Inspiring Women in Hospitality

🎙 On this episode, we hear from Ruwani, Director Asset Management and Acquisition, La Vie Hotels & Resorts She describes herself as helping people make better investment decision. She grew up knowing that she was going to be in banking, so much so she landed her first banking role at the age of 18 in Sri Lanka and it was during this time she was exposed to fantastic female role models that hel...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Wendy. She is CFO and executive VP of a hospitality group listed in Japan. In university she studies cultural management and history, and she started her career as a co-founder for a young adult summer school. And it was here she discovered the importance of understanding finances to make decisions for the business. So she re-educated herself as a CFA and CPA. Which...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Carmen. She introduces herself with these three words: Curious, catalyser and connector. The three C's for Carmen. She was always good at math and started her career as an investment banking business analyst and it was during a tax structuring project that she was introduced to the world of hospitality. And till this day she says her tax colleagues are her favour...

Why me, why Sydney, why now? In this special solo episode of the Inspiring Women in Hospitality Podcast, Naureen shares the story behind Inspire Influence Live ANZ, taking place on 30 April at the InterContinental Sydney. From her journey across Asia and Europe, to building a career in hospitality, revenue and data, to ultimately founding Inspiring Women in Hospitality, Naureen reflects on the exp...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Julie, director at WMK Architecture. And did you know that she started her working life as a nurse? Listen to the whole story to find out how she ended up in hospitality and director of a design firm. And what I loved about her story is how she shared that she was destined for a career lifestyle and the many people who inspired her along the way. She shares very hone...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Fungai. She came into hospitality when she started working in it during her studies and then she ended up staying. Because she saw the diversity of career paths she could have within hotels and the opportunity to travel. She eventually found her calling in the numbers side of the business and has made a career in finance. She also credits the relationships she built...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Teresa. She started her career as cabin crew and later moved into hospitality tech sales. It was when she realised that she did not want to be serving the champagne, but drinking it was when she had first turning point in her career. She made an interesting observation from her time in start up, hospitality teaches us perfection and now she was learning to try, fail...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Fay. She is from Hong Kong and she is in the business of creative place making. Born out of her own search of identity and now offering the opportunity to others to search and develop a sense of belonging in the city. She has had several career pivots and now she has embarked on her entrepreneurial journey. Her career turning points were influenced by moments when sh...

🎙 On this special podcast episode, which was recorded live at the launch event hosted at the Amadeus offices in Bangkok on the 27th of January 2026 ,Founder of Inspiring Women in Hospitality Naureen Ahmed shared with the attended what they can expect from the upcoming workshop - Inspire Influence Live in Bangkok at the 137 Pillars Suites & Residences on the 17th of March 2026. Naureen shared t...

On this episode we hear from Leora. She is a hospitality marketing professional and has released a book from her years of experience, both in corporate, as a consultant and professor. We spoke about the importance of networking, reframing it to build connections and sometimes even turn them into genuine friendships in the industry. She shares her moments of imposter syndrome and what she said to h...

In the latest episode of the Inspiring Women in Hospitality podcast, host Naureen Ahmed engages with industry experts to explore the multifaceted concept of success in the workplace. With unique perspectives from seasoned professionals, this discussion sheds light on how success is not merely defined by titles or positions but rather by personal fulfillment and impact. The insights shared by Naure...

🎙 On this special reflective episode. I invited Ambika Gandhi back to the podcast, after she was a guest for the first time 3.5years ago. We reflected on how we have both grown as entrepreneurs, how we found our value and impact we want to make. We talked about how we have worked well together as being Ambika's coach, I am so proud of the growth I have seen in here during our time together. Sh...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Samantha. Vice President of Hospitality of AppleOne Group, in the Philippines and proud to be representing the second generation of the family business. She shares how three H's of her life have shaped her: hospitality, heart, humility. This is centred around the family's vision to uplift the lives of the communities within which they operate and bring out the best o...

🎙 On this episode we hear from Ying Ying. She describes herself as the kind of person who gravitates towards challenges. She has worked across different industries across government, private sector, startup and now is looking after a portfolio of 500 hotels in Greater China, She studied economics at uni, later in her hospitality career she found herself in HR and now managing a brand portfolio. Sh...

On this episode we hear from Rin. She started her career as an auditor, and it was when she was auditing the Holiday Inn Silom that she was drawn into the hospitality industry. After pursuing her masters degree she started with Thai conglomerate owners of hotels , then consulting and then with hotel brands, first in corporate finance before moving into development. Moving into development was an i...

Time to turn the spotlight on me for the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November. Who has spent the last three years becoming a woman of influence. 👉 Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events Over the past few weeks I have been highlighting stories of the women who will be facilitators running the workshop on 'How to pitch a business case&...

Get to know Debbie Flynn, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November. Who says that 'influence is everywhere and everything' 👉 Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events This is what Debbie had to say about influence: ⛰️ It is about relatability and the trust you can build through it ⛰️ Influence can create happiness Debbie is t...

On this episode we hear from Woon. And I love how she introduced herself as a "respectful rebel and from then on out, it was as if our lives mirrored each others throughout the rest of the conversation. The thread in her career has been to "consistently try to stop the death of good ideas". She shared an interesting insight on how we view experiences as the backbone of our industry...

Get to know Marion Schonkeren, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November. Who says that 'every person has the power to influence' 👉 Find out more here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events This is what Marion had to say about influence: Let us make influence a word that is approachable as she believes that every single person has the...

Erika shares how influence is about trust and relationship. Find out more about Inspire Influence Live London here: https://www.inspiringwomeninhospitality.com/events

Introducing Jane Lees, facilitator at the upcoming Inspire Influence Live in London on the 7th of November. With a career in operating real estate valuation in both Hong Kong and the UK, Jane not only is a well recognised and respected professional in our industry, but someone whowill always invest in her team. Every person who has had the privilege to work with her has said the same thing. And on...

On this episode we hear from Delnaz. And at her core she describes herself as someone who is drawn to the idea of creating experiences that people remember. This isalso how she chose hospitality because she wanted to be part od an industry that is about creating things for people that stay with them emotionally, rather than selling a product. In the past five year within the same organisation she...

From podcast to community to global movement — Inspire has been a journey I never could have predicted when I first hit record five years ago. In this special episode, I reflect on how it all began: the conversations that shaped the  Inspiring Women in Hospitality podcast, the small roundtables that sparked bigger ideas, and how it grew into a worldwide network of women supporting each other. It’s...

On 7 November 2025, we’ll be gathering in Londonfor the inaugural Inspire Influence Live — a fully immersive one-day workshop designed to equip women in hospitality with the skills, confidence, and influence to make a real impact. With guidance from an incredible advisory board and inspiring facilitators, this closed-door event will give you the chance to: ⛰️ Build and pitch a business case with l...

On this episode we hear from Iana. Having started her career in education, she then decided to transition to becoming an entrepreneur and training soft skills and English language skills in hospitality based out of Cambodia through herdigital learning start-up LX Labs. She really believes that it is through training that you can have an impact on someone's career. She is on a mission to multip...