- Panwala will receive the Castell Award.
- She will receive it at the Lodging Conference.
- The award honors women in hospitality.
Jagruti Panwala, Wealth Protection Strategies’ president and CEO, will receive the 2026 Peggy Berg Castell Award. The award, presented by the AHLA Foundation, recognizes female leaders who advance gender equity and create paths for women to reach leadership roles.
Panwala, an AHLA executive committee member, was selected as the seventh recipient by an independent group of industry leaders and stakeholders, the foundation said in a statement. She will receive the award at The Lodging Conference in Phoenix on Oct. 7.
She previously served on the AHLA board of directors and as AAHOA’s first chairwoman. She supports the AHLA Foundation’s FORWARD movement, which builds community, develops leaders and creates events to advance women in hospitality.
“Jagruti is truly a titan in the hospitality industry,” said Kevin Carey, president and CEO of the AHLA Foundation. “Through her management of a successful business and her tireless advocacy, she exemplifies that leadership opportunities are within reach for anyone willing to work hard and lift others along the way. She is as impactful behind the scenes as she is on the front lines, inspiring young women entering the industry with her sound judgment, business acumen, compassion, and grace.”
Panwala has spoken at industry events, policy forums and universities on topics including the travel and tourism industry’s impact on the U.S. economy and regulations affecting small businesses, the statement said. She has led coalitions and press conferences and testified for the lodging industry on Capitol Hill.
Panwala said she is honored to receive the Peggy Berg Castell Award.
“Hospitality means so much to me,” she said. “I have spent my entire life in the hotel business, and I have done every job there is to do – from housekeeping and maintenance, to bookkeeping and management. My journey as a small-business hotel owner-operator has given me a deep understanding of the needs of people across our industry, and I hope my story encourages more women to pursue leadership roles, use their voices, and know that they belong at every table where decisions are made.”
Peggy Berg founded the Castell Project non-profit that helps women advance in their careers.
Panwala has received industry and company awards, including Signator’s Platinum Level Achieving Client Excellence award. She was inducted into Signator’s Hall of Fame in 2014 and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table.
Marriott International’s Leeny Oberg received the 2025 Peggy Berg Castell Award. Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Collection, received the 2024 award.
