Best Western Hotels & Resorts’ Dorothy Dowling Hosts First-Ever ’Today’s Women In Leadership Forum’

On Saturday, September 29, leading into its 2018 North American Convention, Best Western Hotels & Resorts hosted its first-ever “Today’s Women in Leadership Forum.” Celebrating the vital role women play both inside their organizations and out, and delivering relevant content for today’s women in business, the all-day forum was led by Dorothy Dowling, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. As one of the top-recognized female leaders from within the hotel sector - ranked the 18th most influential Chief Marketing Officer in the world in the Forbes^®/ScribbleLive^®/LinkedIn^® 4th Annual CMO Influence Study in 2015 - Dowling created the forum as a place for women and men to gather and discuss ongoing challenges, celebrate successes and learn from each other in a collaborative and motivational environment.

“This is truly an extraordinary time for women in leadership – not just in business, but across all sectors,” said Dorothy Dowling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. “Inspired by the female and male mentors I’ve learned from throughout my career, the ‘Today’s Women in Leadership Forum’ was designed to empower women, providing tools and encouragement for their success across the industry.”

“Best Western is a forward thinking company in so many ways, and this is largely due to the leadership of our President and CEO David Kong, who is a true champion of diversity and a strong supporter of initiatives that foster professional development at every level,” continued Dowling. “I am thankful to lead this march for such an iconic brand, and to continue fostering a generation of strong female leaders both within Best Western and beyond.”

The forum was held in Grapevine, Texas, the host location for Best Western’s Annual Convention, which gathers the company’s senior leaders and North American hotel members, as well as travel and hospitality media to discuss the latest news from Best Western and insights into timely industry topics. Kicking off Convention with this highly-anticipated event, the Today’s Women in Leadership Forum included a dynamic group of guest speakers including women executives who are at the top of their industries - from AAA^®/CAA^®, Google^®, Best Western, and other leading advertising and marketing firms. The forum also featured engaging and value-packed educational workshops, including presentations from internationally recognized speaker Dr. Lalia Rach, founder of Rach Enterprises, and renowned sales expert Tammy Gillis, founder of Gillis Consulting, Inc.

A special keynote speech was also presented by U.S. Airforce Veteran Nicole Malachowski. A former fighter squadron commander and the first woman to fly on the Air Force Thunderbirds, Nicole delivered a powerful speech inspiring the audience to think differently about the headwinds of change they face – organizationally and personally.

In addition to Dowling’s impactful work with Best Western, including driving the company’s award-winning $2 billion brand refresh and revamping the award-winning Best Western Rewards^® loyalty program, she has emerged as a champion for women in business.

She was recently honored by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the world’s largest professional association and a leading source of business travel knowledge – with the 2018 Allied Member of the Year award. This prestigious award recognizes a GBTA Allied Member who has contributed to the continued growth and knowledge of the business travel industry. Serving as the Vice President of GBTA’s Allied Leadership Council since 2013, Dowling was recognized for her tremendous leadership and active involvement, which have helped address common issues in the travel sector and drive positive change. Dowling was also recognized in 2016 by her alma mater, the University of Waterloo, receiving the prestigious Applied Health Sciences Alumni Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to the health and wellbeing of society through her professional accomplishments.

About Best Western^® Hotels & Resorts:

Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of 4,200^† hotels in more than 100^† countries and territories worldwide. Best Western offers 13 hotel brands to suit the needs of developers and guests in every market: Best Western^®, Best Western Plus^®, Best Western Premier^®, Vīb^®, GLō^®, Executive Residency by Best Western^®, Sadie Hotel^SM, Aiden Hotel^SM, BW Premier Collection^® by Best Western, and BW Signature Collection^® by Best Western, as well as its recently launched franchise offerings: SureStay^®Hotel by Best Western, SureStay Plus^® Hotel by Best Western and SureStay Collection^® by Best Western. Now celebrating more than 70 years of hospitality, Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales and marketing support, and award-winning online and mobile booking capabilities. Best Western continues to set industry records regarding awards and accolades, including 66 percent of the brand’s North American hotels earning a TripAdvisor^® Certificate of Excellence award in 2018, Business Travel News^® ranking Best Western Plus and Best Western number one in upper-mid-price and mid-price hotel brands, and Fast Company honoring Best Western Hotels & Resorts with a spot in the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality category. Best Western has also won nine consecutive AAA^®/CAA^®Lodging Partner of the Year awards, recognizing the brand’s commitment to providing exceptional service and great value to AAA/CAA’s nearly 58 million members in the U.S. and Canada. Best Western-branded hotels were top ranked in J.D. Power’s 2017 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study – ranking first in breakfast (food and beverage category) for midscale; and second in overall guest satisfaction. Over 35 million travelers are members of the brand’s award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards^®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western-branded hotel worldwide. Best Western’s partnerships with AAA/CAA and Google^® Street View provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Through its partnership with Google Street View, Best Western is the first major company of its size and scale to launch a virtual reality experience for customers, setting a new industry standard and reinventing how guests view hotels.

* All Best Western and SureStay-branded hotels are independently owned and operated.

^‡ Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.