Resilience, Intention, and Leadership Built Through Courageous Growth

Gissell Moronta’s inspiring journey, from Santo Domingo to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Atrium Hospitality, reflects a career built on grit, intentionality, and a profound belief in continuous learning. Arriving in the U.S. fearful of her accent, she took a step back from sales to rebuild her confidence, eventually rising through front office roles and thriving across Starwood, management companies, and now Atrium. Every chapter of her 30‑year career was shaped by purpose: choosing roles that stretched her, deepened her experience, and strengthened her ability to contribute.

Gissell honors the mentors who shaped her, from early leaders who taught her professionalism and presence to executives who modeled grace under pressure and emotional intelligence. She shares candidly the adversity of navigating language barriers, pursuing education at night while raising a family, and learning to embrace her identity. Her reflections on HSMAI’s new sales certification highlight her passion for elevating the sales discipline and building commercially minded leaders.

Her story deepens with a powerful moment of representation, when a backstage technician told her he called his daughter to watch her on stage. It became a turning point, reminding her that visibility matters and that leadership is also about inspiring those who come behind us.

Notable Quotes/Highlights

• "A zero is a good number to start."
• "I needed to know, what else am I going to learn?"
• "The partner you choose will either help you or prevent you from realizing your full potential."
• "We have lost a little bit of that swag and that seat at the table."
• "You don’t know who you are inspiring."

Closing Reflection

Gissell Moronta’s journey reminds us that courage, preparation, and self‑belief fuel extraordinary growth. Her story encourages every professional to embrace learning, seek mentors, take intentional risks, and rise boldly, because when you show up fully, you give others permission to do the same.