Women to watch in hospitality index launched

Campaign group WiH2020 has launched the first Women to Watch in hospitality, tourism and leisure index to showcase talent in the industry.

The organisation, which is working with operators including Compass, IHG, PizzaExpress and Ei Group to increase women's representation in leadership positions, is seeking to highlight high achievers and share their tips for advancement.

According to WiH2020, only 10% of CEOs across hospitality, travel and leisure are women, though 36% of direct reports to board members are female, representing a promising pool of future leaders.

Its 2019 Women to Watch in HTL Index will feature these female professionals, including leaders who are an inspiration and ready to step into senior and board positions.

WiH2020 founder Tea Colaianni said: "Women to Watch in HTL Index, the first ever initiative of this kind across the whole sector, aims to unearth the incredible talent we have in our industry and identify women who will inspire others to progress within the sector, enter our fantastic industry for the first time or come back to hospitality, travel and leisure.

"We aim to list more than 100 exceptional women across the entire sector, so I would encourage companies and individuals to help us identify as many of these amazing female leaders as possible, tell their stories, share their lessons and tips for getting to their position and be an inspiration to others."

Nominations close on 17 June and the index will be published in October 2019. Visit the WiH2020 website to nominate.