Women are making major strides in the hospitality industry. Their strengths and abilities, which include strong communications skills and creative problem-solving approaches, are increasingly acknowledged and valued. In fact, more females than ever before are breaking the glass ceiling and rising to leadership positions within their companies, including key technology roles.

While the pandemic highlighted some of the inequalities that remain in the workforce—with women more likely than men to have lost their jobs or been furloughed—the dynamics of corporate leadership are changing, and gender equality is becoming a reality.

HU talked with three women who have reached the top of their professions in hospitality technology: Marie Bell, director of release and implementation services at Delaware North; Laura Calin, vice president of strategy and solutions management at Oracle Hospitality; and Kris Singleton, president and chief information officer at Enseo. These women discussed their career paths, some of the challenges they have encountered and the importance of mentors to their success.

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Overcoming stereotypes

An IT professional for more than two decades, Marie Bell oversees release and implementation services at Delaware North, one of the largest privately owned and operated hospitality and entertainment companies in the world. Yet, despite her demonstrable abilities, she lacked self-confidence early in life.  

“Young women weren’t considered suitable candidates for technology careers,” she said, recalling a high school teacher who once accused her of cheating because there were so few errors in the code she had written. “Would that have happened if I had been a male? Probably not.”

Even as she moved into responsible career roles, Bell encountered male supervisors who threw up roadblocks, with one telling her that she was ‘too strong’ for a female and would never become a director as long as he was at the company. As a result, she didn’t believe she deserved success unless she constantly outperformed her male peers. “I spent many years being the only woman at the table, and I always felt like I had to go the extra mile to demonstrate why I wanted to do something in a certain way.”

Similarly, Kris Singleton, who took the helm last year as Enseo’s president and chief information officer, says her first major challenge was overcoming stereotypes. “It was the 1980s, and there was this idea that women couldn’t possibly be as ‘technical’ as men,” she said. During college, she was the only female in most of her computer classes. And because she was outgoing and athletic, many people underestimated both her intelligence and her drive. “Gender bias and sexism were real. Some of my professors and fellow students assumed I didn’t have what it takes to succeed in a traditionally male-dominated field.”

Still another hurdle for Singleton, especially early in her career, was finding a way to crack the old boy network. “It’s harder for women to gain trust and get in tight with male-dominated teams,” she said. Her comeback was to put all her effort into every project she undertook and then let the work speak for itself. “I knew I was good at my job; I just had to show it.”

Yet, for both women, these trials had net positive effects. “I learned to stand my ground and even to push back,” Bell said. “The roadblocks just made me stronger.”

Likewise, Singleton gained confidence every time she surmounted an obstacle. “The hard knocks boosted my resilience. I learned to use the resources around me and discovered the importance of taking risks.” In fact, she says, the challenges she encountered helped her understand other peoples’ perspectives and hone her negotiation skills. “I learned how to be a good leader through overcoming conflict.”

Mentors made the difference

Laura Calin, who is responsible for charting the direction of Oracle Hospitality’s cloud solution portfolio, has also felt the need to prove herself. “Early on, when I was in a meeting filled with men, I felt like I had to do everything twice as well to get the same recognition,” she said. Yet, throughout her career, which spans almost three decades at Micros and Oracle, Calin didn’t let gender bias affect her confidence or drive for success.

She gives a great deal of credit for that to her first mentor, former Micros CEO Tom Giannopoulos, who not only created a culture of inclusion but also spent time advising Calin. “He explained the value of diplomacy in communication and the importance of words,” she said. “He also had an exceptionally good sense of when things were about to go wrong and scolded employees when they let customers down. He used every opportunity as a lesson, and it prepared me for what I’m doing today.”

Singleton’s first boss in the gaming industry, Scot Campbell, was also a mentor. “My husband had been transferred to Las Vegas, and I had absolutely no casino experience. Some people in the industry thought I was out of my league,” she said. She applied for a position at MGM Resorts, telling Campbell, who at the time was head of application technology and project management, that if she proved to be valuable to the organization, she wanted a promotion to a director-level position in six months.

“Scot was all for it,” she said. “He had confidence in me and helped me establish relationships with key executives.” In six months, Singleton got the promotion. Today, Campbell is still a trusted mentor she regularly consults for advice.

One of Bell’s mentors was a college professor. “He was the first person who really believed in me and showed me that I deserved more,” she said. In fact, at a critical juncture when she was wondering whether or not to continue her studies, he was instrumental in helping her stay the course.

Later, she would go on to work for a man who became both a mentor and a friend. “He treated me as an equal and let me know I was valued,” she said. “When we walked into a room, he introduced me as his colleague.” It taught her how to treat others. “Everyone has worth. You may be someone’s boss, but you should always treat that person with respect.”

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Hope for the future

Bell, Calin and Singleton all see improvements in the job situation for women in hospitality technology. “Today, I’m surrounded by strong females and open-minded men in the workplace,” Bell said. “It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

Calin agrees. “Change is in the air. Any organization without women in leadership will miss out,” she said. “Women will be essential to helping businesses transform and to creating other resilient leaders around them. There are lots of stories in hospitality technology about how female executives have overcome tough challenges and achieved success for their organizations.”

Yet, there is room for improvement. Singleton cites a recent decline in female CIOs as well as the imbalance between the number of women to men in technology roles at all levels. “We’re definitely making strides, but there’s still work to be done,” she said.

That includes empowering young girls to take risks and to view technology as a desirable career choice. “Starting at a very young age—beginning in grade school—we need to encourage girls to think outside the box,” she concluded. “Women are pivotal to driving advancement in the industry; they just need confidence in their abilities.”

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Best Career Advice for Women

What advice would Bell, Calin and Singleton offer young women interested in pursuing a career in hospitality technology? The following are their top recommendations:

• Have a plan. “Set goals and create a strategy to meet them,” Singleton said. “Success doesn’t just happen; it requires planning and iniative.”
• Cultivate relationships. “Never underestimate the energy of the people around you,” Calin advised. “If you let them, your colleagues will give you the confidence you need to take on bigger roles.”
• Never stop growing. “Everybody has to start somewhere,” Bell said. “Don’t worry about where you began; instead, focus on growing and improving.”
• Take risks. “Get out of your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to try something new,” advised Singleton. “Even if you don’t succeed, you’ll learn from the experience.”
• Acknowledge your accomplishments. “Women often resist taking credit, even when it’s clearly due,” Calin said. “But it’s important to call attention to your achievements, especially if you want to move ahead in the workplace.”
• Believe in yourself. “Stop minimizing your potential,” Bell advised. “Remember that you bring a unique set of skills to the workplace. You are valuable.”

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