MPI Blog



5 Questions with Casandra Matej

5 Questions with Casandra Matej

By Blair Potter

Leading up to International Women's Day, we spoke to key women in the meeting and event industry about their roles.

What traits define a great leader?
I think it all starts with communication, honesty and the ability and willingness to share vision. To work with a sense clarity, trust and responsibility is imperative, whether dealing with my internal team or external customers.

How do you manage stress?
As a wife, mother and CEO, I have plenty of things tugging at me every day. But I manage it by tackling it all, head on. I dismantle the stress by understanding what’s causing it, taking a deep breath and working through it proactively and as positively as possible. I have a great support system around me, personally and professionally, and I have learned to trust and rely on that time and again.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?
The most satisfying part of what I do is being able to effect change in a community. The tourism and hospitality industry is a powerful generator for an economy, driving the success of business, employment and the quality of lives. It’s the hidden part of it that resonates every day, that people’s lives are better because of the work that we do.

What do you love about your job?
Simply, it’s the people—the incredible staff I work alongside here at Visit San Antonio, our partners who join us in focusing on improving this industry every day, the workers in all walks of life who have benefited from the strength of tourism and hospitality in our community and our customers, working towards a common goal of making their event or program successful.

What are you most proud of?
At Visit San Antonio, I am most proud of the people and overall culture. There is a high energy in our office. We work really hard to have such a positive work environment. As a leader, the challenge is to sustain such great morale and culture. I believe the overall culture of an organization is directly related to the success of an organization, and for us that means impact on our community.

BIO
With more than 24 years of hospitality experience, Casandra Matej is a leading figure in San Antonio’s $15.2 billion hospitality industry.

Author

Blair Potter

Blair Potter is director of media operations for MPI. He likes toys and collects cats (or is it the other way around?).