3 Women in Hospitality Who Built Thriving Businesses & and What We Can Learn From Them

Attention all hospitality enthusiasts! Are you in love with the world of hotels, resorts, and fine dining? The hospitality industry offers a dynamic and rewarding career path for those with a passion for service and an eye for detail. But while the industry offers many exciting opportunities, women in hospitality still face significant challenges.

From a lack of representation in leadership roles, to pay inequity and challenging working conditions, there are many obstacles that aspiring female professionals must overcome. 

However, it's important to recognize that these challenges aren't insurmountable. Through the power of mentorship, empowerment, and inspiration, we can all help women starting out in the hospitality sector to thrive.

In this guide, we'll explore the current obstacles for  women in hospitality. We'll also highlight some incredible women who are breaking down barriers and inspiring us all to achieve our dreams. So, if you're ready to be inspired and uplifted, keep reading!

Women in hospitality in 2023

Hospitality is booming. As one of the biggest sectors, encouraging diversity at all levels is essential. (After all, we know that greater diversity in companies leads to better creativity, staff retention, and revenue!)

However, despite comprising over half of the global population, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions in many industries, including hospitality. Recent statistics indicate that there is a significant gap in terms of rank, pay, and general progression in women's leadership positions. This gap only widens as women move up the ranks, with only 5% of women going on to become CEOs [1].

Moreover, women in hospitality often face pay inequity. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), women are paid around 20% less than their male counterparts. The ILO states that a large part of this inequality is due to discrimination based on one's gender or sex [2]. 

We share these facts with you, not to make hospitality seem like it isn’t embracing gender 

diversity - it is! But slowly. Too slowly.

We want to encourage you to understand where the industry is today, and where we can continue to make improvements. Ultimately, we all need to work together to encourage more diversity, so that everyone can benefit: employees, companies, investors and customers.

Inspiring women making waves in hospitality

Despite the challenges and underrepresentation faced by women in the hospitality industry, there are many inspiring women who are breaking barriers and making a significant impact in the field. From huge multi-national organisations, to local businesses, it’s important we learn from them and celebrate their achievements. Here are a few women making massive strides in the industry:

 1. Dominique Crenn: Chef and Founder of Atelier Crenn

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Dominique Crenn is a renowned chef and owner of Atelier Crenn, a prestigious three-Michelin-starred restaurant located in San Francisco. Her culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in the idea of artistry, where food is not just a mere meal but a form of creative expression. The name "Atelier Crenn" reflects this vision, as it translates to a workshop or studio where new and innovative ideas are born.

"Like any industry, women have a harder time succeeding. I can only speak for what I did, which was work very, very hard, be clear about my goals, try and forge mentoring relationships with other women in the field, and channel frustration around inequities toward our craft."

Interview with S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy [3]

Crenn made history in 2012 by becoming the first female chef in the U.S. to earn two Michelin Stars. In 2018, she surpassed her own record by being the first female chef in the U.S. to receive three Michelin Stars.

In 2021, she was honoured with the World's 50 Best Icon Award, cementing her status as one of the most influential chefs in the world.

 2. Belinda Wong, Chairwoman and CEO of Starbucks China.

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Belinda Wong is responsible for leading Starbucks in China, ensuring the company's growth agenda is executed with a focus on the well-being of its partners, customers, and communities. 

Under her leadership, Starbucks has experienced tremendous growth and transformation in China, expanding from fewer than 500 stores to over 6,000 stores in more than 230 cities, with plans to open a new store every nine hours until they reach 9,000 stores in 300 cities by 2025. 

"I'm a very tenacious person. In 15 years, I went from a functional role to becoming the president of Starbucks China, and I tell partners, 'If I can do it, you can do it too.' We learn together, and I learn so much from my store partners."

Interview with Starbucks Newsroom [4]

Belinda is recognized for her outstanding contributions towards Shanghai's economic and social development, receiving the "Magnolia Gold Award" in 2020.

She is also regularly listed as one of the most powerful businesswomen by Forbes and Fortune, both in China and internationally.

 3. Mariya Russell, Michelin-Star Chef and Restaurateur

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Mariya Russell is a talented chef de cuisine who hails from Springfield, Ohio. From an early age, she was passionate about cooking, particularly soul food and Midwestern staples like mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and casseroles. After moving to attend The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago with her husband, she eventually joined the esteemed Kikkō restaurant. 

"Thinking about [being] the only Black woman doing this is really, still very much so, blowing my mind. Representation is really important in all kinds of things, but in an industry like this, I think it's really cool."

In an interview with Michelin Guide [5]

In 2020 Mariya was awarded a Michelin star, making her the first black woman to achieve this accolade in 93 years of the Michelin Guide's history. Her journey is an inspirational one for aspiring chefs and culinary professionals alike.

How we can all work to improve the hospitality industry

Now that we've looked at the inspiring stories of three incredible female chefs and entrepreneurs, let's discuss some ways we can all work to improve the gender balance in the hospitality industry.

#1 Believe in yourself and your capabilities: 

As a woman in the hospitality industry, it is important to have faith in yourself and your abilities. Do not be intimidated or discouraged by any challenges that come your way – you are capable of achieving great things! 

