A Seat at the Table Minisode: Mentorship, Leadership, and Human Connection - Hospitality Unpacked with NEWH

"It is important to sit down with people to know the context and know what your employees go through every single day. Maybe somebody has a very different, tough situation going on at home and needs to do things a different way. At the end of the day, of course, the organization is at the core of what we're solving for, but we're dealing with people, especially in hospitality. You need to understand who it is that you're working for. I think it's always very important to do a pre- and post-mortem—all of that for the sake of building consensus." -Gilda Perez Alvarado

The People

A Seat at the Table Minisode: Mentorship, Leadership, and Human Connection

Jan 19, 2026

8 mins

Jonathan Young,Gilda Perez-Alvarado

Hospitality Unpacked

A Seat at the Table Minisode: Mentorship, Leadership, and Human Connection

Mentorship, Leadership, and Human Connection in Hospitality

Effective leadership requires more than strategy; it demands empathy, insight, and the ability to learn from every experience.

In this episode of Behind the Standard, we speak with Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Chief Strategy Officer at Accor and CEO of Orient Express. With nearly two decades of experience guiding landmark hotel transactions and advising top investors, Gilda shares how mentorship and lessons from every encounter—successes and challenges alike—have shaped her approach to leadership.

She explores fostering collaboration across cultures, leading with purpose, and the role of human connection in driving organizational success. From professional networks like NEWH to the essential tools of curiosity, adaptability, and a sense of humor, this conversation offers invaluable insights for anyone navigating leadership, growth, and change.

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