The inaugural Power List includes leaders such as Sheila Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts; Shruti Gandhi Buckley, senior vice president and global brand head for Hampton and Spark by Hilton; Anu Saxena, president of Hilton Supply Management; Tina Edmundson, president of luxury at Marriott International; Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Accor’s chief strategy officer and CEO of Orient Express and Malaika Myers, chief human resources officer at Hyatt.
“Like many of you in this room, our mother Parvatiben Solanki was also a pioneer and a trailblazer for women. She was instrumental to the success of our media business, and intrinsically understood every aspect of the publishing ecosystem, and we know our stories replicated throughout the U.S. where women are crucial in family businesses,” Shailesh Solanki said. “They are often the quiet, unassuming voices, but they remain the backbone of the industry. So we took inspiration from those first pioneers, and we embarked on this project to recognize and celebrate trailblazing female leaders.”
The list also highlights influential leaders such as Simone Wu, senior vice president at Choice Hotels; Lina Patel, director of strategic franchise initiatives at Red Roof; Jyoti Sarolia, founder of Ellis Hospitality and Jennifer Clark Fugolo, vice president of industry engagement at the AHLA Foundation.
The 51 honorees include hotel owners, corporate executives and changemakers who are breaking barriers across brands and regions. More than 20 of the 51 honorees are of Indian origin, with the rest representing Black, Latino, and Asian communities. The final roster reflects extensive research by Asian Hospitality journalists and was vetted by a seasoned editorial panel.
AAHOA’s women leaders also featured prominently. Komal “Tina” Patel, an Oregon regional director and longtime board member, was honored for her anti–human trafficking advocacy alongside her daughter, Dhruti. Jagruti Panwala, the association’s first female chair, was recognized for guiding AAHOA through the COVID‑19 pandemic. Nancy “Nayana” Patel, the first woman to represent AAHOA in Georgia, rounded out the honorees.
Solanki said the list was compiled by senior editors at AMG, and a panel of experts from the industry helped refine the list.
“This was a labor of love. All those involved in the project spent many hours deliberating each honoree. We looked for exceptional and exceptional achievement. We looked at their influence within their organizations, in industry and within the community and by the society we debated whether they were a force for good in the industry and the impact of their work in bringing back change,” Solanki said. “And lastly, we asked whether they were trailblazers, creating paths on others and helping to advance young, inbuilt talent.”
The Women of Color Power List 2025 print edition is now available at AAHOCon’s Asian Hospitality/Garvi Gujarat stand No. 1920. Readers can also reserve the collector’s edition online.
