Women’s Progress in Hotel Leadership Slows as Black Representation Declines in New Industry Analysis
The latest 2025 Representation in Hotel Leadership report from the Penn State School of Hospitality Management paints a clear, data-driven picture of where the hotel industry stands — and where it is falling short — when it comes to leadership diversity. The findings reflect both encouraging momentum in some areas and a noticeable slowdown, even decline, in others. The study evaluated publicly available data covering more than 10,000 individuals, 1,439 hotel companies, and over 5,500 hotel-investment-conference attendees, making it one of the most comprehensive snapshots available for the sector. In this article, I’ll walk through every specific detail the researchers revealed and offer extra context about why these trends matter for the future of hospitality.
Women’s Representation Shows Stagnation at Senior Levels
One of the central findings of the report is that women remain significantly underrepresented in senior hotel leadership despite making up a major share of the industry’s talent pipeline. In 2024, women represented 58.6% of the hospitality workforce, and an even larger 69% of hospitality management graduates — two numbers that clearly indicate that women are not underrepresented in the field overall, just in leadership specifically.
At the director level, the industry has nearly reached parity between men and women. This is one of the rare bright spots in the report and suggests that early- to mid-stage leadership roles are becoming more accessible to women. However, the progress declines dramatically at more senior levels.
Women hold about one in four C-suite roles, showing that representation is not only below parity but also significantly below their overall presence in the field. The report points out particularly low representation in investment, development, and technology leadership. These functions often feed into the highest levels of strategic decision-making, meaning underrepresentation here affects long-term industry direction.
At the partner/principal level — roles typically found in hotel ownership, investment, and development firms — women account for just 13% of leaders. The researchers note that men outnumber women nearly seven to one in this influential segment.
The stagnation is especially striking because the hospitality industry has long claimed to value inclusivity. The talent pipeline is full, capable, and overwhelmingly female, yet the upper leadership layers do not reflect this reality.
Black Leadership Representation Continues to Decline
While women’s stagnation is concerning, the data on Black leaders is even more alarming. Black employees make up 16.7% of the hotel industry workforce — an important statistic that contextualizes the next numbers.
Despite that sizable presence, Black professionals hold only 2.1% of director-to-CEO positions as of 2025. This is slightly lower than the 2.2% reported in 2022, making it one of the few demographic segments to show backward movement.
The decline in representation becomes sharper the higher the leadership level:
- There is one Black C-suite leader for every 68 executives overall.
- At the CEO or president level, there is one Black leader for every 102 executives.
This steep drop illustrates a systemic barrier: even when the workforce is diverse, leadership pathways are not.
The report does not speculate heavily on causes, but industry observers often point to a combination of structural bias, limited sponsorship, and unequal access to development pipelines. Regardless of the reasons, the numbers show a clear and ongoing leadership gap that has not improved over recent years.
Corporate Boards Show Racial Gains but Still Limited by Slow Turnover
Interestingly, hotel company corporate boards — the bodies responsible for overseeing organizations rather than running them day-to-day — show more positive trends.
Women currently hold 28.4% of independent board seats. While this is slightly below the 30.4% average seen in the Russell 3000 index, it is still closer to parity than C-suite roles. The hotel industry appears to be making a somewhat more intentional push toward board-level gender representation.
Black directors account for 11.2% of board seats. This number is slightly lower than the 12.6% reported in 2022 but remains comparable to the S&P 500 average of around 12%. This is one of the rare metrics where the hotel industry nearly matches general corporate America.
A particularly notable detail is that half of newly appointed board directors were women and half were Black during the most recent appointment period. This suggests active efforts toward diversification at the board level.
However, there is a major limiting factor: board turnover averages only 5.4% per year between 2023 and 2025. That means opportunities to add new directors — no matter how inclusive companies intend to be — are structurally scarce. With low turnover, progress will remain gradual.
Why These Representation Trends Matter for Hospitality
Hospitality is one of the world’s most people-centric industries. Hotels thrive on guest experience, cultural awareness, and global perspectives. Leadership diversity isn’t an abstract ideal — it directly influences service quality, workforce engagement, customer insight, and innovation.
A broad body of research outside of this report has shown that:
- Diverse leadership teams make better strategic decisions.
- Companies with gender-diverse leadership consistently see higher profitability.
- Racially diverse teams contribute to broader market reach and improved problem-solving.
- Worker satisfaction correlates strongly with leadership representation that mirrors the workforce.
Given that women and Black professionals make up large portions of hotel staff, the gap between workforce diversity and leadership diversity is not just an equity issue — it is a performance issue.
Additional Insights About the Hospitality Workforce Landscape
To give readers broader context, here are some industry realities that connect to the Penn State findings:
The Pipeline Problem Isn’t Actually a Pipeline Problem
Many industries claim leadership disparities are caused by a lack of qualified candidates. That argument simply doesn’t apply here. With 69% of hospitality management graduates being women and a deeply diverse workforce overall, the pipeline is strong. The leadership bottleneck occurs later.
Investment and Development Roles Shape the Future of Hospitality
Hotel development, real-estate investment, and technology strategy determine which hotels get built, which markets receive resources, and how technology is deployed. The major underrepresentation of women in these areas influences the industry far beyond HR metrics.
Conferences Are a Mirror of Influence
The report also reviewed more than 5,500 hotel-investment-conference attendees. These events often shape partnerships, deals, and executive visibility. Underrepresentation at conferences can reinforce leadership gaps over time.
The Industry’s Public Response
The hospitality sector, represented in part by the AHLA Foundation, publicly acknowledges the importance of addressing these issues. Leaders say they want to ensure opportunities for all capable professionals and highlight ongoing programs centered around development, scholarships, and mentorship. While commitments are encouraging, the data shows that outcomes still lag behind intentions.
The Path Forward
The Penn State research team plans to continue updating and tracking these metrics. Consistent benchmarking is essential for transparency and accountability. Making real progress will require stronger advancement pipelines, intentional leadership development, equitable sponsorship, and improved succession planning — especially in C-suite and ownership-adjacent roles.
The data is clear: the industry has made progress in some areas but still has significant room for improvement in senior leadership, especially for Black professionals and women aiming for top-tier positions.
Research Reference:
https://www.psu.edu/news/health-and-human-development/story/report-benchmarks-representation-women-black-leaders-hotel/
