Co-located with the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) in Minneapolis, Minn. on Monday, June 17, 2019, the highly anticipated celebration will honor the careers of outstanding women in hospitality technology, featuring a panel of top business leaders who will share valuable insights from their careers. Proceeds from the event will contribute to  the General Scholarship Fund for Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), supporting the next generation of hospitality leaders.

 

Hosted by HFTP in partnership with the newly-established HFTP Foundation, the luncheon will be the first event of its kind at HITEC. In addition to learning from the success of trailblazing women in the industry, it is also an opportunity for attendees to network and form supportive connections. Chief Research and Development Officer of HFTP and Executive Director of the HFTP Foundation, Lucinda Hart, CAE, MBA recognizes how powerful these connections can be in propelling the industry forward. “Every year, HITEC offers industry stakeholders the opportunity to expand their networks by sharing knowledge and experiences face-to-face,” said Hart. “The addition of the WIHT enhances the experience; it motivates us to uplift each other, stay curious, and challenge ourselves. That is what keeps the industry evolving, and what we hope to facilitate through the WIHT Luncheon.”

 

Panelists Donna Hale; Kristin Gassick, CHTP; Monika Nerger and Kris Singleton are no strangers to challenging themselves. While each of these leading women come from unique professional backgrounds, they all share a keen ability to adapt, whether that means learning how to code, convincing peers to embrace new technology platforms or changing career paths altogether.

 

As a veteran technology executive with decades of hands-on leadership experience in IT infrastructure, Hale describes one of her most important challenges as a leader is helping her team stay on top of constant changes in the scope of technology. After majoring in criminal justice and minoring in computer science, Gassick pivoted to a career in hospitality by happenstance when an opportunity arose through her job as a server in a fine dining restaurant. Today, she has helped deploy complex technology initiatives for world-class hotels, resorts and spas in the boutique luxury market as Corporate IT Director of Enchantment Group. Singleton had pictured herself working in commercial art and photography until discovering an impressive affinity for computer programming at a young age. She is now CIO and Senior IT executive of International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. Nerger’s interest in technology was also well ahead of the curve: when she was getting started in hotel marketing, PCs had barely begun to catch on in the business world. Like her fellow panelists, it was her intrinsic curiosity and undaunted attitude in the face of change that led her to professional success. Today, she is the Global CIO of Mandarin Oriental, and was inducted to the HFTP International Hospitality Technology Hall of Fame in 2017.
 

Together, these four tech experts comprise decades of experience working in hospitality markets across the globe. According to Hart, “Having these leaders together in the same room is a rare event, and we are excited to witness it.”

 

HFTP would like to recognize ALICE, the event’s exclusive diamond sponsor, along with Deloitte, Quore, ASSA ABLOY, dormakaba USA Inc, StayNTouch, Ariane, Cendyn, Datavision, KNOWCROSS and Zingle for making this event possible through their generous contributions.