Candice D'Cruz

Hilton Vice President - Luxury Brands, Asia Pacific, including China

Candice D’Cruz didn’t plan on ending up in hospitality. “It just kind of happened,” she laughs. “Some things unfold by chance, quietly shaping your path before you even realize it. But when you pause and reflect, you just know, you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

It was the early 2000s, and she was working at developer Emaar Properties, heading up marketing and communications for the Burj Khalifa. One of the projects sparked a passion: Launching the first-ever Armani Hotel and Residences. Fast forward two decades, and D’Cruz considers herself a “true-blue hotelier.” 

She leads Hilton’s luxury portfolio across Asia Pacific — brands like Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, LXR, NoMad, and Signia — and oversees more than 60 hotels and projects in the region. 

Her job is equal parts brand building, strategic thinking, and making sure the guest experience actually lives up to the promise of ‘luxury.’ But it’s not just about hotels or shiny new openings. For D’Cruz, it’s also about the kind of industry she’s helping shape.

D’Cruz is Indian, and as a woman of color in a space that hasn't always been the most diverse, she knows what it means to challenge the usual way of doing things. “We’ve come a long way,” she says. D’Cruz is proud that Hilton is rapidly increasing the representation of female general managers and has a 50-50 gender balanced senior leadership team in the region. “But we can always do more,” she says.

Her work mantra? A people-first mindset, whether she’s mentoring new leaders or steering her team through big transitions. Accessibility, humility, and kindness aren’t just soft values, “they’re essential,” she says.

– Peden Doma Bhutia

Amy Wei

Trip.com Group Sr. Product Director; TripGenie/TrainPal Founder

With a passport stamped in 54 countries and regions, Amy Wei says her life has always run on parallel tracks — exploring the world and exploring technology.

Wei began her career with Nokia in 2004, moved to Motorola in 2011, and joined Amazon in 2013, where she managed Kindle e-books and digital content. “This was when I began to grasp the immense opportunities in the China market,” Wei said.

She moved to the travel industry in 2015 when she joined Qunar, which later became part of the Trip.com Group. She led international flight product and business development and discovered a profound insight: “Travel is fundamentally about experiences, connections, and emotions, and technology is the key to enhancing all of it.”

Wei led the creation of Trip.com Group’s international train ticketing business in 2017. She founded TrainPal, overcoming the fragmentation of European rail systems with an innovative “Split Fares” algorithm. 

After a brief stint in China’s robot-tended convenience store chain Bianlifeng, she returned to Trip.com Group in 2022 to lead consumer-facing products for the Trip.com app. When the generative AI revolution took off in 2023, Wei saw not just a trend but a “historic opportunity” to redefine travel. She quickly formed a task force to launch TripGen, which soon evolved into TripGenie, an AI-powered travel assistant.

As a female leader, Wei says she is committed to mentoring younger women, building inclusive teams, and challenging gender stereotypes through performance and advocacy. She believes the industry must continue to boost women’s representation at the C-suite and board level, and build stronger cross-company ecosystems to support female leadership.

– Peden Doma Bhutia

Hermione Joye

Google Sector Lead - Travel & Vertical Search APAC

Hermione Joye remembers her “a-ha” moment. It was at a summit in Silicon Valley where she met the CEO of Expedia Group, and it just clicked: “I realized the depth of the impact that Google could have when partnering with clients, both to their businesses and to their consumers.”

What really lights Joye up, though, is creating impact close to home in Asia Pacific. Whether it’s helping launch Japan's new custom Travel SERP page or integrating YouTube and Hotel ads, or seeing Asia Pacific clients like Agoda and Singapore Airlines thrive globally. 

She’s seen the travel industry grow and evolve a lot over the years, especially when it comes to women in leadership. “I particularly love seeing more women stepping into the entrepreneurial space within travel and to observe the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas they bring.” 

The industry has always moved fast, and Joye’s always loved that energy. “I had to learn to set boundaries… and to prioritize,” she says. What helped? Being clear on her priorities, and accepting that balance doesn’t mean doing it all.

“I cannot be the perfect mum, wife, friend, sister, daughter, employee at the same time — if I try, I will be a hot mess. So instead, I really try to choose two or three priorities, and then roll with that.”

She names two powerful role models: Lucy Werner, chief commercial officer at Rosewood Hotel Group, and Sapna Chadha, vice president, Southeast Asia and South Asia Frontier, Google Asia Pacific.

But if you ask her what really matters most? “My team,” she says. “Watching them grow, brings me immense satisfaction.” Her advice to women coming up in the travel space? “Dream big. Be persistent. Know what you’re great at and lean into it. Back your team and find people who’ll back you too.”

– Peden Doma Bhutia

Mich Goh

Airbnb Director of Public Policy for APAC

Mich Goh grew up in Singapore, and travel was always a natural part of life. “I was always fascinated by how people, ideas, and cultures move across borders,” she says. She started her career in a consultancy in 2010, helping global tech companies navigate public affairs in Asia Pacific.

