UKHospitality to launch mentoring programme to steer women towards board positions

UKHospitality is to launch a mentoring programme to help steer more women towards senior executive and board level positions.

The programme, developed in partnership with recruitment experts Odgers Berndtson, BTSport and Elliotts, is hoping to recruit a broad base of mentors to nurture talent.

The goal is to provide mentoring, advice and motivation in the hope of seeing a 50:50 gender split in position shortlists in the future.

Holly Addison (pictured), head of hospitality and leisure at Odgers Berndtson and a member of the steering committee for the new initiative said: "One resounding theme from senior female leaders, who had successfully broken through the barriers, was that encouragement and support from mentors (whether formal or informal) had played a key role in helping them achieve their potential and ambitions.

"Recently Odgers Berndtson partnered with CGA and UK Hospitality to gauge attitudes among business leaders in the sector - 82% of respondents agree that there should be more women on leadership teams in the hospitality sector and importantly, 71% of respondents think a sector wide mentoring initiative would help.

"There is clear support for a sector led initiative when it comes to women in leadership and we know there is still much to do in the senior leadership pipeline to support our female talent. The time for talking about this is really over; the challenge is now putting diversity into effect."

To volunteer to be a mentor or put forward a mentee contact Holly Addison.

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