Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2023

Left: The Women in Leadership Panel at the 2023 Airport Experience Conference was moderated by Lana Cramer, vice president of brand strategy and communications at SSP America (second from left). From left to right, the panel consisted of Tracy Harris, vice president of concessions; Greater Orlando Aviation Authority; Cramer; Dawn Hunter, vice president of business development, SSP America; Katherine Lam, president and CEO, Bambuza Hospitality Group; and Demetria Wideman, executive vice president and head of growth, Reach TV.

Numbers show that hiring, promoting, and retaining women in leadership roles across the airport industry are far more impactful than simply “checking a DEI box.” Bender-based DEI initiatives have a positive financial consequence as well, said Katherine Lam, president and CEO of Bambuza Hospitality Group . According to the data, executive teams with more than 30%women are more likely to succeed than those with fewer or no women. “Companies with more diversity in their leadership roles outperform their peers, and it can affect the bottom lines of companies large and small in the industry,” said Lam, who added, “If for no other reason, having women in leadership will make a company more money and lead to better outcomes.” But while it’s proven that women leaders bring invaluable strategic acumen and proven financial gains to any organization, the breakdown of female executives - particularly female leaders of color - is still significantly lower than their white female and male counterparts across demographics. “The data doesn’t lie,” said Dawn Hunter, vice president of business development at SSP America about the lack of women of color in the C-Suite nationwide — where 61% of C-Suite executives identified as white men, 13% as men of color, 21% as white women and just 5% as women of color. Hunter noted that while there appeared to be growth on the horizon worth celebrating, she also emphasized the steep decline of women represented in entry level positions versus in the C-Suite. “The reality is we don’t have a glass ceiling, we have a broken first rung of a ladder,” added Demetria Wideman, executive vice president and head of growth at Reach TV . The broken rung can be attributed to a few key factors, the panel noted, including a lack of flexibility, which was exacerbated by the challenges of the pandemic, toxic work environments, and a need for greater leadership opportunities.

Above: The Women in Leadership panelists shared statistics on the progress achieved thus far in ensuring women have access to the C-Suite, and relayed personal experiences and challenges each faced in their career journeys.

Others, like Wideman, noted that burnout is not just due to overwork and a lack of flexibility, but work environments where harassment and misconduct are overlooked. Wideman shared the harrowing story of being harassed for years at a former job, where she said her employer had kept other accusations under the rug for too long,. “They corrected the action, but it was a known secret,” she said. “These are the things that will make you leave.” Panelists suggested not only company peer groups as a safe place to share experiences, but for organizations to build a welcoming environment where women are respected and rewarded for their work. “Women are less likely to promote themselves than men,” said Tracy Harris,

Retention has never been more critical, said Hunter, who noted that “women leaders are leaving at a record pace” over a lack of flexibility from employers amidst the ongoing pandemic. “COVID taught us that we can do things in a different way. I’m not willing to choose my job over my family,” said Hunter. “Flexibility is worth it, because it promotes loyalty,” she added, emphasizing that 49% of female workers say flexibility is a top factor in deciding to join or stay with a company. A safe and responsible working culture is key to encouraging loyalty, noted the members of the panel, who emphasized the continuing fight for pay equity and against bias. “We need to challenge the assumption of who the ‘boss’ is in the room,” said Lam.

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