This International Women's Day, FCM wants to shine a light on the amazing women and allies that make up the corporate travel industry. Below, you'll find leaders from across FCM, Flight Centre Travel Group, and our certified partners who have shared why and how they support women, gender equity, diversity, and inclusion within their teams and organisations. We're proud to feature and work with such empowering people.
Featured Leaders
Alexandra de Vaux
Vice President, Sales - Americas
FCM Travel
New York, NY
At FCM, we founded our WomenWise program in 2015 and continue to grow it into a core pillar of our Diversity & Inclusion practices to create more gender equity in our company. We are looking forward to continuing to ramp up our efforts to celebrate and empower each other on International Women's Day.
Andrea Molina
Director, Event Operations - North America
FCM Meetings & Events
New York, NY
I’m proud to work for FCM Meetings & Events, where we celebrate women in leadership while providing an environment for young women to be mentored and to cultivate their skill set to help them reach their career goals. We have created an environment where women are empowered and entrusted to contribute to the running of our business as well as to have a seat at the table at any level.
Billy McDonough
President, Americas
FCM Travel
Philadelphia, PA
When it comes to supporting women in the workplace, it is my goal to make sure that gender never affects access to opportunities. Historically, things that have been stereotyped as exclusively women “issues”, like pregnancy and childcare, have unfairly impacted women’s career growth. That should never be the case. Women should be empowered to have a work/life balance, and my team at FCM places these values front and center through our workplace culture.
Carré Le Page
Global Head of Content
Flight Centre Travel Group
Vancouver, BC
When you’re lucky enough to work for a company like Flight Centre Travel Group for over 15 years, it allows you access to some of the brightest and strongest women in the travel industry. I can remember more female leaders than male leaders throughout my career, which has certainly impacted the incredible results our organisation has achieved. From our current President of the Americas, to our regional FCM Marketing team and our talented Global Content team scattered around the globe, I feel so fortunate that I continue to be surrounded by such impressive women.
Chad Godfrey
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Digital
Flight Centre Travel Group
Boston, MA
We are fortunate to work in a company that was, in large part, built by such impressive women. I am constantly pleased by, and appreciative of, the dedicated effort we make as a business to reward great work by our female colleagues with key, expansive roles so that they can help continue to shape the future of this organisation as leaders.
Charlene Leiss
President, Americas
Flight Centre Travel Group
Boston, MA
All women should be empowered to raise their hands for new opportunities and to reach new heights. Women and more diversity in leadership not only enriches our perspectives, it creates a team that is most reflective of our communities and delivers an even more vibrant culture for our workforce and our customers. Too often women feel that other life obligations prevent them from career advancement. I’m here to say that’s not the case.
Doreen Burse
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales
United
Chicago, IL
At United, we're committed to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and world where women are equally represented at every level. We are doing our part to change the face of the aviation industry through our United Aviate Academy – which has a goal that each class will be made up of 50% women and people of colour – and our internal women's business resource group helps enrich the talent pipeline through initiatives like Girls in Aviation Day.
Emese Graham
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, Americas
Flight Centre Travel Group
Toronto, ON
At Flight Centre Travel Group, we are developing new initiatives to improve our visibility on gender discrimination through equity analysis, but we're also paying close attention to women's issues at the intersection of race, disability, language, transgender identity, and parent status, to name a few. Our vision is to work together to dismantle all kinds of barriers to equity for our people, our clients, and our communities.
Jade Lynch
Vice President, Marketing - USA
Corporate Traveller
New York, NY
It’s hard to pinpoint one reason why International Women’s Day is important to me. The issue of equality is vast as it is diverse. Since this year’s official theme is #BreaktheBias, I will highlight an issue that pertains to the theme and one that is close to me personally: unconscious bias towards mothers in the workplace. Unfortunately, it is something that still exists in some workplaces, both deliberately and unconsciously; for example, the assumption that women are less committed to their careers after they become mothers. I think more people should educate themselves on how and why this affects women during their day-to-day and what steps need to be taken to counteract it.
