Author: Jarya Kotyleng

We are dedicating this article to women in the hospitality industry. Throughout this piece, we have highlighted some of the key female leaders in the hospitality sector.

There is no way to list all the influential leaders in the hospitality and travel industry in a single article. Nevertheless, there are resources available that identify a number of these prominent women in the hotel industry and the hospitality sector as a whole.

A striking fact about the hospitality industry is that it is one of the few sectors that has a healthy gender distribution. Therefore, as other sectors work to reduce their gender bias, the hospitality industry boasts an equal contribution from men and women.

While it is unfair to name just a few, we have picked out some of the most influential personalities in the hospitality industry in an effort to be both short and informative.

So let's get started with a short and concise list of the most influential people in the hospitality industry.

Angela Brav

We've all heard of global hotel giant IHG. Angela Brav was a leader for Europe at Inter-Continental Hotel Group (IHG). Angela joined IHG in 1988 and was appointed Managing Director for Europe in August 2011. She then joined a hotel and consultancy company before joining Hertz in November 2019.

During her time at IHG, she was responsible for business improvement, scale-up, operations, and performance across all hostel and home manufacturers in Europe. Her name is synonymous with effective female leadership in the hospitality industry. She delivers great operational improvements with ease and style.

Amanda Afiya

Amanda has a background in journalism from The Caterer. Over two decades, she has written about hospitality. In addition, she is the co-founder and director of Sauce Intel.

Formerly, she had been responsible for The Caterer magazine's weekly e-book, online publication, the daily content for thecaterer.com, and other products in the organization's marketplace.

As a true inspiration to women leaders in the hospitality industry, she also happens to be a strong advocate and member of the hospitality movement's publicity communications committee.

Hemma Varma

A member of Marriott's global corporate citizenship team since 2005. She has recently been appointed as a strategic advisor to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. One of the world's largest hotel companies, Marriott is one of the most successful hospitality companies in the world.

Her leadership role within the Marriott group is appreciated and applauded. She has operated the platform for CSR information for both internal and external publics through a peer review advisory council and has consulted with the company to align CSR dreams and strategy with the needs of the business.

She has been working in this area continuously for over 20 years. Her background and work style has made her a very popular leader in the hospitality industry.

Madhur Jaffrey

Delhi-born, Madhur Jaffrey arrived in England at the age of 19 to pursue her studies in acting at RADA and her passion for comedy. While in London, she desperately missed her family's cuisine and her mother would send her some recipes to learn how to cook.

She acted in English television, film, and radio programs, and then relocated to New York City, where she started writing about food to earn an income and pay for her children's education. This venture into food writing resulted in best-selling books and subsequent television programs, which were made in vogue by Madhur's outspoken nature.

Now that you know women who have marked their generations in the hospitality world, you are ready to step into the working world and take on the challenge of becoming a recognized hospitality leader. If you are looking to earn an internationally recognized hospitality management qualification in the United States or Europe,  start your journey today! We not only provide you with theoretical knowledge but we simultaneously guarantee you paid work experience in luxury hotels and restaurants in the United States and Europe.   
If you are interested in learning more about how Hospitality Academy can help you develop and enhance your hospitality career, you can email us at admissions@pihospitalityacademy.com, alternatively, you can check our top programs here!

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