Newsletter 17th November 2022

Over a week may have passed since our Inclusion Summit and we are still on cloud 9. Watching back this Highlights video shows the huge commitment our Collaboration Communities have for topics that we all care so deeply about. We’re proud of everything that we have achieved together, and we’re excited by what lies ahead and the impact we can continue to make collectively.

We are less than a month away from announcing our next Women to Watch list! Over the last 4 years, we have celebrated nearly 400 women across hundreds of companies in our Women to Watch Index, once again in partnership with The MBS Group.

The list is full of women who have achieved personal and professional success through leadership, innovation and determination. The Index will also highlight and celebrate Role Models for Inclusion - individuals who strive to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging across their organisation, the sector or their community. Stay tuned for the big reveal on the 12th of December.

Ethnic Senior Leaders Programme kick off. We recently kicked off our Ethnic Senior Leaders Programme for the second year and are thrilled to be supported by Odgers Berndtson . The programme is specifically designed to help leaders progress their careers and prepare them for executive committee or operating board roles across organisations in the hospitality, travel, leisure and retail sectors and support them in understanding the skills required. It includes a variety of sessions from leading advisors and experienced leaders in the industry. 

Thank you to Odgers Berndtson for hosting the first session at their offices, specifically Katie Thomas, Jane Dessar from the Consumer, Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Practice and Alka Gandhi from Berwick Partners for their warm reception and excellent support of this programme. Thanks to Elizabeth (Liz) Stewart who leads the Leadership and Assessment Practice at Odgers Berndtson for a highly informative and insightful kick-off session.

5 ways to create a trans inclusive work environment. Transgender Awareness Week takes place from 13th – 19th November and leads up to Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20th November; a day to commemorate victims of transphobic violence. 

Studies report that 65% of trans workers have hidden their trans status at work, and 43% have quit their job because of unwelcoming work environments. That’s why, in acknowledgement of Transgender Awareness Week, we’ve come up with 5 ways that you can create trans inclusive work environments which you can view by clicking here.

International Men's Day. We are thrilled that our Director, Joanna Aunon, is part of a PwC panel today on the topic of International Men's Day. Joining her will be:

• Peter Wood, CEO of All Saints
• Grant Martin, Head of Internal Audit at Monzo Bank
• Sarah Churchman, Chief Inclusion & Wellbeing Officer at PwC

EFL Kick Off. We recently hosted the kick off session of our 3rd EFL Programme with over 300 participants (delegates, line managers, executive sponsors and senior reverse mentees). Keith Barr CEO at IHG gave a brilliant example of a leader who is not just supportive, but genuinely committed to investing in building diverse talent pipelines for our industry, as evidenced by IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow 10-year responsible business plan. During the call, Keith passionately told the participants "You are the future of our industry!"

René Carayol MBE delivered an energising talk that captured everybody’s imagination, instilling energy and positivity through the power of storytelling. We all had goosebumps! "You are never too young to lead, you are never too old to learn", he said and stressed the importance of having a mentor and mentoring others as a career accelerator factor.

Previous delegates Shefali Thaker and Colet Buckley shared their reflections on graduating from the previous programme and said "You are not alone any more" and "It's up to us to take active steps to make the most of this fantastic programme". Amy Cridland from McDonalds added: "It's been an enlightening experience. You have to be open, you have to be vulnerable as a line manager, I have learnt so much. These conversations have shaped my thinking and leadership style."

Tea Colaianni, WiHTL and Diversity in Retail Founder and Chair commented: "The EFL Programme is one of the best examples of our Community coming together to invest in ethnically diverse leaders, show career paths within the industry, build networks, have conversations about race in the workplace and take down barriers and break ceilings. Together we are creating a safe learning space for all involved that has a positive impact on individuals, organisations and our industry. I would like to thank Keith Barr and the IHG team for supporting this programme." 

Female NED. We are already halfway through our first Female NED Programme in partnership with McDonald's. We have had a formidable line up of speakers who are sharing insights, knowledge and learnings with our talented female leaders aspiring to their first NED role. And the feedback is phenomenal as summarised in the comments of one of the delegates:

“Now that we are 3 sessions in, I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you. The time, effort and passion that you have put into this programme to inspire and ready the next group of female NEDs is humbling and I really appreciate the thoughtfulness and diversity of the programme and its speakers.”

Jodi Goldman returns for the final webinar in this series of three. Join the webinar on Magnetic Leadership where Jodi will discuss how women can truly step up, stand out and shine in their careers and lives by embracing both their masculine and feminine power. The four levels of leadership and fully owning your role as a leader in your business and industry.

Don't miss out on the next session by registering below. 

Employees of member companies can register by clicking here.

If you are not a member and would like to attend, please contact Silvia@wihtl.com

To sign up and receive our newsletter via email click here.