Diversity at the Top: Addressing the Leadership Gap in the Hospitality Industry

Siobhan heads up Manchester PR and comms specialists SH Comms. The boutique agency specialises in creative comms for a diverse range of clients from hospitality and entertainment to destination and culture – across the city and nationally.

SH Comms is recognised for championing Manchester and has built a strong reputation as the go-to team when it comes to exciting media campaigns and events.Clients range from spoken word icon John Cooper Clarke to property developers Bruntwood… whatever the campaign, Siobhan and her team are dedicated to bringing their trademark combination of authenticity, energy, creativity, integrity and good old fashioned hard graft to every project.

Greater Manchester born and bred (a proud Bolton-ian) Siobhan has worked in PR and events in the city for nearly 20 years. This included heading up the Manchester Food and Drink Festival for over a decade. She is passionate about equality and believes that everyone should get the opportunity to do something they love, just like her.

Siobhan sits on the board of trustees at Manchester Youth Zone, where she strives to support the charity in creating a level playing field for young people in North Manchester.

Ngozi Weller is a wellbeing and productivity consultant and an ICF accredited coach who helps build resilience into your business by creating psychologically safe workplaces that enable employees to thrive. Her programmes increase employee engagement, drive productivity, and promote lasting behavioural change.

Having worked for over 15 years in the world of Big Oil, Ngozi has experienced first-hand how challenging the corporate world can be. Following her own battle with work-related depression and anxiety, she set up Aurora with her psychologist cousin Obehi to normalise the conversation around workplace mental health and to provide strategic wellbeing support designed to strengthen your employees’ mental resilience and improve workplace productivity. She is also the co-host of the award-winning podcast ‘The Wellbeing Rebellion’.

Alexa Cherry is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 20 years of expertise in independently owned bars, restaurants, and hotels, both in the US and the UK. Relocating to Manchester in 2013, she has held various roles with establishments such as Eclectic Hotel Group and Living Ventures including positions across operations management, events and business development.

In 2017, Alexa took on a pivotal role at Dakota Hotels, as Sales Director for the flagship opening in Manchester city centre. Her success in this role has led to her current position as Group Marketing Director, overseeing the marketing strategies for five hotels across England and Scotland within the Dakota Hotels portfolio.

I’m Jenny Oh, and I’m currently the General Manager of Hotel Gotham in Manchester. I have 28 years of experience in hospitality and am originally from Seoul, South Korea. I started my journey in the UK working as a waitress with very limited English and gradually worked my way through the industry, learning every aspect of the business and growing into leadership roles that have shaped who I am today.

Having experienced the full spectrum of what hospitality demands from long, unpredictable shifts to the intense pressure of peak seasons. I’m deeply passionate about creating working environments where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to grow. I know how easy it is to push through burnout without realising it until it’s too late.

I’m looking forward to joining the panel to share some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way and to hear from others navigating these same challenges.

Claire advises on all aspects of employment law. Claire has experience advising both employees and employers during the Employment Tribunal procedure. In particular, Claire has had a particular focus on claims of sexual harassment and unfair dismissal. Claire also has experience in non-contentious matters, advising clients on the implications of TUPE and grievance and disciplinary procedures. Claire has delivered a number of training sessions to clients on Equality and Diversity in the workplace to assist employers to protect their business in the event of a claim of discrimination.