What initially inspired you to get into the hospitality business?
When I left home to study hospitality in college, my dream was to be the general manager of a luxury hotel. My knowledge of the industry then was limited to a few wonderful family vacations I was lucky enough to experience and Hotel, the primetime TV show from the mid-80s. After a couple of summers working in operations, I learned operations was not for me.
Around that time, I took a hotel development class where I learned about careers building aspirational hotels from the ground up—and that spark continues to inspire me. Since then, I’ve worked in various areas of hotel real estate, and the concept of bringing a new hotel to life or reimagining a hotel and giving it a new chapter continues to feel magical, even today.
Who were some of your mentors or role models and what were their most valuable lessons?
There are many because this is a generous industry. The following people gave me opportunities to work in different aspects of hotel real estate, which were integral to my career progression:
- Frank Nardozza taught me the fundamentals of how hotels create value, and I’m honored to continue to work with him on select projects.
- Chris Nassetta and Doug Henry took a chance on me when I wanted to make the move from consulting to owner acquisitions. The 10 years I spent at Host were game-changing, instilling in me Host’s “best in class” mindset, which I try to bring to everything I do.
- Doug Greene took me under his wing and let me be a “fly on the wall” for so many calls and negotiations so I could see how deals worked. He continues to be impactful, as Acacia partners on hotel investments with Doug’s company, Haberhill, and private equity partners.
- Amar Lalvani inspires me and showed me by example the importance of EQ for leaders.
- Joel Eisemann entrusted me with creating and leading IHG’s Transactions & Asset Management team. With help from an insightful leadership coach, Anne Marie Carlisi, I developed my leadership style, enabling me to achieve a personal goal of developing our group into a high-performing team, each of whom is a superstar.
- Today, I continue to be inspired by a number of women: Peggy Berg and Elizabeth Abdoo, who understood how lonely it can be as a woman in hotel real estate back then and the importance of community; and Rachel Humphrey, who continues to push me out of my comfort zone through my work with her Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance.
- The principals of It’s Personal Stories, A Hospitality Podcast, Rachel, our Founder David Kong, Dorothy Dowling, and Huilian Duan, are so talented. If one is the average of the people you spend time with, I’m so much better having worked with them.
- In addition, the guest advisors I select to interview on our podcast are leaders I deeply admire, like Greg Kennealey, W. Chris Green, John Murray, and Leslie Ng. Our industry is truly enriched by them.
As it turns out, my issue was never about finding mentors or role models—it was about my journey to being open enough to ask for help and guidance from the people I admire. I’ve also learned not to wait for the “perfect mentor.” Instead, I now think of it as a “patchwork quilt,” where each person adds a different element to the areas where I need growth and guidance.
What’s your outlook for the future with regard to diversity and inclusion within hospitality?
As I’ve tried to become more educated about DEI over the last few years, I’ve discovered everyone experiences that sense of being “other”—whether it’s because the other person is a different gender or ethnicity, or even because that person is taller, thinner, has a better head of hair, went to a “better” school, etc. Feeling like you don’t “fit perfectly” is universal, and I think if we can lean into that going forward, we’ll discover being “different” means you offer a different perspective, which can create enormous value.
Also, a concept I’ve learned from Karim Abouelnaga, whom I greatly admire, is “while talent is distributed equally, opportunity is not.” The hospitality industry is fortunate to have so many different people as customers and associates. While we tend to be quite homogenous as you look up the corporate ladder, our existing workforce can be the inspiration for the future. Take a step back and really look around—who are the smart, hardworking people around you who could use a bit more coaching and encouragement to raise their profile? Who could benefit from you showing them how to properly shine a light on their accomplishments? Who could you propel forward in their career by investing your time and interest? I’m pretty sure everyone has these people in their organization. Indeed, your mentorship could have the biggest impact on the future of our industry.
In your opinion, how is the lodging industry performing in terms of getting women into leadership positions?
Honestly, I’ve seen a step backward since Summer 2024. In updating the Alliance’s Speaker Directory, it jumps out when you see several senior women being laid off from one company. In addition, anytime I get email blasts or see company websites with photos of people who all look the same, it’s discouraging because I know this industry is full of incredible, diverse leaders who aren’t getting those roles.
Having said that, I think there are more opportunities than ever to add fresh, new voices. I’d challenge all leaders out there to think about the people you’re currently mentoring and the rising leaders within your organization: How many of them look different than you? If the answer is “not enough,” look around you to discover the “hidden gems” who need a bit of attention, and encourage them to shine. I’m certain you’ll learn as much from them as they’ll learn from you—and we will see more progress in getting brilliant women into leadership positions.
