The revised deadline is now midnight tonight, Thursday 28 May.

The hospitality leadership initiative, designed to accelerate more women into board-level positions, is calling on businesses to submit final nominations for high-potential female talent across the sector. The application deadline for the programme’s second cohort has been extended, giving hospitality businesses one final opportunity to nominate exceptional female talent for the transformational leadership initiative.

Founded by Ann Elliott, Shereen Ritchie and Christine Martin, Boardwalk was created to help accelerate more women into board-level positions across hospitality through a combination of one-to-one mentoring, board-level learning, industry networking and strategic leadership development.

Participants on the programme benefit from:

• 1:1 mentoring with C-suite leaders
• Board-level tutorials and practical insight
• Industry networking and peer support
• Confidence, commercial and strategic development
• Exposure to senior leaders and future opportunities

The mentor line-up for Programme #2 has grown significantly following the success of the inaugural year, with more than 30 C-suite mentors now confirmed to support the next cohort. Described by the founders as a “World Cup squad” of hospitality leadership talent, the mentors bring decades of operational, commercial and board-level experience from across the industry.

The extension follows the strong impact of the first Boardwalk cohort, which has already seen four mentees progress into board-level roles.

Boardwalk is now seeking the next generation of high-potential female leaders across hospitality who are approximately one to three years away from securing their first board appointment. Businesses with talented women ready to take the next step into senior leadership are being encouraged to submit nominations before the revised deadline. The programme has already received wide-reaching support from across the hospitality sector, helping position Boardwalk as part of a wider movement to create a stronger and more representative future for industry leadership.

Peter Martin, co-founder of Peach 20/20, said:
“As an old hand in the sector I’ve seen more than a few false dawns on DE&I — but this feels like an inflection point for industry change. And with Mrs Peach as co-founder it’s a programme we are giving our full backing. Let’s be the change.”