BUSINESS Women Scotland (BWS) has announced its shortlist for the Women in Hospitality and Tourism Awards 2018. (Full shortlist below).
Established and rising stars from as far north as Inverness right down to Dumfries have been chosen as finalists for the awards, which are now in their second year. This year, the awards received over 150 entries across ten categories and the Judging Panel, comprising David Cochrane Chief Executive of HIT Scotland, Fiona Richmond, Special Projects manager at Scotland Food & Drink and Susan Russell, chair of Women in Tourism had the challenging task of whittling these down to just 33 finalists.
The Women in Hospitality and Tourism Awards were created and are run by BWS, an organisation dedicated to helping women find support and networking opportunities to allow them to strengthen their business. With tackling the gender gap in enterprise remaining a very current topic, BWS Live Events and BWS Awards across Scotland are exclusively designed to celebrate and empower women in business.
BWS founding director, Lynne Kennedy, notes: “Without doubt, a strong and growing hospitality and tourism sector is vital to the overall Scottish economy.
“Scottish Government reports show that the total turnover in the Sustainable Tourism growth sector was £6.9 billion in 2015, with the hospitality sector accounting for over 82.5% of turnover. It’s also a sector where thousands of women are employed in hugely important roles, however a disproportionate number of these are in senior leadership positions. With these awards, we aim to both highlight and celebrate the value of the talented women who are successfully blazing the trail in the sector.”
Kennedy adds: “Every executive on our shortlist is not only an inspiring and worthy finalist, but also a brilliant example of and role model for women already in the industry, as well as those considering a career within the sector.”
At this year’s event, which is supported by Women in Hospitality, HIT Scotland and ScotlandCanDo, the capacity audience will hear from American born Dale MacPhee, GM of the Waldorf Astoria in Edinburgh and winner in the Hotelier of the Year category at the 2017 awards. Industry veteran Anne Mulhearn, proprietor of the iconic Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, will also offer an insight into the business highs and lows which have steered her own extremely impressive career, over the past 30 years. And in this, the Year of the Young Scot, Hannah Rarity, winner of the BBC Radio Young Traditional Musician of the Year will entertain guests with a musical interlude.
Winners of the 2018 BWS Hospitality and Tourism Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony which takes place in the Grand Central hotel in Glasgow on Thursday 17 May, and one overall winner, as selected by the judging panel, will be granted a much sought-after HIT Scotland Scholarship. One female executive from within the industry will also be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
BWS Women in Hospitality and Tourism Awards shortlist 2018
ACCESSIBLE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
| Lorraine Davidson | Hill of Maunderlea Lodges | owner/manager |
| Kay Gilchrist | The Chalet, Holidays for All | owner/manager |
| Moira Henderson | The Rings | owner/manager |
| Petra Wetzel | WEST on the Green | managing director |
BAR OF THE YEAR
| Paige Wilson | Blythswood Square Principal Hotels | Bar & Salon manager |
| Jeanette Forbes | Grape & Grain | proprietor |
| Julie Lewis | The Adamson Bar | managing director |
BEST PLACE FOR WOMEN TO WORK
| Jenny Corbett | Hickory | marketing manager |
| Maree Chisholm | Loch Leven’s Larder | marketing manager |
Petra Wetzel WEST on the Green managing director
FRONT OF HOUSE STAR OF THE YEAR
| Emma Kirk | Blythswood Square Principal Hotels | Front of House manager |
| Aimee Roper | Cargill’s Bistro | host |
| Angela Freeman | Glasgow Film Theatre | senior Front of House |
| Tekla Solyom | Sodexo | junior Events Manager |
| Caroline Franceschi | The Dunstane Houses | Assistant Operations manager |
| Aroha Reye | The Spanish Butcher | captain (Front of house/supervisor) |
| Zoe Strang | The Spanish Butcher | Captain (Front of house/supervisor) |
HOTELIER OF THE YEAR
| Victoria Erasmus | Glen Mhor Hotel | director |
| Shirley Mowat | The Dunstane Houses | owner/director |
| Gillian Ross | The Lochside Hotel | general manager |
HR STAR OF THE YEAR
| Danielle Ramsay | Apex hotels | Group recruitment manager |
| Laura Dunphy | Blythswood Square Principal Hotels | People development officer |
| Suzanne Clark | Sodexo | People manager. Prestige People |
RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR
| Cara Nikolic | La Barca Spanish Tapas and Wine Bar | director |
| Melissa Fischer | Old Course Hotel, Golf Restor & Spa | Road Hole Restaurant & Road Hole Bar manager |
| Louise Rusk | Rusk & Rusk | co-founder |
| Julie Lewis | The Adamson | managing director |
RISING STAR
| Anastasia Mourgela | Hutcheson City Grill | captain (Supervisor) |
| Rose Woollen | Manorview Hotels & Leisure Group | digital marketing |
| Jenny Watt | ScotBeer Tours | Guide/Product and Edinburgh manager |
TOURISM BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
| Carole Short | Down on the Farm | owner |
| Zakia Moulaoui | Invisible Cities | founder and managing director |
| Emma Chalmers | Mary’s Meanders | director |
| Lesley Watson | Solway Tours | Owner |
VENUE MANAGER OF THE YEAR
| Natalie Traynor | BAaD | director and events manager |
| Juliet Parry | Busby Hotel | general manager |
| Elaine Gilchrist | Trades Hall of Glasgow | sales manager |
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