Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2025

Left, Below: Donata Russell Ross of Concessions International and Jennifer Simkins of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport won AXN’s 2025 Outstanding Woman In Leadership awards.

mirror traditional signifiers, either. She recalled a period in her career where she was trained to mirror “male behaviors” and realized that they didn’t serve her. “It’s about being ok with what your true authenticity is,” said Harland. Montes and the panelists also addressed some of the potential difficulties in navigating the workplace amid political and financial uncertainty. Harland emphasized the importance of lifting up underrepresented groups through sharing each others’ successes, while Gallant underlined the need to mentor the next generation of female airport professionals: “they have to see themselves in you,” she said. And for Schafer, focusing on conflict resolution is key to progressing to a more productive and inclusive workforce. And when it comes to addressing the gender wage gap, the panel pressed the need for using statistics to combat compensation biases. “Do the research for yourself,” on comparative salaries, said Ellis, to which Harland agreed. “You cannot dispute data,” Harland said. Schafer noted that in order to help combat wage discrepancies, industry-wise policies on parental leave and affordable childcare must be improved. Mentorship and sponsorship is a two-way street, the panel added, noting that in addition to recognizing talent and advocating for others’ promotions, they seek out their own advisors to guide them through the industry. “I believe strongly in a personal board of directors,” said Harland, adding that she is also

quick to give back as a mentor. And Ellis recalled a tough-love mentor who taught her to challenge her mentees: “it is our responsibility to grasp those individuals that we know are emerging leaders — we have to invest in them as mentors as sponsors because if you don’t do it, who will?” Fostering relationships with male workplace allies is an important aspect of their jobs, too, the panel added – and is one that some have taken on in their lives as parents. For Harland, raising her son to understand the impact of her work and the importance of supporting women in their own endeavors has positively influenced his perspective. A world with more allies starts “with raising good kids and good men,” added Schafer. “It’s about teaching everyone to be okay with their emotions,

and we can do that not just with little ones, but with each other, and that’s how we truly become allies in this world.” Award Winners After the panel discussion came the announcement of AXN’s 2025 Outstanding Woman In Leadership award winners. Dan Solomon, co-founder and director of Minute Suites, sponsored the awards and announced the winners. From a field of six finalists, Jennifer Simkins of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was named the 2025 Outstanding Woman in Leadership for Airports. On the concessions side, Donata Russell Ross of Concessions International was lauded as the 2025 Outstanding Woman in Leadership for Concessions.

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AX NEWS MAY 2025