Sarah Chiappi - Zuma - Women in Luxury Property
Sarah Chiappi - Zuma
Sales Director
Luxury technology manufacturer
Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?
Construction is a very male dominated industry, so it is incredibly important to be shining a light on women in this sector. We want and need to be doing more to encourage women into construction, engineering and luxury property roles more specifically, if we are to see any real change.
In my experience, women make for exceptional managers when it comes to large scale projects. They have great attention to detail, are incredibly organised and are often better at the personal side of team management. Women are often the ones leading the vision for the interiors, yet this rarely extends to the exterior. International Women’s Day is a great opportunity therefore to not only celebrate hard-working women paving the way in this sector, but also to shine a spotlight on it to encourage more to join.
Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman and if so, how did you overcome them?
Over my career, predominantly in entirely male dominated industries, I have faced real, and at times painful, challenges being a woman. I have often been the only woman at the board table or on site visits and that can be intimidating and hard. Especially in my earlier years of my career, being a young woman, too often I wasn’t taken seriously. I think back to one particular example when I was the only woman sitting around a board room with 15 men. No one else was cross-examined when introducing themselves – I was tested because of my gender and age; it was only when I could prove I could hold my own I was accepted. My experience of having to earn a place at the table is sadly too common a story.
I learnt early on that I had to fight my own corner. As a woman in a male dominated industry, you have to grow a thick skin, and quickly, to be able to face the every-day pressures and challenges that get thrown your way. Also, put simply, ensuring you know your sector or product in more depth than the next person, will go a long way in ensuring you are taken seriously.
That said, it is worth saying that being a woman can have its advantages in this sector. Whilst a generalisation, men tend to naturally be less aggressive to women. Women are also often better at negotiating or talking round deals before they turn hostile due to large egos!
Is there another woman on whom you would like to shine a light, in the luxury property industry and why?
Julia Starcyk from Star Projects – Part of the luxury property world and responsible for project managing high end residential projects, Julia is an independent project manager. She has gone out of her way to help and introduce her relevant contacts and industry connections. Her driving force behind helping out? Simply to bring like-minded people together. Helping others out even when there is no tangible benefit to oneself is rare. She is brilliant at what she does and has a great approach to business. She refuses to tolerate nonsense and her directness and robust attitude when faced with challenges is refreshing.
It is always refreshing to meet like-minded women in similar roles and sectors to yourself. We need to be better at celebrating one another. That’s why I am setting up a regular networking breakfast for women in high end residential. An informal forum to tackle issues we all find hard in this industry and meet like-minded individuals.
How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in the luxury property industry?
As a sector, we have to be more flexible. Too often women are forced to choose between having a career or motherhood – that shouldn’t have to be a decision that is needed. Not only do employers need to be better at offering part time roles or flexible working hours, but there also needs to be a shift around roles to allow for this. The stigma around men taking more parental responsibilities for example, needs to be knocked down. It is rarely demonstrated than men can put family first. Until this shift happens, it is harder for women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles.
What is the best advice you have been given?
One of the best pieces of advices I have ever been given came from my own mother. She told me to always treat everyone equally, no matter the person or circumstance. This attitude instilled in me from an early age has served me really well at work. In my career I have had to work with so many people of all walks of life. Whether meeting a company’s CEO, site manager or the project bricklayer, it makes no difference. Whilst I may dress differently or adapt my tone depending on the circumstance, your personality should never change. Treat all people the same and it will serve you well.
At The Luxury Property Forum we truly believe in “you cannot be what you cannot see”.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, throughout March we are shining a light on our wonderfully inspiring female members who are all leaders in luxury property. If you are an LPF Member and would like to celebrate a senior female member of the your team, please get in touch at marketing@theluxurypropertyforum.com