Harsha Chanrai

The passion and vision to set up Saira Hospitality was driven by a simple but powerful idea: to create a world where all under-advantaged local communities are offered free education and employment by the luxury travel industry. Harsha Chanrai’s belief that hospitality companies need to give before they take – with education being the greatest gift of all – has fuelled her organisation’s success in finding ‘diamonds in the rough’ among communities, identifying those with the talent and desire to build a career in the industry. Over the past four years, Saira has graduated 180 students across LA, Mexico and the British Virgin Islands, placing them with high-profile partners including Standard, Virgin, Rosewood and Autograph.

WOMEN AT THE TOP: Why the Future of Hospitality Leadership is Female

This panel session will take a timely look at why it’s the women in local communities who are the real hustlers; the first ones to realise that knowledge equals power; and the first ones to educate themselves to open up a career in hospitality. While just a few years ago women comprised only 9% of US hotel company presidents and (excluding HR roles) less than 20% of leadership positions in hospitality, the future is looking much brighter. Discover how, in an industry founded on warm and welcoming guest service, the percentage of female leaders could increase to as much as 50% in the next five years.