90s. Eventually I saw an advertisement for a loyalty program at a five star hotel in Amsterdam. You would call CEOs and commercial directors, pre Google, and sell them a paid membership.

That job pulled me into hospitality. When the hotel was sold and the program ended, I joined SynXis, now part of Sabre. Then in 2005, when the founders of citizenM were still brainstorming the idea, I was invited to join and became part of the founding team.

The citizenM Journey and the Transition to Marriott

You were part of the group that built citizenM from the very beginning. Then this year, the brand was sold to Marriott and the remaining company became Another Star. What does this new chapter look like?

The original company was actually called One Star Is Born. We wanted to redefine hotel classifications and break the idea that quality and price always move in a straight line. CitizenM came a bit later as the consumer brand.

Over time we owned the real estate, operated the hotels and managed the brand. When we sold the brand to Marriott in July 2025, the remaining company needed a new name. We chose Another Star to honor our roots and because we have a mission to show that ownership and operations can work in harmony. It is also about ambition. We want to become a star again in a new way.

We will continue to operate all citizenM hotels and develop a few more. The new one opening in Olympia in London will be fantastic and Soho will be a landmark project, although that one will take several years.

Women Who Shaped His Leadership

Who are the women who have most influenced your life and career?

You sent that question in advance and it made me think. I grew up not truly understanding how privileged I was as a white male. My wife changed that. We met at citizenM. She moved from South America to the Netherlands at eighteen and eventually ran technology for the company. She was the first person to talk to me about white privilege in a way that made me stop and reflect. Everyday things that were easy for me were not easy for her. I was ashamed of how little I had noticed before.

Later I learned about echo chambers in corporate leadership. You see how easy decision making becomes when everyone in the room looks like you. And at Planet I learned a lot from our COO, Linda Hand. She had to work twice as hard to get the same opportunities. We once had a long conversation in the car about why women feel the pressure to be a nine or ten out of ten before applying for a job, while men go for it at six out of ten. That stayed with me.

What citizenM and Planet Taught Him About Equity

There is a well known bias where women only apply for jobs when they meet all the criteria and men jump in even when they do not. How do you think about this dynamic?

I fully agree with the research. And I would add one more point. Women often do not allow themselves to bring intuition into the conversation. In male dominated boardrooms, the echo chamber is filled with positivity and a “go go go” mentality. Female intuition could balance that, but many women code switch because they fear being perceived as difficult. Companies miss out on a valuable counterpoint.

For men, it is a reminder to look beyond checklists and recognize potential, not just track records.

In male dominated boardrooms, the echo chamber is filled with positivity and a “go go go” mentality. Female intuition could balance that, but many women code switch because they fear being perceived as difficult.

Responding to the Lean In Report and the Ambition Gap

The latest Lean In and McKinsey report shows young women are losing ambition due to lack of mentorship and sponsorship. Do you see this trend?

It makes me sad to read that. I have not seen it as strongly in my own environment, but if these are the facts, then we have work to do. Sponsorship matters. Visibility matters. Belief matters.

At the same time, ambition may be shifting shape. Some women are choosing entrepreneurship or roles with more flexibility. Career paths are not as linear as they used to be, especially for Gen Z. But we must make sure ambition is not dropping because the system is failing them.

Building Diverse Teams at Another Star

When you were at Planet, I remember you pushing for more gender equality. What did that look like and what are you carrying into Another Star?

Planet already had a Pride network and we started a women’s network. In my first leadership meeting we reviewed employee survey data and congratulated ourselves because the survey did not show a gender issue. I asked to see who had answered. It was mostly white men saying there was no problem.

That was a wake up call. So I became the executive sponsor for the women’s network. We created space, budget and visibility. We made sure these groups were part of decisions, part of events, part of internal reporting. It helped shift the culture.

I plan to bring those learnings into Another Star. You do not fix these issues overnight. Even citizenM is diverse overall but still male dominated at the top. You have to think about it every day.

How do you think about building diverse teams during big organizational changes like the citizenM sale and the launch of Another Star?

Moments of change are opportunities to set new standards. It requires honesty about what is not working and intention about what the future should look like. It cannot be a box you tick. It has to come from the heart. But when leadership is clear that diversity matters, it becomes easier for teams to embed it into the culture.

Advice for Women in Hospitality

Do you have advice for women who may feel hesitant to speak up or unsure how to progress in their careers?

Show yourself. Take credit for your work. Do not hold back because you fear rejection. Men are more likely to reach out, to ask for opportunities, to show off. Women should not shy away from that. If someone shuts you down, find someone else. And choose to work for leaders who value what you bring.

Do not aim for perfection. No one is perfect. And do not let fear run the show. Fearlessness is a privilege in some ways, but you can practice it by taking small risks and seeing that nothing terrible happens.

What Men Need to Unlearn to Become True Allies

And what advice would you give to men who want to be better allies to the women they work with?

Be curious. Be open. Learn the basics of unconscious bias. If you put ten CVs in front of someone, they will instinctively gravitate toward the person who feels familiar. You have to be aware of that and counteract it.

And remember that diversity helps you make better decisions. This is not charity. It is better for the company and better for the mission.

A More Equitable Industry Starts With Visibility

If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the industry to make it more equal, what would it be?

Celebrate success. Hospitality is full of great examples of women excelling at every level. Highlighting those stories can inspire others and help change the narrative. Our industry is already more open than many others. We just need to keep moving.

Quickfire with Lennert

Morning routine: Coffee. Always coffee. And if the hotel room does not have a machine, I bring my own. After that, exercise whenever possible and a moment to strategize the day.

Travel hacks: Consistency. Same airline, same parking spot at the airport, same hotels whenever possible. Routine reduces stress.

Room service? Never. Travel can be lonely enough. He prefers the hotel bar or going out for a meal and being around people.

Best advice you ever received: Stay humble. Do not let success get to your head.

What are you reading? "The Spirit to Serve" by Bill Marriott and a Lonely Planet guide to Kenya, which I will put in my backpack for my trip to Nairobi in a few hours!