Hospitality has long been an industry powered by women. Across hotels and hospitality businesses worldwide, they make up 51.2 percent of the workforce. But despite their significant contributions, leadership positions remain largely out of reach, with women holding only 30 per cent of executive roles. This representation drops further at the CEO and chair level, with women holding only 7 per cent of these roles.
This International Women’s Day, we’re turning the spotlight on the women reshaping the leadership landscape and driving change, not just by advancing in their careers but stretching a hand down to lift up the next generation of female leaders.
Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO Orient Express & group chief strategy officer at Accor
Tell us about your journey in the hospitality industry.
I joined Accor in the fall of 2023 after 19 years at JLL where I held the position of global CEO for the hospitality division. I’ve known hospitality my whole life – my mum and grandmother were both hoteliers. My time in the industry hasn’t always been easy but it has been great.
You mentioned having female role models in family. How has this shaped your experience?
My mum and grandmother were two very strong women, both of them in leadership positions and I’ve always had amazing role models instilling in me the confidence to succeed. That really helped me. We need more visibility when it comes to women in positions of power – the role of mentorship is critical. I have also been very fortunate to have worked with people who have been great mentors and sponsors. However, I think sometimes people pull back from being mentors because they have the wrong impression that they have to be perfect. But actually, we learn a lot more from mistakes than we do from big successes and it’s important to share and pass on what you’ve learned along the way
What advice would you give to young women looking to enter and grow in the sector as well as those seeking to break through the glass ceiling?
If I could talk to any young woman looking to enter the industry, the biggest advice I could give is that you need to have a very strong sense of self. It's very important for us women to craft our own set of rules – if the playbook doesn’t work, we have to try to rewrite it.
What would you say to those in positions of power?
We need to get more women, not just to enter the industry but to stay there and to give them a voice. And to do that, we need to instil in them confidence to go for it and get that seat at the table. We also must change the definition of success because many of us wear many hats. In terms of making our environment more conducive to success, we need to support each other and understand that we as women have a lot of responsibilities on our shoulders – we’re mums, cheerleaders and coaches in our professional teams, caregivers at home to parents. It’s very important to make sure that everyone is given the right set of opportunities and the optimal environment to succeed. A one-size-fits-all approach to success doesn’t work
What would you like to see moving forward?
I started in the hospitality real estate investment industry and women are well in the minority in the real estate investment side of hospitality. And when it happened, while it was nice to know that I had succeeded in securing that position of global CEO at JLL for the hospitality division, the thing I wish going forward is that that isn’t the exception but the norm. I don’t want to be the exception.
Ronit Copeland, founder & managing director of Copeland Hospitality
Tell us about your background and your journey so far.
My background is very corporate. I was vice president marketing, sales and also business development for Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton and Starwood. And then at age 45, I made a change because I wanted to do something much more creative. That was around 2010 when there a was a bit of a renaissance of boutique and lifestyle. So I left my corporate job to open my own shop dedicated to the boutique and lifestyle sector. In the 15 years since, it has developed from being very focused on branding, marketing and sale strategies and has turned into more of business development.
What has been your experience as a woman in the sector?
We have progressed a lot in terms of what we’ve done with the women’s movement since the early 90s. But I do remember having struggles in the corporate world in terms of people hearing my voice with the same impact as they would hear the men’s voices. At meetings, there was definitely a little discrepancy, a little but of a gap between the way they would address me versus the men present. Over the years, I’ve definitely felt it a bit less and I’ve found what helped me deal with it was being connected with as many women as I could be and having that community around me. That connection to other women was very much a source of strength.
What skills do you think can be leveraged in order to progress?
Generally, I’ve found that women have great sensitivity when it comes to looking out for others, a skill which is very useful when it comes to employee retention, something which is very important today. We also have that natural intuition and a sort of sixth sense when it comes to crisis management. I think we need to trust our intuition more and question it less.
What advice do you have for women seeking to break into leadership positions?
One thing I’ve seen with successful women is that they don’t ask for opportunity – they take it. You have to grab it. Don’t be afraid of challenges. Take risks.
And for those who have achieved success in this regard?
Just like we have to grab our own opportunities, we also need to hold the hands of our fellow women and colleagues and bring them up with us. Women are good at setting up communities and support groups could be very impactful.
What would you like to see moving forward?
We need to have avenues where there are more women in leadership positions and more female CEOs in the hospitality sector. And to achieve this, there needs to be more of a conversation around solutions, not just amongst women but also with the men. It needs to be a joint effort – the men are already in those rooms and some of them are sensitive to the topic and also see it as a problem.
Lily Wecker, development director, EMEA & North America of Mandarin Oriental
Tell us a little bit about your journey to your current role.
