Women Will Drive Business Outcomes Post-Pandemic

GBTA WINiT Advisory Board Chair remarks on how women in the workforce have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and how they will come back

Alexandria, Virginia (October 14, 2020) This week, the Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) – the world’s largest business travel association – Collaboratory 2020 webinar series featured compelling content from members of WINiT By GBTA, a network of women and men focused on driving positive change for the career mobility of women in travel-related industries.

 

In the series’ marquee webinar, “Fearless Girl: Growing Your Career Amid and After A Global Pandemic,” Dave Hilfman, Interim Executive Director of GBTA hosted Dorothy Dowling, Chief Marketing Officer, BWH Hotel Group to get her take on why the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women especially hard, the pace of recovery,  how to best position yourself to move forward in your career today and in the future, and why WINiT has never been more vital.

 

“The unemployment numbers our industry is experiencing today is a profound tragedy, with women making up a disproportionate number of the unemployment rate at 54%,” said Dowling. “Women are vital to business, not only for the diversity of thought we bring, but because of the ‘power of the purse’: $40 trillion in consumer spending comes from women.” Continued Dowling, “Having women in the room, shaping thought leadership, helps companies win more of these dollars.”

 

Dowling also shared how GBTA’s WINiT, for which she serves as Advisory Board Chair, helps women achieve and advance in their careers, especially in trying times like these. “Women have to help each other and be role models for each other,” said Dowling. WINiT is a remarkable group of women who represent areas across our industry and having a group of peers you can be honest with, and evolve your thinking with, during these troubled times is so valuable.”

 

Not only does WINiT provide networking opportunities and unique training and career development opportunities, a critical component of the initiative is mentoring. “We’ve come a long way from when I started in industry and was often the only woman in the room,” said Dowling. We still have more roads to pave and WINiT is at the forefront of the effort to reach behind and bring the next group of women forward.”

 

This webinar, “Fearless Girl: Growing Your Career Amid and After A Global Pandemic,” is one of many in a series being presented by GBTA. For more information on future webinars, visit gbta.org.

 

CONTACT:            

David Leibowitz (NORAM), 602-317-1414, david@leibowitzsolo.com

Nikki Stimson (EMEA), +44(0) 7764 618199, nstimson@gbta.org

 

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