Unfortunately, women suffer from imposter syndrome and lack of self-confidence more often than men [6], so it is important to work on your mental strength. Some tips for doing so include:

• Setting yourself small, achievable goals and recognizing your successes 
• Maintaining a positive attitude even in the face of adversity
• Consistently reminding yourself that you are capable and deserving of success
• Noting down your ideas and accomplishments to build a sense of pride in your achievements

How can everyone help support more women to be confident in their skills in the hospitality industry? 

You must make sure you recognize their achievements beyond a one-to-one conversation. Empower women around you by celebrating their successes throughout your company or network. Look at the language you use too. The words we use have real power in how people perceive things. There’s no need to point out they’re a “great female chef” - being female doesn’t affect someone’s chef abilities - so “a great chef” will do!

#2 Be open to learning new skills: 

Learning and honing new skills is essential in any field, and it is especially important in the hospitality industry. Make sure to stay abreast of new trends and techniques so you can provide excellent service to your customers. 

Some ideas for how to do this include: 

• Attending industry conferences and events to gain valuable insights from other professionals 
• Taking classes or workshops that focus on developing your skills 
• Reading up on relevant topics, such as customer service, food safety, and culinary trends  
• Shadowing experienced colleagues who can provide guidance and advice

How can everyone help encourage more women to learn new skills? 

By making sure you give equal opportunities for female staff to go to training. Create productive environments where all your staff feel valued. And if you run hospitality training workshops, swat up on the best inclusivity practices, so that everyone in your workshop feels included and involved - this doesn’t just help women thrive, but will help everyone attending get more from the session. A win-win!

#3 Foster connections: 

Networking is key in the hospitality industry – make sure you are connected with other professionals and peers, as these relationships could help you further your career. There are a number of ways to do this, such as: 

• Joining industry-specific organisations or clubs to meet other people in the field
• Reaching out to industry leaders and influencers via social media platforms like LinkedIn 
• Attending networking events geared towards hospitality professionals 
• Participating in online forums where you can exchange ideas with others in your field

Women-only networks that specialise in niches in the hospitality sector are a great place to connect with other women making strides in the industry, get your name known, and find comradery with other women facing similar challenges.

How can everyone help foster better connections? 

LISTEN. The power of listening and learning can’t be understated. If you are not a woman in the hospitality sector, but want to help, you’ve got to learn what the challenges they face are. Then listen to them on how they want to be helped. Have conversations with women in the industry to better understand their experiences and research and educate yourself on the challenges they face. This can involve reading articles, attending events or workshops that focus on women in the hospitality sector.

In addition to listening and learning, one way to foster better connections is by actively seeking out and sharing success stories of women in the hospitality sector. This can be done through various means, such as interacting on social media, attending events where women in the industry are speaking or being recognized, or even just sharing articles or interviews that feature their achievements.

By highlighting the successes of women in the sector, we can help to shift the narrative and showcase the valuable contributions that they are making to the industry. This can also inspire and encourage other women to pursue careers in hospitality and feel supported in their endeavours.

#4 Support other women: 

The hospitality industry is often male-dominated, but there are many successful women in the field. Make sure to support and encourage other women in the industry, as this will help create a more inclusive environment for everyone. Some ways to do this include: 

• Mentoring or sponsoring other women in the field 
• Speaking up when you see inequality or bias 
• Participating in initiatives that promote female empowerment and career advancement 
• Sharing your successes with others so they can be inspired by your story

How can everyone work harder to support more women in higher positions in the hospitality industry?

The short answer is: we all need to work together. There is no simple answer, but creating a better, fairer working environment is the very minimum. 

Pay staff fairly, don’t just “talk about being inclusive” but live it, and let female employees know that there are a lot of job opportunities open for them, based on their skills. How do you do this? 

• By establishing clear career progression plans, with specific steps towards reaching promotion (SMART goals are great here) for all your staff. 
• By encouraging conversations with your fellow female colleagues about their aspirations and understanding how you can do more to support them.
• By being better managers, and opening conversations for female employees to talk about pay rises, and sharing that there are not any wage disparities. (And if there are…fix it NOW!)

How can we do better to see more women in decision-making hospitality jobs?

When looking at these higher management roles and senior positions, which men currently dominate in the industry, we need to examine what is not happening. This sadly isn’t an issue that is talked about enough!

We need to create better recruitment processes, inclusive interviews, and space for women to succeed at all levels. This includes looking at benefits, as much as pay and working environments. Flexibility is one of the most sought-after benefits many women want - flexible work hours, better parental leave, and the ability to work remotely. 

And these changes need to be made everywhere. It’s not just about women starting their own businesses to be female-friendly, but building all businesses better.

The best companies will be tackling this already: often using recruiting companies that will deep dive into their diversity stats, and identify areas that the company may have an uneven split. These companies then headhunt for these positions, help establish inclusive interviewing processes, and help remove cultural bias when hiring.

Final thoughts

The inspiring stories of women like Dominique Crenn, Belinda Wong, and Mariya Russell demonstrate the importance of representation in the hospitality industry. 

Representation matters – make sure to strive for success, never give up on yourself, and take every opportunity that comes your way. 

With the right mindset, you can achieve anything you set your mind to!