Mala Dorasamy: Own Your Space and Seat at the Table

Minda Harts, author of the book “The Memo: What Women of Color Need To Know To Secure A Seat At The Table” mentioned that biases and microaggressions against women of color happen all the time in the workplace and often we are in isolation where we don’t have anybody to stand up for you. Harts also mentioned that “It’s not just about having that seat [at the table], it’s about owning it and making sure your voice is heard,”. In this episode, we speak to a passionate and importantly compassionate women leader, who strategically owns the space in the MICE industry, ensures her voice is heard and has earned the respect of many in the process. She has successfully steered the meeting and convention industry to a leading destination, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis that created a high level of uncertainty concerning the future development of the industry.  Mala Dorasamy who comes from South Africa is the current Chief Executive Officer of MITEC. She is responsible for strategically leading the Centre’s marketing, partnerships, operational transformation, and brand & business development.  Mala has a proven track record with over 31 years of experience in the Business Events industry specializing in the opening of new Centres, project management of major high-level events, operational management, international marketing, business development, sales growth & turnaround strategies, event & exhibition management, safety and risk management, ISO/Halal implementation and management. As the previous Director of Marketing, Sales & Events at the Durban International Convention Centre, she played a significant role in building the global reputation, brand, and profitability of the Durban ICC.  Mala was also nominated as the Top 40 Women in Mice in Africa for 2015 and awarded the South African Association of Conference Industry Fellowship Award. Let’s dive into my heartwarming conversation with the dynamic Mala Dorasamy.  Mala can be reached on her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mala-dorasamy-971b0b11/ In this episode, we discuss:1.     Her foray into the MICE industry2.     What’s NOT going to change in the industry in the post-COVID environment3.     Her vision and advice for the MICE industry4.     The importance of empathetic leadership in steering organizations toward a crisis-resilient world5.     How to build a circle of influence on mentoring and developing ourselves as women leaders6.     How to own the space at the table and make our voices heard7.     A status quo about women/colored women that she rejectsThis podcast is jointly presented by:Dr. Nisha https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishatourismexpert , Co-founder of World Women Tourism https://www.worldwomentourism.com/Zinal Doshi, https://www.linkedin.com/in/zinal-doshi   Founder of The Flapper Life : http://theflapperlife.com