jessi chai
Director of Communications and Project Management at Marriott International Asia
Allard '08
Director of Communications and Project Management at Marriott International Asia
Jessi’s hospitality career has taken her to the Swiss Alps, the glitz and glamour of Dubai, the mountains of northern Oman, and cast away on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Her most recent move will take her to Hong Kong where she will be responsible for Communications and Project Management for Greater China at Marriott International.
Following Brentwood, Jessi attained a Bachelor of Arts at Simon Fraser University with a Major in English Literature and Minor in Early Childhood Education. Her desire to nurture preschool children following her studies quickly took a turn, as she made her first step into the luxury world of hotels; falling in love with the dynamic inflow of diverse people at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, BC. Following this newly cultivated passion, Jessi moved to Switzerland to complete her MBA in International Hospitality & Service Industry Management from Glion Institute of Higher Education in 2014, and this is where all the excitement began.
During her studies, she received an offer from Movenpick Hotels & Resorts in the United Arab Emirates, where she held various roles over two years. From there, she took on her first managerial role as Assistant Marketing and Communications Manager at Anantara Resorts & Spa based in Oman. After two years in Oman (which should definitely be a country on your go-to travel list), the Maldives came knocking and once again she was on a jet plane to yet another remote location, this time as Director of Marketing & Communications for the fun and sassy W Hotels & Resorts.
Throughout her career in marketing and communications, Jessi has worked with some of the top media houses and publications including: BBC Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, Vogue Arabia, Skift, Scott Dunn, Robb Report, Elite Traveler, Hideaways Magazine, Etihad Airways, Conde Nast Traveller, as well as celebrities and a range of international social media influencers. She has won an accolade of awards for both the hotels and personally as runner-up in Hotelier Middle East’s 2018 PR & Marketing Person of the Year.
Always open to new adventures, Jessi continues to follow her career around the world, exploring diverse cultures, languages and foods while waltzing away at her computer and teaching the occasional yoga class to friends, family, and aspiring yogis.
Mermaid forever! Gwynneth/Allard 2008
Find Jessi on Brentonian Connect.
Additional Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessi-chai-8460b18b/
https://www.hotelnewsme.com/hotel-news-me/opinion-living-omani-culture/