Bali boutique resort manager chosen to attend American university general manager program

The General Manager of a boutique Bali resort, Tanah Gajah a Resort by Hadiprana, has been selected by Cornell University for its General Manager Program, which brings together hotel general managers from around the world.

With 20 spots available Deasy Swandarini rose above strong worldwide competition to become the only candidate from Indonesia chosen and the only women leader in the group.

After getting underway in 2021, the students completed the program this February with a five-day in-person session at Cornell’s campus in Ithaca, New York.

Commenting on her involvement, Swandarini (pictured) stated “this has been a great opportunity to connect with and learn from talented general managers and leaders from around the globe.

“This was also a proud achievement for Tanah Gajah, as the program gave an opportunity for our property, a small independent hotel brand, to gain the attention of global hospitality professionals.” 

Swandarini, who grew up on the island of Bali, has spent most of her life and all of her hospitality career between its numerous tourism hotspots. Raised in the south of the island near Kuta, known for its surf and nightlife, and Seminyak, associated with high-end resorts and dining, the Bali-native was exposed to the tourism industry from a young age.

Her first role was on the pre-opening team at Ritz-Carlton Bali, when she was just 21 years old. After a decade with Ritz-Carlton Swandarini stepped into her first GM role. It was 2006 and the upper ranks at hotels were still male-dominated, and mainly by expats.

Swandarini recalls “even now, with an increasing number of women in management roles, people are still sometimes surprised I’m a general manager. Growing up in Bali males were defined as leaders.

“Overall it’s still a bit of a struggle locally for women as people still hold onto this concept.”

In spite of this, Swandarini has managed to work her way up the corporate ladder, noting “I hope that my involvement in Cornell’s General Manager program inspires other women to pursue more management positions.”