Over time, she realized what really drove her: creating meaningful connections. That’s what made joining Airbnb in 2016 such a natural move. “It sits at the intersection of business and impact,” she says. 

Today, she leads public policy for Airbnb across the Asia Pacific region. Her work is all about collaboration with governments, nonprofits, academics, and communities.

Goh has sometimes found herself in situations where her expertise was underestimated or where assumptions were made based on age or gender. “There were moments when questions were directed to my male colleagues, even when I was the subject-matter expert,” she says.

She focused on what she could control: knowing her stuff and showing up with clarity and consistency. Support from mentors, both men and women, played a huge role, too. And now, she’s doing her part to pay that forward by building a team culture where everyone feels heard and valued.

Goh hopes Airbnb has grown into a true community partner, not just a travel platform. Beyond the policy wins, Goh says she’s incredibly proud of the team they’ve built. 

To young women looking to grow into leadership in travel or policy, her advice is clear and honest: “Trust that you belong in the spaces you enter. The more women show up as themselves, the more we collectively reshape what leadership looks like.”

– Peden Doma Bhutia

Veranita Yosephine

CEO Indonesia AirAsia

When Veranita Yosephine joined AirAsia as the Deputy CEO of AirAsia Indonesia in 2019, she had no prior experience in aviation or travel but had a lot of leadership experience in the consumer goods industry, eventually as Sales Director at The Kraft Heinz Company.

Still, within five months of entering aviation, she was promoted to the position of AirAsia Indonesia CEO – the first and only female airline CEO in Indonesia, according to INSEAD. 

Her experience in emerging market growth strategy while in the consumer goods industry helped her lead AirAsia Indonesia to swift recovery during the pandemic. She feels “blessed” to have gone through the experience. 

“I could understand much more about the company, the organization, the people, the process, and myself,”  she said in an interview with Aerotime Hub. “We became the first airline in Indonesia to establish direct connectivity of hotels and flights,” she said. Diversifying the product offerings of AirAsia Indonesia, the company started listing hotels on its platform. “It was very simple, actually, but we were the first airline to do that in Indonesia.” 

As the face of diversity in the Indonesian aviation industry, she is passionate about inclusion in the workplace. In 2016, she was recognized by UN Women with the HeForShe award for her work in gender equality and women’s empowerment across the globe. 

“The topics around gender equality, diversity, and how to bring people together in aviation are very close to my heart,” she said in 2021.

According to AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes, “Yosephine is a true trailblazer and what she is doing for our airline in Indonesia and for worldwide equality in aviation is truly commendable.”

– Bulbul Dhawan

Dawn Jeremiah

Go City Vice President, Global Brand Marketing

Ever traveled with someone who builds meticulous, color-coded spreadsheets for every itinerary, books all the best excursions, and somehow always knows the perfect hidden café to visit? Dawn Jeremiah is that travel companion.

For almost 2 decades, Jeremiah has built a career that spans continents and industries, from broadcast television to tech, media, and travel. Her journey has taken her from San Francisco to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and now Singapore. 

Jeremiah began her career in travel at a regional content marketing agency in Singapore in 2013. Her passion for storytelling soon took her to Kayak in Hong Kong in 2017, and later to Go City in 2019, where she has helped shape how people discover and experience cities around the world as a provider of multi-attraction sightseeing passes.

The path hasn’t been without challenges. Navigating sudden shifts in global markets (and a global pandemic, no less) taught her the value of resilience, trusting her instincts, and building positive, people-first work environments. Along the way, she’s been fortunate to work with inspiring men and women leaders, who reinforced her belief in strong, empathetic leadership.

Her proudest achievements? Launching products in new markets, pioneering localization strategies, and growing Go City's presence across Asia Pacific — even through the pandemic. 

Throughout her career, Jeremiah has championed the rise of women in leadership. She’s seen progress — women stepping into roles across finance, technology, revenue management, and operations. She believes that diverse voices have a permanent seat at the decision-making table.

Jeremiah’s interests extend beyond travel: She also co-founded an online store and social enterprise that modernized Southeast Asian ethnic wear, supporting local tailors from disadvantaged backgrounds.

– Peden Doma Bhutia

Michelle Ho

Klook General Manager Philippines

In 2016, Michelle Ho joined online travel company Klook as the marketing lead in the Philippines, just when the company raised its Series A funding and started a new growth phase. 

She became the General Manager for Klook Philippines in 2021 when the biggest challenge was still the pandemic. 

Her response: Helping the Philippines market pivot towards local tourism. 

In order to build up domestic offerings, she oversaw the expansion and curation of unique local products and services. This segment increased from 161 to over 1,000 services under her leadership. 

This January, Ho led Klook into an agreement with the Philippine Department of Tourism to support initiatives geared towards driving domestic tourism and going digital. 

She also helped grow Klook by teaming up with the Philippines-based e-wallet GCash, making it easier for people to access the platform and giving Filipino travelers early access to special deals. In addition, she made it possible for places like Manila Ocean Park and Cebu Ocean Park to offer digital ticketing.