Kate McMahon
Business Leader, USA & Canada
FCM Meetings & Events
New York, NY
Planning events that are diverse, equitable, and inclusive is our priority at FCM Meetings & Events, and our planners themselves reflect those initiatives. We’ve fostered an empowering environment for women at every level on our team, and it has contributed to our ability to push the norm of traditional event planning.
Kim Ahearn
Director, Global Agency
United
Chicago, IL
As a young girl watching Mary Tyler Moore, That Girl (with Marlo Thomas), and other 70s and 80’s re-runs on TV, I knew I wanted to make a difference for women in business and raise a family. My career landed me at an airline in the travel business, and I am so proud to be a champion for women empowerment, gender diversity, and gender equity with every trip I take. My role as Mom to two incredible teenage sons – who also support me and these beliefs – makes me so proud every day. I am so grateful to United and our industry partners, like FCM, who share these values and empower their employees.
Maren Hanschke
President, Mexico & LATAM Network
Flight Centre Travel Group
Mexico City, MX
Since the beginning of my career at Flight Centre 12 years ago, I have felt nothing but supported and respected as a woman. When we conduct business here in Mexico, it is crucial to empower our female workforce and provide equal opportunities for growth not only as professionals, but also as human beings promoting our rights. I am very lucky to also have Charlene Leiss (President, FCTG Americas), a woman and mother of four, leading by example and showing us that a work/mom/life balance is possible.
Melissa Shainman
Global Accounts Director
IHG
Phoenix, AZ
Embedded in our culture at IHG Hotels & Resorts is a passionate commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I), which sits at the heart of our purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good to our guests, hotels, owners, colleagues, and communities. I am an active part of the IHG employee resource group, DAWN (Diverse Ability & Well-Being Network) with a goal to increase awareness of inclusiveness for all whether it be at work, home or in our communities.
Nicole Howey
Global Account Executive
Marriott International
Vancouver, BC
My 21 years with Marriott have been an empowering and supportive journey. As a leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Marriott International has firmly established its commitment to women’s advancement. Marriott recently announced accelerated goals to achieve global gender parity in executive positions by 2023 (two years ahead of the original goal) and reach 3,000 diverse and women-owned hotels by 2025. Marriott has continually been recognized for its outstanding workplace programs in the areas of women’s advancement and its focus on inclusive benefits for families, including paid gender-neutral parental leave, childcare assistance, and support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as its talent development programs, mentorship, and flexibility.
Sandra Kaspar
Director, Leisure Sales
United
Chicago, IL
As leaders, we have the responsibility of welcoming the new generation of women to the workforce by setting an example and being their mentors. But we also have a clear opportunity to look around and see our current peers, employees, and leaders – and be the support and encouragement they need. We will know that we have succeeded when everyone feels that they belong.
Shannon Eden
Team Leader, Woburn TAP (Travel Agents in Progress)
FCM Travel
Boston, MA
I will be showing support for International Women’s Day by thanking all the women in my life who have inspired me, supported me, and made it possible for me to be where I am today. I hope to encourage others within the business to surpass their goals and to maximize their brightness of future.
Suzanne Heller
Senior Director, Sales & Marketing Operations - Americas
FCM Travel
Philadelphia, PA
As a woman who has climbed the corporate ladder to a senior leadership position, I know how important it is to ensure women have equal opportunities for career growth and professional development. It’s more important than ever to have equal representation in leadership so we can ensure the needs of women are heard. I always take the time to mentor women members of my team, because the only way to hire and promote more women leaders is to develop and support them.
Viresh Prasad
Vice President, Marketing - Canada
Corporate Traveller
Toronto, ON
I have spent the majority of my 14-year career working for some of the most successful and intelligent female leaders in the travel industry. I feel privileged to have been led, mentored, and impacted by so many incredible women throughout my career, and I owe a lot of my success to them.