Elizabeth Quinn, Group Director of Brand and Communications, Ireland Head Office

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
IWD invites us to celebrate the women we aspire to be – the sisterhood who have raised us, inspired us, and brought us to where we are. Embracing equity is the means of achieving real equality for all – it’s about valuing, embracing, and supporting our differences!

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
I would first and foremost recommend a healthy curiosity. Staying curious and engaged in the world is necessary in this line of work, where we try to create idyllic havens for travellers experiencing their own adventures away from home.

Who is your female role model?
How could I ever pick one?! I am lucky to have a number of fiercely inspirational women in my life – including my phenomenal mum, aunts and a group of friends from school who know where all the bodies are buried!

The author Nancy Mitford of the legendary six Mitford sisters is a definite role model of mine. I read ‘The Pursuit of Love’ for the first time when I was 15, and remember thinking that hers was the most vital, witty and stylish voice I’d ever heard. Passages from that book never fail to make me laugh out loud, and are as relevant today as they were when she wrote them in 1945.

And, like so many other women, Jackie Kennedy has been a lifelong icon for me –spirit, style, kindness, intelligence and grace in abundance!

Nicole Favish, Director of Marketing – Loyalty, CRM & London Hotels, UK Head Office

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
This year’s IWD campaign couldn’t be more important for shining a light on equality and is critical to ensuring inclusion is universal. To put it simply, this means equality, inclusion and progress.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Take every opportunity to learn and develop, and don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo – your idea and view could be the next big thing!

 Who is your female role model?
My mum – what a lady!

Stephanie Fletcher, Mixologist for The Sidecar at The Westbury, Dublin

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
Embracing equity as the main focus of this year’s campaign means that I am seen, I am listened to and understood. It brings me great joy to see this ethos being the focus of this year’s campaign.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
If you work hard, everything else will fall into place — show them that being a woman does not make you less capable of succeeding. Your opinions, your ideas, and women's presence in the industry are all required and necessary for it to progress and evolve.

Who is your female role model?
My great grandmother. My family has a history of working in hospitality and, as my dad tells it, my great grandmother was known to be able to pour three pints while taking four different orders while holding five separate conversations with people sat at the bar — all with the biggest smile on her face. I aspire to live up to her legacy, I am inspired by her passion and I hope that I am making her proud.

Michelle Petersen, Director of Sales for London, based at The Marylebone, London

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
Not treating everyone with the same cookie-cutter approach. We are all from different backgrounds, cultures, and levels of education. Each person needs tailored support to ensure that they have an equal opportunity to thrive.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Working in hospitality is truly exciting. No two days are the same, so if you like routine, this is not for you. It is a career that can help you travel around the world, experiencing different working environments and cultures. Embrace the opportunities and take risks. Having a strong mentor is also hugely beneficial.

Who is your female role model?
Michelle Obama… A strong, independent woman who is charming, positive, diplomatic, and supportive of her husband, but fiercely independent and successful in her own right. Her quote, “success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives”, resonates and is one that I value.

Dita Klavina, Executive Assistant and Business Excellence at The Kensington, London

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
It’s about exploring, recognising, embracing, supporting and celebrating equity. Everyone deserves equal opportunities and resources to reach their goals.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Loving what you do should be your career goal. Finding work that energises you is the most critical element in career growth and development. And don’t underestimate the power you have; you may have more than you think. Don’t be afraid to use it and have a voice of your own.

Who is your female role model?
My mum is my role model. She is a wonderful human being. Smart, patient, and ambitious. She inspires and motivates me to grow and to be a better version of myself.  

Shakira Nasi, Head Waitress at The Bloomsbury, London

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
Everyone should be treated the same as those around them, without feeling afraid of being judged for thinking or acting differently to someone else.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Be focussed on what you want to achieve, keep going despite the setbacks you might encounter and always keep learning – hospitality gives you a worthwhile lesson every day.

Who is your female role model?
Ellen Degeneres! She was the first woman and celebrity to come out; I really like her and her way of being.

Heidi Pierce, Executive Assistant at The Dupont Circle, Washington DC

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
I think it’s important for women to create an intentional culture of mentorship, so that we can make room for other female leaders at the table.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Have an open mind and be willing to go where opportunity pulls you! There are lots of different career opportunities in hospitality, so explore what interests you and seek out leaders you can learn from.

Who is your female role model?
My former colleague, Louise Yakey, is incredible! She always took time to mentor me when we worked together, and now she runs an organization that matches high school and college mentors with elementary children who are struggling with reading.

Barbara Fotheringham, Director of Operations at The Bristol, Harbourside

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
It means acknowledging and addressing the system and social barriers that prevent women from achieving their full potential. Promoting equal opportunities and fair treatment for everyone, while considering that everyone has a different story, different circumstances and might need different support to have the opportunity to succeed.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Have your goals clearly set, be patient, take the opportunities when they arise, and have confidence in yourself and your skills. Don’t worry that you might not know everything; focus on continuous learning. Overall, the hospitality industry can be a highly rewarding and fulfilling career!

Who is your female role model?
I have met so many women who have inspired me and had an impact on my career. I admire them for different reasons, and each one of them brings different qualities to my life and makes me a better colleague, professional, mum, friend and person.

Natasha McCarthy, Reservation Manager at The River Lee, Cork

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
It is creating a world where everyone not only has the same opportunities, but the means to access them and be successful. A world where we can just be who we are and live together in unity. Gender bias and discrimination needs to be called out and it cannot just be down to women to do this. We need allies. Conversations must be started and pathways should be created for everyone to get what they truly deserve.

We need to normalise the idea and envisage women as leaders in all fields. Women need to be brought together to support each other. When women are together, it creates the most powerful community.

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
There are amazing female role models in hospitality – learn from them. Embrace the challenges and never stop trying to smash through that glass ceiling. Take on board the advice from those who have experience, confide in them and trust them.

Who is your female role model?
My female role model is Kate Hudson. Not the most obvious choice, but she is a dedicated businesswoman, successful actor, humanitarian and mother. She was recently honoured with the People Magazine’s ‘Celebrity Role Model’ award, when she gave an inspiring speech encouraging woman and young girls to love who they are.

Therese Brannigan, Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at The Croke Park, Dublin

What does this year’s International Women’s Day campaign, Embrace Equity, mean to you?
I feel that everyone should open their arms and embrace equality in every area of their personal and professional life. We all learn so much more when we are united, which creates so much success not just for the individual, but the overall team.

A quote I really feel sums up the goal of this project is: “Equality is the goal, and equity is the means to get there. Through the process of equity, we can reach equality.”

What advice do you have for any women starting their hospitality career?
Don’t be afraid to get stuck in and relish the role you work in. Take part in every aspect and never believe that because you are a woman, you can’t thrive in that area. Talk to your teams and guests, listen to them, and learn from the mix of cultures and diversity.

Who is your female role model?
I have so many. Of course, all the women I have been lucky to work with here in The Croke Park over the years — strong, innovative, and amazing leaders; I’ve learned everything I know from them.

As cliché as it sounds, my mam is my role model. She has always encouraged me and my five siblings to pursue any career we wanted. She, along with my dad, encouraged me to work hard, but most importantly to always enjoy what I’m doing.