Outgoing Accor Pacific Chief Executive Officer, Simon McGrath AM

Chief Operating Officer, Simon McGrath AccorHotels

AccorHotels’ COO Pacific, Simon McGrath, is set to share his insights about the growth of women in leadership at the Women in Tourism Leadership Lunch in Sydney on March 8.

McGrath is a well-known industry advocate for getting more women into leadership roles and he currently mentors female AccorHotels’ staff and has implemented a formal senior leadership program for women within the hotel network.

McGrath will be joined by Baillie Lodges Hayley Baillie and Hook Communications’ Peter Hook to tackle questions around whether men need to support women, and how best they can do this.

The panel will address the importance of mentorship, the impact men can have as advocate, whether senior women need ‘wives’ in order to succeed, and whether there are behaviours that women need to avoid in order to stop sabotaging their chances at senior gigs.

McGrath is the Chief Operating Officer for AccorHotels Pacific responsible for over 250 hotels, 33,000 rooms and 12,000 employees in the Pacific region. He is a director on a number of boards and is the Deputy Chairman of Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF).

Hook has spent the past 30 years working in businesses such as ABC radio, Accor Hotels, the Tourism Accommodation Association, Kakadu Tourism and Visit Sunshine Coast.

Baillie is the Co-Founder of Baillie Lodges and sits on the Tourism Australia board. She also happens to be the daughter of legendary explorer and entrepreneur, Dick Smith.

Audience members have the opportunity to ask the panelists questions and also win a range of exciting lucky door prizes throughout the event. Every guest will receive an Appelles gift valued at $25.

Men are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.