The hospitality, travel and leisure sector’s leading employers and advocates for equity inclusion were celebrated recently at the ‘Inclusion In’ Awards powered by WiHTL & DiR, where Greene King, Whitbread and Haven emerged as the major winners.
The annual event, hosted in London before an audience of senior executives and inclusion champions, recognised organisations and individuals who are shaping a more diverse, equitable and inclusive future for the HTL industry.
Nick Mackenzie, CEO of Greene King, was named Most Inclusive Group Chief Executive Officer, reflecting his leadership in embedding inclusion into the brewer and pub company’s culture. Whitbread received multiple awards, including Inclusion Hero for Tracey Bishop and Most Transformative Inclusion Initiative for its Thrive Programme, which has been widely praised for fostering belonging across its workforce.
Haven took home two of the evening’s most prestigious accolades – Most Inclusive Organisation and Outstanding Inclusion Professional, awarded to Lauren du Plooy Flowers – underscoring its industry-leading commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.
“Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of this year’s awards. Each of the organisations recognised has made an exceptional contribution to building more inclusive, supportive and representative workplaces. Their leadership and commitment are helping to drive lasting progress and set a powerful example for our entire industry.
“I passionately believe that our industry not only upholds the values of inclusion and fairness, but also sets an example of resilience and responsibility for others to follow,” says Tea Colaianni, Founder and Chair, WiHTL & DiR.
The full list of winners:
- Most Inclusive Chair (HTL & Retail) – Ian Carter, Watches of Switzerland Group
- Most Inclusive Group CEO – Nick Mackenzie, Greene King
- Most Inclusive Divisional/Regional CEO (HTL & Retail) – Kari Daniels, SSP UK&I
- Most Inclusive CFO (HTL & Retail) – Claire Catlin, Moto Hospitality
- Most Inclusive Chief People Officer – Louise Hughes, Moto Hospitality
- Inclusion Hero – Tracey Bishop, Whitbread
- Most Impactful ERG – Unity, Greene King
- Most Impactful Mentor – Leni Savva, Elior UK
- Most Transformative Inclusion Initiative – Thrive Programme, Whitbread
- Most Impactful Collaboration Project (HTL & Retail) – Asda x DFN Project SEARCH, Asda
- Most Impactful Social Mobility Initiative (HTL & Retail) – Barnardo’s Partnership for Care Experienced Young People, Whitbread
- Outstanding Inclusion Professional – Lauren du Plooy Flowers, Haven
- Most Inclusive Organisation – Haven
- Inclusion Maturity Curve: Employee Journey – AEG
- Inclusion Maturity Curve: Stakeholders – Compass Group UK & Ireland
- Inclusion Maturity Curve: Most Progress in HTL (2024–2025) – Domino’s Pizza
The winners reflect the sector’s growing momentum in embedding inclusion into leadership, culture, and customer experience. From mentoring and employee networks to large-scale initiatives that support diverse communities, the 2025 cohort demonstrates how hospitality businesses are transforming inclusion from principle into measurable progress.
