Jana M. Bader, a Saudi national, has diversified experience across multiple industries, with a particular emphasis on the hospitality and tourism investment market in Saudi Arabia. Throughout her career, Jana has worked extensively in advertising agencies in Dubai, and transitioned into the hospitality sector, and managed her own retail business.
Presently, Jana is the proprietor of Supreme Hospitality Trading, which acts as a facilitator for international businesses seeking to enter the Saudi market through a reliable and well-connected partner. Additionally, she serves as the General Manager of The Bench KSA, a UK-based enterprise that coordinates investment conferences in the global hospitality sector.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Jana M. Bader:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
“Friendly, approachable, and ethical” are usually the three characteristics that anyone who has met me describes me as. I do not like to compete with others, but I do live to compete with my past self, to better achieve, to better concur, and better develop. Work-life balance is the most important aspect of any decision that I make, whether it is a business decision or a personal one. At some point in my life, I put my career on hold to be a full-time mother, experiencing every small detail of their lives while they are young. But as they grew older and were full of confidence and love, I pressed on with my career, and I then switched back to work mode. Every day is a day where I can prove to my kids and myself that you can. You can reach your goals and have a supportive family. With patience, persistence, a supportive partner and kids, and hard work, everything is possible.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
I am currently, along with Supreme Hospitality, the general manager of The Bench. I am a highly experienced general manager with a strong background in the hospitality investment industry, currently based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As the General Manager of The Bench since September 2021, I have been responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive business strategy, identifying and evaluating potential investment opportunities in the hospitality industry, managing the company’s financial performance, and establishing relationships with key stakeholders in the hospitality industry. I am also the founder of Supreme Hospitality Consulting and Trading, where I provide consulting services to international companies on best practices to enter the Saudi market, offer market research reports, and provide cultural intelligence to advise their operational strategies.
Prior to my current positions, I founded Eventulize events and marketing in Dubai, where I conducted in-depth research analysis, created a strong network of high-end clients and potential partners, identified best business practices, and developed innovative solutions for product market entry for clients. I also worked at the headquarters of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in Dubai, UAE, as the youngest Regional Manager of Marketing and Communications, where I led a team of talented people and developed and executed global and regional campaigns to promote the brand as a destination for VIP clients. I was proud to be the youngest Regional Manager to be announced as being on the path for the youngest VP of marketing for the group before she welcomed her first daughter, Tia, and made the hardest decision at that time, to pause her career.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
When I first started my career, I would look up at those successful businessmen and wonder to myself: If I asked them for advice, would they even look at my email or message, or would they be too busy to take a second off their time and reply to a young junior girl’s communication? Until this one day, I decided to approach two businessmen who were both extremely successful and thought they would not talk to me. To my surprise, one of those two replied to me and gave me advice on a question I had asked him, while the other did not even look my way. That moment resonates in my mind till today. The person who replied to me was a multibillionaire who looks and acts as if he is just another person from the block, friendly, humble, normal, no strings attached to ego, and I remember he told me, Always be as nice and humble as you are no matter how successful or rich you become, because that butler that you gave 5 seconds of your life to can one day return the favor and can one day be more successful than you are today.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
The company provides consulting services as well as generic and customized Saudi market research reports. I personally provide cultural education in terms of business etiquette. We also help provide companies with their license to operate in the Kingdom.
Along with trade, I selected specific brands that I would represent in the Saudi market, and we signed either agency or distribution agreements with them. Either those brands are focused on the F&B market or are general suppliers of products that are needed and in high demand in the country.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
I am a big believer that good leaders possess self-awareness, garner credibility, focus on relationship-building, have a bias for action, exhibit humility, empower others, stay authentic, present themselves as constant and consistent, become role models, and are fully present. A person once said to me that a smile costs nothing but is the biggest asset you may have. To build a healthy culture, you need to be healthy-minded yourself. You also need to understand the individuality of each of the team members and appreciate their knowledge and what they add to the company. At the same time, become a fierce leader they can depend on to grow their careers and secure their future.
What are your responsibilities as the General Manager and owner of your business? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As the General Manager of The Bench in Saudi Arabia, my mandate is to assure the company’s flawless reputation in the market. I am in constant communication with investors from within the hospitality community as well as the hospitality leaders to build a trusted network of professionals that will lift the company’s profile within the next couple of years. As for Supreme, my responsibility will always be to deliver the best possible outcome to any client that approaches us for any of the mentioned services.
The happiest day of my daily routine is the evolving network that I build, and the satisfaction that comes from seeing the outcome of hard work, but mostly from the encouragement I get from my kids for seeing how hard I work and at the same time making it a point to be there at their swimming classes, tennis classes, and other activities they expect me to be there at.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Have an open-door policy, be humble and kind, but stay as fierce as a lion when it comes to decision-making. Your team needs to trust that you can handle a crisis, and at the same time, you need to be able to build a team that you can trust to handle a situation if you are not present.
