Last Sunday marked International Women’s Day 2026, and the theme this year was ‘give to gain’. Highlighting the power of reciprocity and support, it put the sharing of knowledge, resources, infrastructure and advocacy in focus, challenging us all to think about both what this means and how we can act upon it.
On Wednesday, nearly 100 women gathered at Heddon Street Kitchen in central London to celebrate the launch of a resource that exactly champions the ‘give to gain’ theme – the Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Index 2026. Hosted by Q5, the event was a wonderful chance to reflect on the inspirational achievements of the nominees whilst also looking ahead at how our sectors can continue to ensure there are pathways for a diverse range of people to rise through the ranks and have their voices heard.
“This Index aims to give visibility to the amazing successes and stories of those featured because when women use their voice, they change the course of history,” – Tea Colaianni MBE, founder and Chair, WiHTL & DiR
Now in its eighth edition, it was remarkable to look back at previous iterations and see that now around 750 women have been featured in this publication over the years – if ever there was a statistic to dispel any myths that female talent doesn’t exist in our sectors, this is it! In fact, it proves how crucial visibility is in propelling progress forward and this was a topic that kept resurfacing across the afternoon. Tea Colaianni MBE, founder and Chair at WiHTL and DiR, spoke about how Women to Watch provides this opportunity in her opening remarks saying: “This Index aims to give visibility to the amazing successes and stories of those featured because when women use their voice, they change the course of history.”
We at MBS have been seeking to move the dial on diversity and inclusion in the HTL and retail sectors since our first edition in 2019. This year, we featured a record number of women who are shaping some of the most dynamic and influential areas of our industries and whose careers act as inspiration for the next generation of women entering and progressing through the sectors. Many contributors in the Index spoke about how confidence is one of the major setbacks for women looking to break into more senior roles, and this was echoed by keynote speaker Paul Pomroy, CEO of Warner Hotels, who said: “Many women still wait until they’re 100 percent ready before putting themselves forward for an opportunity in a way men often don’t. Confidence so often gets mistaken for competence, and the loudest voice can be remembered more clearly than the best idea.
“When this happens, organisations don’t just lose talent, they lose perspective.”
The data supports this disconnect between how progression has been happening in organisations and the talent that’s available. When looking at gender diversity across HTL and retail, there continue to be very few women in the critical Chair, CEO and CFO positions – in retail there are only 8 percent, 15 percent and 21 percent respectively, while there are just 14 percent, 10 percent and 21 percent in HTL. Although representation continues to try to climb at ExCo and Direct Reports level, the increase is only marginal or – in the case of Direct Reports in retail – it has seen a drastic decline between 2024 and 2025.
It’s a similar story when looking at ethnic diversity. On retail boards, there are just 9 percent of roles held by directors from ethnic minority backgrounds, with that figure dropping to 8 percent on the Executive Committee and 6 percent at Direct Reports level. The same is true in HTL, with those from ethnic minority background on the Board, Executive Committee and at Direct Reports level totalling just 8 percent, 5 percent and 7 percent respectively.
“Confidence so often gets mistaken for competence, and the loudest voice can be remembered more clearly than the best idea. When this happens, organisations don’t just lose talent, they lose perspective,” – Paul Pomroy, CEO, Warner Hotels
In the latest FTSE Women Leaders report published last week, while around 43 percent of FTSE 350 Board roles are now held by women, female CEOs still account for only about 8 percent of the total, highlighting the persistent gap between Board representation and executive power.
It is therefore as important as ever that women continue to make themselves visible, heard and to champion the next generation. Speaking on Wednesday, Louise Rix, Chief Retail Officer at DFS, shared her own experience: “I worked my way up through retail from the shop floor and I think it is crucial for other people to see that kind of progression is possible.”
Continuing on from the previous two editions, the Index now includes a section on senior women leaders in technology in hospitality, travel, leisure and retail which is a space that is growing rapidly. When asked about what the one thing they are most excited about for the future of their sector is, a huge majority of the nominees this year spoke about AI and the intersection between human experiences and the possibilities that technology provides both operationally and for customers. Building on this, the report also included a dedicated luxury section for the first time to highlight role models across fashion and hospitality, travel and leisure within that space.
We are immensely proud of this report and would like to congratulate every single ‘Woman to Watch’ who contributed to this year’s publication and thank them for being so generous with their advice and counsel. They are an inspiring reminder of the opportunities that are available for future leaders and how giving leads to gain all round. By continuing to share and reflect on leadership stories, we can help motivate, inspire and influence more leaders to step forward and push our sectors towards greater inclusion.
Congratulations to all the remarkable women leaders who are featured in this year’s Index!
