Her unassuming attitude screens a highly polished professional lady, graced with a passionate determination to do her very best and overcome obstacles whilst retaining a warm approach with her colleagues. I am referring to Jennifer Schembri Attard, Group Head of Finance, International Hotel Investments p.l.c. (IHI).
Her favourite adages or pearls of wisdom prove her nature: Never say never; Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes; and God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
Jennifer was initially introduced to accountancy by her cousin. “I immediately took a liking to it and eventually embarked on the Bachelor of Commerce course followed by the Bachelor in Accountancy Honours. I have no regrets about my decision.”
Shortly after graduating, Jennifer worked for a short term with an audit firm, but on hearing there was a vacant accountancy post with Corinthia, she applied and joined on 1 November 2000. “I started as an Assistant Financial Controller at the Corinthia Palace Hotel. That was truly a baptism of fire. Two weeks later, my superior left without notice. I tried my hardest to cover both roles, without handover and with little or no experience in hotels or industry.”
Even though Jennifer was young, she already had a hard-nosed approach to achieving her best. Then, to her surprise, one day during a conference, the Group CFO thanked her profusely for taking the bull by its horns and not shying away. “ I felt completely elated. The sensation that my efforts did not go unnoticed meant so much to me. I have treasured that lesson which I still practice with others when needed.”
Some two years later, Jennifer joined the Head Office as Financial Controller of the parent company – CPHCL, where she acquired much novel experience. “Then, one day, I learnt of a vacuum in our Tripoli Hotel’s Finance Department. The Finance Director was leaving, and no replacement was yet in place, so I offered to help out for an interim period until a replacement was found.”
Result: Jennifer was on a plane to Tripoli in no time. What was supposed to be a two-month stint proved longer. She was asked to take on the role of Finance Director full-time. “I was hesitant at first, and my now husband (who also works in hospitality) had reservations about leaving Malta. But then we took the plunge and we both took on full-time jobs at the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli. The two-month assignment became three and a half years.” But Jennifer has no regrets. Typical of her, she looks back with a smile: “I have countless memories of my tenure in Tripoli, some challenging, some funny, some unbelievable, most tiring and stressful but overall very colourful and rewarding.”
In Tripoli, she was a female head of department (at 28 years of age) in a predominantly male-driven country. “There were challenges but also great satisfaction. I was firm yet fair and was very much respected. During my time there, the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli was the leading hotel in Tripoli and also one of the best performers in the group.”
After Tripoli, Jennifer took on the role of Divisional Financial Controller with the operating company – Corinthia Hotels Ltd. Here, she was tasked, amongst other things, with compiling the Finance policies and moved on to other new experiences, including leading a team specialising in different areas that would carry out regular review visits to the various hotel properties managed by Corinthia Hotels. She also supported newly operated third-party hotels in Dubai, Sharjah and Sharm el Sheik during the pre-opening period.
Jennifer had another overseas opportunity at the end of 2014. She took the post of Director of Finance of the magnificent Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg in Russia. “This was a harder decision, as unlike when I moved to Tripoli, I was married in 2014 with a three-year-old son already settled in a pre-school in Malta. The responsibilities of a parent and the thought of relocating my family weighed on me, but I have always been blessed with a great support network. Firstly, my husband, Anton, has always encouraged me in my career and has, at times, taken a step back himself to balance and meet the parental responsibilities when combined with the demanding schedule and hours that were expected of me at work. I have also always found great support and help from my parents, particularly my mum, who was always there to care for my son from the tender age of three months when I returned to work after my maternity.”
In St Petersburg, Jennifer had to get accustomed to the harsh Russian winter with its freezing temperatures and limited hours of daylight. The Cyrillic alphabet (like the Arabic in Tripoli) was a challenge. “Even a simple trip to the supermarket could prove challenging! This challenge took another dimension when authorising/scrutinising invoices, payments, etc. One has to be very cautious and diligent. On the bright side, St. Petersburg is a stunning city; even a simple walk would prove picturesque. There were several parks, including a traffic-free island with magnificent parks and recreational areas, which I enjoyed with my family.
“After two years in St. Petersburg, we returned to Malta. I took on the role of Senior Financial Officer at the Corporate office, working on consolidating the CPHCL Group, and assisted the Group CFO in several areas. I now hold the Group Head of Finance role for the Corinthia Group and work very closely with the Group CFO.”
So what are Jennifer’s current duties? “I deal with all the Group’s entities locally and abroad. My responsibilities include managing and overseeing the financial reporting of both groups (IHI plc and CPHCL), including the preparation of consolidated accounts, cashflow management, the preparation of financial projections, due diligence exercises, asset valuation processes, providing insights and financial support on investment evaluations and providing assistance and guidance to the finance teams across the group as and when needed.”
That’s a real handful.
I wondered whether being female proved problematic for Jennifer, primarily when her responsibilities increased? Jennifer sported a sincere, wide smile: “Being female in a professional environment presents unique challenges regarding societal expectations and balancing family needs. There is often a feeling that you need to work harder to prove yourself. I have always strived to give my best at work, setting high standards and not shying away from challenges.
“It isn’t easy to fulfil such senior and exacting duties and remain active as a wife and a mother. I cannot always be wherever I wish to be, so when I have to choose, I prioritise and assess what I must do and what can be skipped or handled by someone else. It is a fact that extra time is a rare commodity. I usually have very little time for myself as there is always something pressing that I need to attend to.”
“My career has always been a priority, providing me with great satisfaction. As I said, I’ve been fortunate to have a strong support network that has enabled me to dedicate time and energy to my professional pursuits, for which I am forever grateful. Naturally, this journey involves making confident choices and sacrifices, which can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt. However, I hope that through my hard work and perseverance, despite the difficulties, I am sending a strong message to my son, showing him that it is possible to thrive professionally and pursue one’s passions while also staying true to other responsibilities. I hope this will positively influence him as he grows.”
The natural sequel to that was the family. “I am blessed with a wonderful family. My husband, Anton, who also works in the hospitality industry, worked as a food and beverage manager in various hotels and has recently moved into sales and marketing. He supports me with sincere warmth. Besides being an avid cyclist and a car enthusiast, he is also very creative and enjoys painting.
My son, Kieran, who will soon be 13, practices parkour, is an avid gamer and enjoys watching Formula 1 supporting Scuderia Ferrari. He also enjoys Anime and karting and is very interested in computing, which, hopefully, he will study in more depth in the future. He, too, is quite creative and loves drawing his favourite characters/personalities.”
From this chat, it was clear that Jennifer’s priorities are integrity, honesty, respect, loyalty and reliability. “I am also very caring and empathetic,” she added.
So I intervened and added other qualities or characteristics of Jennifer that I could sum up, such as being passionate about work and duties and taking great pride in everything she does; a perfectionist by nature but fully aware when a practical approach is essential; detail-oriented; a realist, open to listening and involving people but never fearing taking a decision when required.
Jennifer laughed. “I cannot change a single letter!”
