Yesterday marked International Women’s Day. This year, the theme was ‘inspiring inclusion’ – a notion that felt particularly relevant when we launched the 2024 edition of the Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Index on Tuesday. Produced in partnership with WiHTL and DiR, the Index highlights more than one hundred senior women leaders across HTL and retail, each of whom is changing the game in their industry and serving as a role model for the next generation. Each person featured is, put simply, inspiring inclusion.
On Tuesday, we were joined by dozens of leaders from the HTL and retail communities at the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building in central London to mark the publication of the 2024 edition. It’s always a pleasure to bring the industry together, and feel the buzz in the room as people swap stories, share insight, and reflect on the power of role models in driving up D&I.
Somehow, six years have passed since we launched the first edition of the index. Thinking back to 2019, the HTL and retail sectors were quite different places – this was before D&I was central to the people agenda; before hybrid and flexible working was the norm; and before topics like menopause were spoken about openly in the workplace. In her opening remarks, Tea Colaianni, founder and Chair at WiHTL and DiR, reflected on that time: “I often found myself as the only woman on a Board,” she recalled, “there was no-one who looked like me, no-one who acted like me – and I wanted to do something to help other women accelerate their careers.”
“I often found myself as the only woman on a Board… there was no-one who looked like me, no-one who acted like me – and I wanted to do something to help other women accelerate their careers.” – Tea Colaianni, Founder and Chair, WiHTL & DiR.
And so, the Women to Watch Index was born. Together, we launched the Index with a dual purpose. First, we wanted to bust the myth that there was a lack of women leaders in the hospitality, travel and leisure sector. An “overwhelmingly male talent pool” was often cited as a barrier to progress on D&I, and we wanted to prove that there was plethora of outstanding women leaders who would excel in the industry’s top roles. Second, the Index sought to celebrate the power of role models, highlighting the many different opportunities that exist in the sector, and providing inspiration for the next generation. Six years and hundreds of interviews later, and we’re confident that we have achieved both our aims.
Held within the pages of the publication is a monumental wealth of insight from women from all corners of the HTL and retail industries. There are stories of bold career changes, of opportunities seized, and of risks taken – each proving how rewarding and varied a career in HTL or retail can be. As Steve Cassidy, SVP UK, Ireland & Israel at Hilton said in his address: “I’m certain that this Index plays a crucial role in attracting talent to our industry. Your stories are key to driving engagement and bringing in future leaders.”
For the first time, we have also carved out a section for women in senior technology and engineering roles. As many discuss in this publication, our industries are at a critical inflexion point when it comes to the use of technology and advancements in artificial intelligence. Given the significant ethical and reputational risks associated with the adoption of AI tools, it has never been more important to have gender balance and diverse representation around the decision-making table. With that in mind, the Women to Watch in Technology and Engineering chapter highlights the leaders who are making an impact in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field, and it is our hope that it will inspire the next generation of women leaders to pursue technology roles in HTL and retail.
“Given the significant ethical and reputational risks associated with the adoption of AI tools, it has never been more important to have gender balance and diverse representation around the decision-making table.”
Our sectors have certainly come a long way since 2019, but there is still much more to be done. At the end of last year, our joint research with WiHTL and DiR found that there is still a startling lack of women in the most senior strategic roles in HTL and retail. In the top 200 companies in each sector, for example, fewer than 7% of Chair positions and fewer than 13% of CEO positions are held by a woman. And last week, the FTSE Women Leaders Review found that the appointment rate of women to the executive committee and into direct report roles remained static in the FTSE 100, and dipped in the FTSE 250 over the last year.
We have a collective responsibility to move the dial. Speaking on Tuesday, Kari Daniels, CEO at SSP UK & Ireland, spoke compellingly on the role of senior leaders to drive this change. “Leadership isn’t about the leaders themselves,” she reflected, “it’s about the people who are elevated, empowered and inspired by them.”
We have no doubt that this Index will go on to elevate, empower and inspire others. We’d like to congratulate every leader included in this year’s publication, and thank them for telling their stories. HTL and retail are two of the UK’s biggest employers, and play a critical role in shaping our communities; by sharing insight, reflecting on challenges, and highlighting role models, the steps we take in these industries can have a lasting impact on society.
Aelf.Hewitson@thembsgroup.co.uk | Thirza.Danielson@thembsgroup.co.uk | @TheMBSGroup