In 2025, the diversity and inclusion agenda has felt challenged. Following Donald Trump’s inauguration into the White House in January, and the resulting public scaling back of D&I programmes at major companies, the appetite to celebrate diversity, or indeed inclusion, feels more limited. Some companies are choosing to be quieter about their DE&I initiatives externally – even if they are continuing them, as before, internally; DE&I has certainly taken more of a back seat in many businesses.
But, on the day when the Labour Party postponed its annual Women’s Conference, we at The MBS Group were joined by dozens who are continuing the agenda in earnest from the HTL and retail communities to launch our 2025 edition of the Role Models for Inclusion in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure and Retail Index. This is the sixth year we have partnered with WiHTL and DiR to create this publication, and, looking around the room on Tuesday, I was struck by the number of role models who had come together to celebrate the work they were doing to foster more inclusive cultures within their organisations and communities, across all levels of seniority.
“Now more than ever we need to all speak up and put our best foot forward, and that is difficult. But we need to continue to fly the flag and keep these conversations alive.”
Tea Colaianni, founder and Chair at WiHTL and DiR, reflected in her opening remarks on the widespread geographies of those that were involved in the report saying: “The people who are included from across the UK, Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands and Australia teach us something crucially important – inclusive leadership knows no borders.”
One of the speakers at the launch, Helen Milligan-Smith, CEO and President of Aramark UK & Global Offshore, applauded the efforts of businesses in HTL and retail in coming together to progress the case for diversity and inclusion. She said: “Despite some of us being competitors, there’s a collective wellbeing and general feeling of wanting to do well – because we place more importance on how we move the industry forwards as a whole.” Helen also reflected on the current stark reality of the world around us when it comes to diversity and inclusion but reiterated the importance of role models and advocates in continuing the important work that has been happening up to this point. “Now more than ever we need to all speak up and put our best foot forward, and that is difficult,” she explained. “But we need to continue to fly the flag and keep these conversations alive.”
Those featured in this publication are doing exactly that. It was a privilege to be in the room with over 60 “Role Models” and “Advocates for Change” to celebrate those who are putting their heads above the parapet to push forward the DE&I agenda in their organisations and wider communities, despite the political currents around the agenda.
We know from extensive research that role modelling is one of the most successful tools for promoting DE&I in the workplace – the mantra “you can’t be what you can’t see” is often cited in conversations around representation, and for good reason. Without visible role models who look, act and think like you it is difficult to imagine oneself in those positions.
This year, many of those we spoke to drew on personal lived experiences to advocate for programmes and groups which allow spaces for learning, conversation and storytelling, while others have developed or chaired programmes to ensure a greater sense of belonging and inclusion.
This work remains as crucial as ever away from the geopolitical implications, as at the most senior level, diversity of leadership continues to remain stubbornly low. An example of this is gender, where only around 7% of FTSE 350 CEOs are women, despite 43% of Board roles being held by women. This, in itself, is an apt reflection of diversity and inclusion in the HTL and retail sectors; at some levels progress is encouraging – for example, many more people are openly LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodiverse, or have experienced social mobility than ever before – but in other areas, there is still a significant way to go before the sectors can applaud a true shifting of the dial. It is role models like those featured in the Index who are ensuring that complacency doesn’t creep in, and DE&I doesn’t slip down the agenda as we navigate our way through a period of real political and economic uncertainty.
Leading from the top, are the “Advocates for Change”. These are senior leaders and Board members who are using their influence to promote inclusion, leading by example and helping to implement change-making new policies that will continue to encourage a culture of inclusion with the HTL and retail sectors. Spotlighting these leaders, highlights how important it is for those at senior levels to sponsor diversity and inclusion and ensure change is made across their business.
We are immensely proud of this publication and we’d like to congratulate each and every “Role Model” and “Advocate for Change” who contributed this year, and thank them for sharing their stories. Each one is an inspiring reminder that everyone can make a real and substantial impact on the culture and future of, not just their organisations, but the wider community as well.
“Without visible role models who look, act and think like you it is difficult to imagine oneself in those positions.”
The HTL and retail sectors are vibrant and opportunity-filled sectors, that are made up of inspiring and forward-thinking leaders, just like those that have been featured in the report. Their dedication to ensuring fair and inclusive representation, especially now when there is so much change happening rapidly around the world, is something to be celebrated and recognised, and should motivate others to follow in their footsteps in pushing the sectors forward.
Congratulations to all the phenomenal nominees featured in the year’s Index!
