WINiT Honors Outstanding Leadership in the Advancement of Women in Travel-Related Industries

Alexandria, VA (November 13, 2019)— WINiT by GBTA, a network driving positive change for the career mobility of women in the travel-related industries, announced the winners of the inaugural WINiT Awards at WINiT Gala 2019 in New York City.

“Fostering an environment of inclusion and diversity in the global business travel industry is of paramount importance to GBTA and our member companies,” said Scott Solombrino, GBTA executive director and COO. “The WINiT awards recognize the individuals and companies who have gone above and beyond in support of WINiT’s work toward career mobility and gender parity. The event was spectacular; and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate these remarkable women and men.”

The following awards were given:

Pinnacle Award Winners:

• Alison Taylor, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Distribution, American Airlines received The Outstanding Woman of the Year Award which celebrates the most talented and impactful women in the industry.
• Susan Jacobs, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Global Brand Leader – Dollar & Thrifty, The Hertz Corporation received the Most Innovative Trailblazer Award, which celebrates the business success and creativity of a woman who advances innovation by developing, creating and promoting new ideas in the workplace.
• Michelle “Mick” Lee, Managing Director, Global Head of General & Shared Services, The Bank of New York Mellon received The Founder’s Award, which celebrates a consistent record of leadership, notable accomplishments and the development of new programs that yield quantifiable results.
• Jane Garvey, Chairman of the Board of Directors, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. received the Lifetime Achievement Award which celebrates the outstanding career of a woman leader whose activities have fundamentally advanced women within the profession and whose leadership merits special attention.

Individual Award Winners:

• Traci Mercer, Vice President, Global Lodging, Ground & Sea, Sabre Corporation received the Woman of Influence Award which celebrates female leaders who have had a demonstrable impact on the advancement of women in the travel industry.
• Laura Smith, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience, The Hertz Corporation received the Rising Female Leader Award which celebrates young professionals who are high-performing future leaders.
• Norma Dean, Director, Specialty Sales, Delta Air Lines received the Best Mentor or Coach – Female Award which celebrates a woman leader who is making a determined effort to elevate others.
• David Reimer, Senior Vice President, General Manager – The Americas, American Express Global Business Travel received the Best Mentor or Coach – Male Award which celebrates a male leader who is making a determined effort to elevate others and champions women in travel-related industries.
• Jane Pearsall, Associate Director of Global Business Travel, Worldwide Sales, BWH Hotel Group received the WINiT Volunteer of the Year Award which celebrates a male or female who embodies the mission of WINiT and supports the ongoing values of the organization.

Company Achievement Award Winners:

• Avis Budget Group earned the Creating a Company Culture for Women to Advance and Succeed Award which celebrates a company or organization that has created initiatives to support the professional development and advancement of women and are actively measuring and/or reporting its success.
• Delta Skyteam earned the Best HR Practices Supporting All Employees in the Workplace Award which celebrates a company or organization that has created and implemented structured programs to support all employees in the workplace.
• BCD Travel earned the Promotion of a Women-related Corporate Social Responsibility Project Award which celebrates a company or organization that promotes activities that aim to advance the well-being of women.
• National Corporate Housing earned the Progress in Achievement Toward Equal Pay Award which Celebrates a company or organization that has taken action to implement structured policies and programs to ensure that women receive equal pay for the same work performed by men.

About WINiT

WINiT is a network of over 3,000 women and men focused on delivering career development services, resources and programs to women in travel-related industries. WINiT is an educational organization that, through generous support, provides Members with a variety of unique opportunities including leadership and industry training, mentoring, recruiting, career search services, as well as educational, inspirational, and networking events. For more information, visit www.winitforwomen.org. Stay connected on LinkedIn and Facebook. Follow WINiT on Twitter at @WINiTorg and Instagram at @winit4allwomen.

About the Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, visit www.gbta.org.