I was incredibly fortunate to have been brought into the Mandarin Oriental family by my mentor, chief development officer Francesco Cefalu, whom I met nine years ago while pursuing my MBA at Harvard Business School. Initially trained as a management consultant, I transitioned into hospitality through private equity investing during the pandemic, growing the portfolio from one hotel to over 20 across six countries in under two years. That leap cemented my love for this dynamic field.
What has been your experience as a woman in the industry?
As a woman in this male-dominated industry, I’ve been lucky to have sponsors— both men and women— who’ve actively championed my growth, fostering what I’d call a “caring meritocracy.” Their support opened doors I might not have otherwise walked through.
What do you see in terms of drawbacks for women when it comes to achieving success—for example, societal expectations and pressures—and what solutions do you proffer?
One stubborn hurdle for women is the tangle of societal expectations that often don’t align with what’s asked of men. Growing up, I observed a prominent archetype of female leadership: the powerhouse CEO managing a big career, kids, and constant travel with a small army of support at home. While I admire that model, I now recognize a broader range of female leaders: women who redefine family structures, openly grapple with guilt or vulnerability, and prioritize authenticity over perfection. My solution is straightforward: increase female representation in the room. The more women we see in leadership positions, the more diverse success archetypes emerge, offering the next generation a richer array of role models to emulate and reducing the weight of societal expectations.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your leadership journey, and how did you overcome them?
There have been occasional challenges: missed promotions, moments when assertiveness was characterized as aggression, or when offhand remarks (some subtle, some less so) have thrown me off balance. At first, these moments stung, but I’ve since reframed them as turning points for growth. My strategy? Ask for help! I’ve learned to lean into my support systems. Early in my career, mentors offered invaluable perspective, while therapy helped me reset and refine my operating model. Instead of letting challenges define me, I use them to better understand myself and sharpen my resilience. Each obstacle has taught me something— whether it’s how to advocate for myself more effectively or how to turn setbacks into fuel for progress. Looking back, these experiences have not only shaped my leadership style but also reinforced my commitment to lifting others up as I move forward.
What skills or qualities do you think have been most valuable in your success? What advice would you give to other women in the sector who are seeking to break through the glass ceiling?
For me, success hinges on two things: grit and curiosity. Books like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Be Useful and David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me underscore the power of perseverance and relentless effort—qualities that form half of the equation. The other half? Curiosity. Staying open to new ideas, technologies, and perspectives has sparked partnerships, solutions, and opportunities for me. To women aiming to crack the glass ceiling, here’s my take: anchor yourself in hard work, but supercharge it with relentless learning and bold connections. McKinsey’s research shows that women often get less mileage from their “experience capital,” meaning years of skill-building don’t pay off in promotions like they do for men. A recent HBR article (“How Women Can Win in the Workplace” by Ellingrud, Yee, and Martínez) zoomed in on this topic. Despite 40 years of educational parity in the US and Europe, we are still underrepresented at senior levels. Stay gritty, stay curious— ask big questions, snag a sponsor, master what’s next— and trust you’ll carve your path.
What changes would you like to see in the next 5 to 10 years for women in the sector?
I envision a hospitality industry where gender equality isn’t a headline but our baseline. I would love to see an industry-wide push for knowledge-sharing and leadership development for women, especially in regions where female workforce participation remains limited. Picture a young woman starting her career in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) - encountering female general managers and C-suite leaders could spark inspiration and accelerate broader societal shifts. Over the next decade, I hope to witness this ripple effect, where empowered women in hospitality not only thrive but also pave the way for transformative change across the world.
Yuan Fang, SVP Development Europe and Americas at Minor Hotels
Tell us a little bit about yourself – your background and your journey to your current position at Minor Hotels.
I started my career in financial advisory and it wasn’t hospitality related. Thanks to referrals, I received an offer at Minor Hotels 11+ years ago and started as senior analyst in development and asset management. Since then, I’ve been promoted to manager, director, VP and now senior vice president, a role which I’ve held for two years. I am now responsible for the growth of the all the brands at Minor Hotels in Europe and Americas.
How do you think the hospitality industry could improve gender diversity in leadership positions?
While I believe that there are more female leaders in hospitality when compared to other sectors, that’s less so at C-Suite level but I’m hopeful that shouldn’t take too long. I’m a mother of two and thankfully, I don’t feel that my career growth has been limited by the leaves I’ve taken.
What has been your experience as a woman of colour in the industry?
There’s the good and the bad. I tend to stand out and I’m easily remembered. My awareness of this means I have to be twice as careful as others. But on the other side of the coin, people easily remember the positive impacts I make.
What skills or qualities do you think have been most valuable in your success? What advice would you give to other women in the sector?
Attention to detail makes the difference between good and excellent. Generally speaking, women are great at being rigorous and the positive impact of this should be more visible.