Women in Hospitality and Travel

Hannah DeMaio is vice president of brand strategy for Women Leading Travel & Hospitality, the sister community of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC). Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is a unique, membership-based association and networking group that offers executive women in the travel and hospitality industry a place to learn, connect, and grow through an unparalleled mix of events, content, and elite connections. The community is comprised of successful and motivated women across the entire travel and hospitality ecosystem who have a strong belief that investing in themselves and other women is good business. Ms. DeMaio is passionate about the travel and hospitality industry and uniting, inspiring, motivating, and empowering women to succeed. In her free time, she loves traveling, playing tennis, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family and dog, Lulu.

Kate Walsh is Dean of the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration and E. M. Statler Professor. A professor of management, Dean Walsh has been a member of the Hotel School’s faculty since 2000. She received her Ph.D. from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and her MPS degree from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairfield University.

Dean Walsh’s primary research is in identity, leadership, and career development. She also conducts research examining the impact of strategic human capital investments. In addition to contributing to numerous books, Dean Walsh’s articles have appeared in such outlets as Journal of Management, Journal of Service Research, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Human Resource Management Review, Organization Science, Career Development International, The Service Industries Journal, Trends in Organizational Behavior, Research in Management Consulting, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, The Learning Organization, International Journal of Hospitality Management, and The Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.

Dean Walsh has extensive industry experience. She is the former director of training and development for Nikko Hotels International, corporate training manager for the former Bristol Hotels, and senior auditor for Loews Corporation. Dean Walsh is also a former New York State Certified Public Accountant.

Dean Walsh began her second term as dean on July 2, 2021. Since the beginning of her administration, she has focused on positioning Nolan for the future of hospitality business education as well as contributing to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. This includes undertaking a comprehensive renewal of the graduate and undergraduate curricula, developing Nolan’s online global presence, launching two new graduate degree programs, and providing thought leadership for the hospitality industry, most notably through the creation of industry-based webinars to guide the industry during the pandemic as well as supporting extensive outreach and engagement through Nolan’s six centers and institutes.

Dean Walsh serves on the boards of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, including serving on its Educational Foundation’s DE&I committee, and Yonsei University’s School of Business.

Michelle Woodley is President of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. In this role, she oversees multiple departments across the company, including sales, marketing, IT, revenue management, and customer relations. Ms. Woodley also works closely with CEO Lindsey Ueberroth on financial planning and talent management, supports the development of other strategic areas of focus within the organization, and serves as a company spokesperson. During her 15 years with the company, she has used her expertise to help the company successfully execute on major global initiatives designed to foster longevity of the brand. In 2018, several months after being named President, Ms. Woodley was recognized by Hotel Management as one of the most influential women in hospitality.

Miranda Scott has built her career at the intersection of travel and technology, where she has over 15 years of business leadership experience. She offers a well-rounded point of view, having been fortunate enough to represent some strong brands in hotel, airline, ground transportation, online travel distribution, and B2B SAAS. A champion of the early adoption of new business strategies, Ms. Scott is a pioneer in the airline ancillary revenue game, where she built a $200M portfolio for Hawaiian Airlines from the ground up, as well as the early days of OTAs, where she listed the first ever Ritz-Carlton hotel on Expedia. Ms. Scott is currently Director of Business Development at Lyft, focused on integrating the Lyft platform with real-world operations at airports. She also serves on the advisory board of iSeatz and volunteers with the American Red Cross.