Acorn Awards 2025: Shalmali Jadhav, London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square

Age 26

Position Human resources officer, London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square

Nominator Jessy Varghese Ittoop, multi property director human resources, London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square

Shalmali Jadhav is the kind of HR professional every hospitality business wants on their team — driven, empathetic and relentlessly proactive. As HR officer at London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, Jadhav has transformed associate engagement and retention, and she’s doing it with heart and strategy to make a serious impact.

In the past year alone, Jadhav has helped slash voluntary turnover to 26.5% – well below the 39% target – by reimagining employee onboarding, training and recognition. She’s played a key role in audits and reviews, helping the hotel achieve a flawless 100% HR score in its internal control audit, 96.6% in the HR review, and 87.7% in the Brand Standard Audit.

But it’s outside these metrics that her influence really shines. As a Diana Award winner, an honour from the Royal Family which rewards young people who work to improve the lives of others, and founder of mental health initiative Empathy for You, Jadhav has reached over 1,500 individuals through her advocacy. At Marriott, she chairs the Take Care Committee to help promote physical, mental and financial wellbeing, organises community clean-ups, champions inclusivity, and mentors young professionals – delivering masterclasses to more than 350 early-career team members and hosting over 20 work placement students in 2024 alone.

She’s also made waves through the Marriott Business Council, raising thousands for charities including Magic Breakfast and the Prince’s Trust, and helping fund over one million school breakfasts.

From boosting performance and audit scores to changing lives through mental health advocacy and career mentoring, Jadhav blends operational excellence with genuine social impact.