Benchmarking the representation of women and Black leaders in the hotel industry, the Penn State School of Hospitality Management has released the 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership research report.
This report indicates the representation of women in upper-level management in the hotel industry has stagnated and Black representation in upper levels of hotel company management has decreased from 2022-25. Conversely, data indicates that progress is being made in diversifying corporate boards, particularly with respect to racial diversity.
A team of doctoral students supervised by Phil Jolly, associate professor of hospitality management at Penn State, reviewed publicly available data spanning more than 10,000 individuals from 1,439 companies and over 5,500 hotel-investment-conference attendees.
"Our goal is to make sure that everyone with the talent and drive to lead has the opportunity to do so," Jolly said. "By tracking these data on a regular basis, we can see where progress is being made, where it is slowing, and how the industry can keep opening doors for all capable leaders to rise."
Key findings in the most recent report include:
Women remain underrepresented in hotel company leadership relative to their share of the hospitality workforce - 58.6% in 2024 - and hospitality management graduates, at 69%. At the director level, near gender parity has been achieved, but women's representation declines sharply at more senior levels.
Women hold roughly one-in-four C-suite roles but remain scarce in investment, development and technology leadership. At the partner/principal level, women now account for 13% of leaders, though men outnumber women nearly seven-to-one.
Black leaders held 2.1% of director-to-CEO positions, down slightly from 2.2% in 2022, despite comprising 16.7% of the industry workforce. Representation declines with increasing seniority, with one Black C-suite leader for every 68 executives and one Black CEO/president for every 102 executives.
Women held 28.4% of independent board seats, slightly below the Russell 3000 average of 30.4%. Black directors accounted for 11.2% of board members, down from 12.6% in 2022, but still close to the S&P 500 average of 12%.
Half of newly appointed board directors were women and half were Black. However, low turnover on boards, 5.4% annually from 2023-25, limits opportunities for greater diversification.
"These latest findings provide a clear baseline and underscore the importance of our ongoing work to ensure everyone has access to rewarding careers in hospitality," said Kevin Carey, president and CEO of the AHLA Foundation. "We remain committed to creating opportunity and access for all and creating pathways to address our industry's needs."
The AHLA Foundation provided funding support for this report. This report is an update to a previous study, continuing the Penn State School of Hospitality Management's work with support of the AHLA Foundation.
Funds from the Walter J. Conti Visiting Professorship in the School of Hospitality Management also supported this research report.
About the AHLA Foundation
The AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, works to support the hotel and lodging industry's greatest asset - its people. The AHLA Foundation powers FORWARD, a movement for advancing women in hospitality through events, leadership development and building community.
