Our Travel Leaders Shine at the GBTA WINiT Awards Gala

WINiT. Those five little letters really pack a punch. That's because WINiT (which stands for Women in Travel) is committed to advancing the roles of women in our travel industry. With the mission to advocate for gender equality in travel, WINiT offers women mentoring, training, and networking events to help boost their careers. And with WINiT part of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of our industry, there's an opportunity to drive the mission worldwide.

The visionaries who inspire success

The GBTA WINiT Awards Gala, held in New York on October 24, honored those who went all out to foster career growth for women in the travel industry. It was a moment to remember when two of our colleagues earned a well-deserved applause for achieving that distinction and winning the Pinnacle Awards. Learn how our award winners wowed the WINiT selection committee with their leadership strengths, allyship, and original ideas.

Axita Bhalsod - Most Innovative Trailblazer

In her role as Vice President of Data Science and Analytics at Amex GBT Egencia, Axita pushes the needle on innovation, pioneering new ways to succeed with travel technology. Under her leadership, the data science team created a machine learning decision engine that identifies the next best action to support our clients. Her can-do attitude led to the creation of a client measurement plan that gives a snapshot of the client experience and identifies areas to change. While Axita is highly regarded as a data science guru, she's also admired as a mentor. Our technical mentorship program serves as a knowledge-sharing platform for talent development, thanks to Axita's efforts.

Larry Restiano - Best Mentor or Coach: Male

As Senior Vice President of Global Business Partnerships, Larry is an accomplished leader with 25 years of experience in the travel industry and a talent for achieving team and individual success. During his career, Larry has been an inspiration to many women on his team, guiding them on ways to apply their unique skill sets. Larry is all about connecting with people on a personal level and finding the best ways to motivate them. His leadership style is based in empathy and trust. Not only does he solicit team input, but he also acts on it. Larry elevates his teams with a positive attitude and a winning spirit, and he's quick to embrace WINiT's leadership initiatives.

But wait, there's much more to celebrate

Five of our travel leaders were recognized as WINiT's "Top 50 Women in Travel" in late September for the way they lead, inspire, and motivate others. Here's how this diverse group of women stepped up to reinvent themselves and our workplace, winning in three award categories: Rising Female Leaders, Global Leaders with Global Impact, and FollowHer: Legends and Mentors.

Emily Gioia - Rising Female Leader

Emily demonstrates all the qualities of a high-performing future leader, poised for continued success. Promoted from manager of IT audits, Emily took on the role of director of business planning and financial analysis to lead the design, testing, and implementation of the first-ever audit of internal controls. In the work leading up to the audit, Emily hired and trained an internal controls team in a matter of months. She managed relationships with multiple, cross-functional teams in accounting, finance, legal, and IT, and presented audit findings to our company's Independent Board of Directors, proving her proficiency in auditing systems and processes.

Jennifer Thorington - Rising Female Leader

Promoted to Vice President Finance ­- Investor Relations, Jennifer has raised the profile of investor relations inside and outside our company. She proactively manages key stakeholders, engages with investors, and actively seeks out female-led funds to support diversity in the travel industry. Jennifer displays a passion for people and plays a pivotal leadership role across finance supporting up-and-coming talent. Launching a job rotation program and leading a session in the UK for women in hospitality, travel, and leisure are just a few of her many accomplishments.

Tessa Mowat - Global Leader with Global Impact

Tessa oversees our global Travel Partner Network, a group of independent travel agencies that help meet travelers' local needs through consistent service. Thanks to Tessa's unwavering efforts, our partners and clients can continue operating their business during global crisis situations with limited disruptions. Whether it's political unrest or a natural disaster, Tessa displays the perseverance of a resilient leader, committed to protecting travelers from harm. She stays ahead of crisis situations, so her teams are ready to help. The impacts of her leadership have helped our clients and partners across the globe receive a stable level of service that continues to earn strong scores in customer satisfaction.

Katrina Connor - FollowHer Legends and Mentors

Only an exemplary leader can win in the "Legends and Mentors" category and Katrina Connor certainly fits the bill. As Service Director for Traveler Care, Katrina is the driver behind an outstanding service experience, collaborating with her team to deliver creative solutions. Her leadership has helped expand travel operations beyond her home base in Australia, to support service continuity across the globe. Yet service is only part of her positive impacts. Katrina also mentors women colleagues, enabling them to grow in leadership positions. She fosters strong colleague relationships and champions global and regional projects to meet our company's strategic priorities.

Riecha Vohra - FollowHer Legends and Mentors

Riecha's leadership and vision have been key to the success of our global program care. As Director of Service Delivery, Riecha has led tech-enabled initiatives to set up our service team in India, resulting in an enhanced experience for our colleagues. Riecha invests in talent, making sure her team has the right resources and tools to reduce bottlenecks and drive efficiencies. Through Riecha's mentorship and support of potential female leaders, female representation on her team in India rose from 30% in 2022 to 42% in 2024. Riecha plays an active role celebrating cultural diversity at work. Best-in-class employee engagement scores are a strong testament to those efforts.

Great minds create leading solutions

It takes a team of winners to deliver leading software and services for travel, meetings, and expense. Get in touch with us to learn how you can reap the rewards of our cutting-edge solutions.