Carcavelos, May 20, 2025 – Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) launches the Think Tank on Women in Tourism & Hospitality Leadership, an initiative dedicated to understanding and enhancing the contribution of the Westmont Institute of Tourism & Hospitality in reducing the gender gap in leadership within a key sector for economic development: tourism and hospitality.
Despite women representing around 54% of the global workforce in this industry, female leadership remains limited, with fewer than 30% of women in management roles and even lower percentages in top executive positions. Recent studies indicate that companies with greater gender diversity in executive leadership are up to 21% more likely to outperform peers in profitability, and organizations with a more balanced gender representation report up to 20% more revenue from innovation. However, the rise of women to top roles remains a challenge, underscoring the need for structural transformation in leadership to foster a fairer, more innovative, and competitive industry.
The Think Tank on Women in Tourism & Hospitality Leadership was created as a space for action-oriented reflection, bringing together national and international representatives to discuss each of the factors that perpetuate disparities in leadership. This multidisciplinary group, composed of 23 members—including researchers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and sustainability experts—aims to build an active community dedicated to critical reflection and the implementation of concrete initiatives to accelerate the presence of more women in leadership positions in tourism and hospitality.
The first initiative of the Think Tank, promoted by the Nova SBE institute dedicated to the industry (Nova SBE Westmont Institute of Tourism & Hospitality), took place yesterday, May 19, featuring Alyshia Mangalji (Vice President for Europe and Africa at Westmont Hospitality Group), Arin N. Reeves (renowned author and consultant specializing in leadership, equity, innovation, and organizational well-being), and Jenny Hoobler (Nova SBE Professor, Academic Director of the Knowledge Center Leadership for Impact, and expert in diversity, inclusion, and work-family balance).
The discussion focused on four barriers that perpetuate gender disparity in leadership: “The 24/7 Worker” (based on Nobel Laureate in Economics Claudia Goldin’s research on post-maternity imbalance and the impact of so-called ‘greedy jobs,’ as well as the Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos study “Women Today in Portugal”); “The Ideal Leader” (highlighting the existence of biases and organizational stereotypes regarding leadership); “The Impostor Syndrome” (which prevents many women from applying for or accepting higher responsibility roles, including qualitative consequences post-quotas); and “Energy Management” (a still underexplored concept but crucial for addressing contextual challenges and maintaining women’s productivity).
Several impactful solutions were proposed during the discussion and will be incorporated into the institute’s Action Plan: from advancing scientific knowledge with a systemic perspective, identifying support methodologies for women in their various roles, to implementing role modeling cycles, mentorship programs, and initiatives that promote individual awareness and transform organizational culture.
The Think Tank on Women in Tourism & Hospitality Leadership is also partnering with the Portugal Women’s Network and TNEWS, reinforcing complementary thinking and innovation in the sector, as well as with several areas of the Nova SBE ecosystem working on community and impact: the Innovation Ecosystem, Estoril Conferences, the Knowledge Center Leadership for Impact, and the departments of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Community Engagement.
“We believe that promoting female leadership in tourism and hospitality is essential not only to address historical imbalances but also to drive innovation, sustainability, and economic growth in the sector. Nova SBE is proud to lead this discussion and create spaces that foster collaboration between industry, academia, and the community, enabling solutions that can generate real transformation,” says Daniela Afonso, Executive Director of WiTH at Nova SBE.
Through this initiative, Nova SBE reaffirms its leadership role in promoting a more equitable and dynamic society, investing in concrete strategies to drive change in the tourism and hospitality sector.