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As we celebrate International Women’s Day this week, we launched the 2025 Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Index - which recognises the accomplishments of almost 90 inspirational women across our industry.
The Index, produced by WiHTL & Diversity in Retail in partnership with The MBS Group, is now in its seventh year and highlights women role models at all levels who are transforming the Hospitality, Travel, Leisure (HTL) and Retail sectors in the UK and beyond, detailing their stories and achievements.
Delegates - including many of the women featured in the index and C-suite supporters like Simon Roberts, CEO of Sainsbury’s and Paul Flaum, Group CEO of Bourne Leisure from our Collaboration Community - were treated to an uplifting launch event filled with insightful panel discussions and powerful keynote speeches.
Hosted by AlixPartners at their City of London headquarters, Tea Colaianni opened the session, citing the remarkable numbers that show the far-reaching impact of the Women to Watch Index across our sector. She said: “This year, we have received nearly 90 nominations from 57 companies spanning our sectors. Even more impressively, our nominees come from all over the world – from Spain, Mexico, and Australia to the USA, Cyprus, Denmark, and the Netherlands. This international representation is a testament to the global nature of talent in our sector, and the shared commitment to advancing women in leadership. And these nominees are not confined to a single function – they represent a wide spectrum of expertise, covering finance, legal, compliance, HR, ESG, operations, marketing, food & beverage, technology, supply chain, and, of course, the C-suite. From CEOs, MDs, CIOs, COOs to those driving impact at every level, these women are making a tangible difference in their organisations and beyond.”
Elliot Goldstein, Managing Partner at The MBS Group was next on stage and added: “I think our sector needs the compass that WiHTL & Diversity in Retail are providing… and this Index is here to showcase and to celebrate women who are role models for a future generation.”
An engaging panel discussion followed, chaired by Joanna Aunon, Chief Impact Officer at WiHTL & DiR. The panel was composed of three of the ‘Women to Watch’, Asheeka Hyde (Technology Director - Data, Analytics & AI at SSP), Helen Sparke (Chief People Officer, Group Functions at Flutter) and Helen Selby (General Counsel & Company Secretary at Asda). They talked about what it meant to each of them to be included in the Index, citing the heart-warming reactions of family members, their own great pride and how humbling an experience it has been.
Panelists offered their views on what needs to change to inspire and enable more women to reach the most senior levels, and what most excites them about the future for women in this sector. One thing that really stood out in the conversation that followed and their personal anecdotes, was around the varied opportunities available in the sector, and how people can and often do start out in a junior front-line role, and progress their career through to the C-suite or other senior leader roles.
An undoubted highlight of the afternoon was hearing inspirational speeches from two keynote speakers, Paul Flaum, Group CEO of Bourne Leisure and Sophie Dekkers, Chief Commercial Officer at easyjet.
Paul talked passionately about why the Women to Watch Index is so important to him, discussing allyship and authenticity, saying: “Be you, tell your story, only you can tell your story, it’s you that others will be inspired by… and when you achieve something in life, seize the moment to go and achieve something else.”
Sophie, meanwhile, drew from her own career experiences as a woman ‘coming up’ at easyJet, stressing the importance of being confident and not restricting yourself or your potential, saying: “My two biggest career steps have been coming back from maternity leave, so don’t constrain yourself, think about roles that are maybe out of your comfort zone… If someone else thinks you can do something, then you probably can do it!”
The afternoon - and the inspiration and wisdom it offered - was a brilliant way to mark the launch of the Index, bringing to life the importance of having visible women role models. In closing the session, Tea Colaianni reiterated her congratulations to all the women included on the Index, and added:
“This year’s International Women’s Day theme – ‘Accelerate Action’ – calls on us to not just talk about progress, but to actively drive it forward with urgency and purpose. Accelerating action means committing to move faster and with more conviction, ensuring every woman has the opportunity to reach her fullest potential.
Our work has never been about setting targets; women already possess the skills, expertise, and leadership necessary to drive change and excel at every level. We just need to ensure the conditions are there to allow them to reach their full potential and showcase their abilities, to the benefit of all our businesses. Let’s keep speaking, acting, and moving forward, knowing every step we take creates an environment where all talent can rise!”
The 2025 Index celebrates senior women leaders and their impact across the Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail sectors. Through showcasing the variety of roles and careers that women have across our industry, we also hope to provide inspiration to women at the earlier stages of their career about the opportunities our industry can provide.
Relive the highlights from the launch event by watching our video below.
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