Alexandria, Va. – The GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the world’s largest business travel association and global leader in community, education, research and advocacy – has announced the 2024 WINiT Top 50, celebrating the women in business travel who are reinventing themselves and their workplaces by creating momentum that reaches beyond their communities and fields.

Now in its 10th year, WINiT is a professional development program that helps women move forward in their travel industry careers by offering mentoring, networking and development opportunities like events and workshops.

This year’s Top 50 winners hold a wide range of positions in the travel industry and represent 32 companies from across the globe.

The WINiT Top 50 for 2024 honorees and their affiliated companies are listed below, divided into the categories and criteria for their recognition (in alphabetical order by last name):

Women Innovating the Way We Travel, honoring the visionaries and those who inspire others to join their efforts:

  • April Bridgeman, BCD Travel
  • Jen Catto, Travelport
  • Danielle Cavnor, PwC
  • Tania Clasen, Hertz
  • Sandra Espada, FCM Travel
  • Shelly Fletcher-Bryant, Advito
  • Carrie Hartman, 3Sixty
  • Linda Jojo, United Airlines
  • Amy Padgett, Center
  • Kristen Pratt, CTM
  • Amy Read, Sabre
  • Beth Sullivan, Bank of America
  • Shelly Younger, ARC

Global Leaders with Global Impact, recognizing a leader who has made a significant impact on a global scale:

  • Jennifer Bankard, BTN Group
  • Siew Kim Beh, Capital and Investment Limited
  • Kathy Morgan, Sabre
  • Tessa Mowat, American Express GBT
  • Jessica Muensch, United Airlines
  • Lauri Reishus, ARC
  • Cheryl Reynolds, Hertz
  • Anita Salvatore, CTM

Rising Female Leaders, celebrating early career professionals who are high-performing future leaders:

  • Suzie Brown, Sabre
  • Chloe Carver, Acquis Consulting
  • Emily Gioia, American Express GBT
  • Emily Hill, Enterprise Mobility
  • Shalini Iyer, Hubli
  • Laura King, Direct Travel
  • Megan Leibow, Hertz
  • Brandi McDow, BWH Hotels
  • Haley McIntyre, Placemakr
  • Marina Olson, Placemakr
  • Priscilla Palermo, United Airlines
  • KT Radovich, Fox World Travel
  • Jennifer Thorington, American Express GBT
  • Katherine Tomasi, BCD Travel
  • Samantha Unell , Southwest Airlines

FollowHer: Legends and Mentors, recognizing an exemplary leader who is committed to advancing women in the industry:

  • Kathy Bedell, BCD Travel
  • Maureen Brady, CTM
  • Katrina Connor, American Express GBT
  • Beth Crimmins, Avis Budget Group
  • Jen Garrett, Hilton
  • LaShawn Hampton, Delta Air Lines
  • Robyn Joliat, RESIDE Worldwide
  • Charlene Leiss, Flight Centre Travel Group
  • Cindy Lewis, Edenred
  • Jane Pearsall, BWH Hotels
  • Christina Reichelt, Regeneron
  • Rose Stratford, BCD Travel
  • Shannon Szoke, Delta Air Lines
  • Reicha Vohra, American Express GBT

An additional seven Pinnacle and Leadership Awards will also be announced at the GBTA WINiT Gala on Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. ET at the iconic TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in Queens, New York.

Commemorating a decade of WINiT at a place filled with history like the TWA Hotel is a powerful reminder of the women in the travel industry who came before us and their significant role in shaping the future. Every year the WINiT Summit, Awards and Gala bring together professionals from all walks of life to celebrate, inspire and empower women to forge their own paths and change the industry for the better. Bev Heinritz, Director, Foundation Programs at the GBTA Foundation

The Awards Ceremony and Gala follow the WINiT Summit, which will be held earlier that day. The 2024 Summit theme is “Journey Forward” and aims to empower and engage professionals of all levels to positively transform the careers and lives of women in travel-related industries through content aimed at personal, professional and industry development.

This year’s lineup of speakers represents trailblazers who are making history and changing lives, including keynote speaker Captain (Ret.) Theresa Claiborne, the first female African American pilot in the United States Air Force who also retired from United Airlines after 34 years and logging more than 23,000 flight hours. She is currently the founding President of Sisters of the Skies, a nonprofit that develops pathways to increase the number of Black women in the professional pilot field.

To learn more about the WINiT Summit, visit https://www.gbta.org/gbta-winit-summit-2024/.

For more information about the WINiT Awards Ceremony and Gala, go to https://www.gbta.org/gbta-winit-gala-2024/.

About GBTA

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premiere business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area and serving stakeholders across six continents. GBTA and its 8,000+ members represent and advocate for the $1.48 trillion global travel business and meetings industry. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. For more information visit gbta.org.

About the GBTA Foundation

The mission of the GBTA Foundation, the US 501c3 charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association, is to help the global business travel industry create a positive impact and better future for people and the planet. The GBTA Foundation focuses on the strategy and execution of GBTA's global sustainability programs, supporting initiatives related to climate action; diversity, equity and inclusion; and other talent-related topics via education, research and advocacy. For more information visit gbtafoundation.org.

Tara Erwin
Manager, Public Relations and Communications
GBTA