Ho drove the implementation of Klook’s Kreator Program in the Philippines, which now has more than 3,000 content creators. Last year, the first Klook Kreator Awards event was held in the country to recognize top Filipino travel content creators, after the company recorded nearly half a million transactions in eight months.

– Bulbul Dhawan

Michelle Jie Gao

Booking.com Regional Manager

Before joining the travel industry in 2009, Michelle Jie Gao worked in public service jobs at ICC China Banking Commission and TnJ Codev Consultant.

She started as the Manager of Hotel CRM Solutions with TripAdvisor, helping it expand its presence in China upon its initial entry into the country. She then moved to Booking.com, helping onboard thousands of hotels online. 

Gao was working for international companies like TripAdvisor and Booking.com when many travel players in China were wary about the impact global companies would have on the country’s travel landscape. As a result, Gao helped local businesses such as boutique hotels and traditional courtyard guesthouses get an opportunity to capitalize on the travel boom. 

By 2020, she had expanded her work across the Mekong region and was supporting travel partners in Thailand and Vietnam to rethink their strategies in more sustainable and resilient ways. According to Booking.com, Gao’s early efforts contributed to Thailand's recovery as a destination in Asia-Pacific after the pandemic. 

“Travel isn’t just about crossing borders, but in shifting perspectives. When we empower communities to share their stories, travelers don’t just visit places, they connect with purpose,” Gao told Skift.

A lot of her focus has been on initiatives that promote sustainable travel and inclusion. For example, Gao partnered with tourism boards, hotels, and advocacy groups to facilitate for over 1,200 partners workshops providing insights and sustainable practices that can be easily incorporated. She also urged her teams to adopt inclusive hospitality practices and Booking.com’s LGBTQ+ community-focused program Travel Proud, which is a training and sensitization program for accommodation providers.

“This wasn’t about rules or pandering to what’s current, it was about respect. When a homestay owner proudly displays they’re a Travel Proud property, or a resort reduces plastic use by 90%, that’s how we measure progress,” she said. 

During Thailand’s post-pandemic recovery, Gao integrated Thailand’s entry pre-registration system for foreigners during Covid Thailand Pass program on Booking.com in an effort to streamline the experience for partners as well as visitors. She also sponsored the APAC chapter of Booking.com’s employee resource group B.Proud to maintain a culture of openness, inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Gao now uses her expertise to guide the next generation of travel innovators through mentorship programs and cross-industry partnerships. She told Skift, “The future of travel isn’t shaped by lone visionaries. It’s built by curious minds who ask, ‘How can we make journeys more meaningful for everyone they touch?’” 

– Bulbul Dhawan

Ting Ding

Sands China Assistant Vice President of Digital Marketing

Ting Ding has spent her entire career in the travel industry - nearly 20 years and counting. She started as the Overseas Hotel Business Manager for Ctrip, and then worked with big names like St. Regis Singapore, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Wynn.

Ding’s current role is the Assistant Vice President of Digital Marketing & eCommerce at Sands China, a Macau-based integrated resort developer and operator. 

As part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2011, she developed Sheraton Macao’s destination site. Along with highlighting the hotel’s facilities, the site focused on educating customers on Macau as a destination and showcasing its offerings, including its potential for meetings. 

She has also been part of teams that have used diverse ways to drive engagement. In December 2016, as part of Wynn, she launched the Wynn Wechat service account, which was integrated with the booking system and enabled settling of payments with Wepay. Wechat is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and payments platform used by over 90% of Chinese internet users and is often referred to as the “app for everything.” The integration helped the Wynn brand further penetrate the Chinese market.

On her LinkedIn profile, Ding says that a key achievement in her career is developing the first dual-loyalty membership program at Macau with Ctrip as part of Sands China. She also established the company’s first flagship store at Macau on Chinese mega platforms Ctrip, Meituan, Fliggy and Qunar.

– Bulbul Dhawan

Eyvonne Lin

Wyndham Head of Marketing, Loyalty, and Communications – Asia Pacific

Eyvonne Lin joined Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in 2022 and oversees key business areas such as public relations, marketing, direct booking platforms, alliances, loyalty programs, and distribution. 

Wyndham has credited Lin with strengthening brand-consumer connections, optimizing marketing channels, enhancing customer experience, and improving customer loyalty. She has also made efforts in forging alliances and exploring distribution networks that have helped the brand grow. 

Under her leadership, Wyndham last year partnered with Harley-Davidson, which provided Wyndham access to a new segment of customers: Members of the Harley-Davidson’s loyalty program Harley Owners Group. 

The collaboration offered members of the motorcycle company’s loyalty program from around the world a discount on more than 500 Wyndham properties in the Asia Pacific region, as long as they enrolled in Wyndham’s loyalty program and booked hotels through direct channels. 

Though she had not been in the travel industry before Wyndham, Lin had previously worked at the Asia Pacific marketing department of  American Standard and Bristol-Myers Squibb's public affairs department.

– Bulbul Dhawan

Edited by Lex Haris. Design and photo treatments by Beatrice Tagliaferri.