Girl power gets women on board
TRY to think of women who hold senior positions in the travel industry. You can probably name two or three immediately and then struggle for more. As in other industries, the number of women at the top in travel is small. But if you are female and ambitious, this could be a good time to set your sights on the top rung of the ladder.
Kuoni UK managing director Sue Biggs said:”Given the number of women in travel, it is a shame there are not more in senior positions, but it is changing. Companies are starting to employ the right person for the job, whether male or female.”
She pointed to Barbara Cassani, chief executive of British Airways’ low-cost subsidiary Go, and Tiffany Hall, BA head of sales for UK and Ireland.
“I think if you believe in yourself and have confidence in your abilities you will get on. And sometimes, in a meeting full of men, being a woman can work to your advantage.”
Travelchoice Direct managing director Chris Browne agreed: “It’s a great time for women in the travel industry. There are not many at the top yet, but the opportunities are now there for any woman who is capable and ambitious.”
One of the reasons why women can get to the top in travel is the lack of a structured career path. It is one of the few industries left where you can start at the bottom and work your way up on ability.
Cresta head of marketing Jane Williams said:”My feeling is that there are a lot more women in high positions in travel than in other industries because creative flair is still as important as any qualifications.”
She pointed to Cresta general manager Sandy Martin, who started behind the counter and is now on the Cresta board. But she is the only woman on an executive of five people.
“Although you can go a long way up the ladder, the last steps get a lot harder,” said Williams, who admitted to ambitions to get on the board. “There is still a glass ceiling and it is not about to come down.
“There is also an old boys’ club – I have been told, not entirely in jest, that if I wanted to get on I should learn to play golf.”
P&O Swan Hellenic marketing director Sissy Chan believes it helps that the travel industry is open minded when it comes to women.
“I don’t think I am ambitious, but I have been in the right place at the right time and employers have recognised my abilities,” she said.
“In fact, people are more likely to comment on my being Chinese and working for P&O Swan Hellenic than the fact I am a woman.”
Chan believes women’s strength is that they are more people orientated than men. “Travel is all about dealing with customers and women are better at that than men,” she said.
Browne added: “Women are better at coping with pressure because they are more able to deal with a multitude of tasks. They are also more direct and waffle less. They just get on with the job.”
She said the main difficulty for ambitious women is mixing a high-flying career with children, as Barbara Cassani has. “I have great admiration for women who do both,” she said.
Williams added: “You are expected to work long hours and have to travel a lot to overseas conferences and on agents trips. That is difficult for women with children.”
Biggs was a product manager at Kuoni for 12 years, which meant being overseas for up to four months a year.
“Happily, these days it is acceptable for women to want to have a career only. People no longer have a problem with that.”