Hotel Council of San Francisco Takes “25 x 25 Pledge”
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Hotel Council of San Francisco Takes “25 x 25 Pledge”
Initiative Guarantees at Least One Quarter of Council Leadership
Comprised of Underrepresented Communities by 2025
5 April 2021— San Francisco, CA: In an ongoing effort to better serve its membership and visitors the Hotel Council of San Francisco (www.hotelcouncilsf.org) has announced that it is signing on to the 25 x 25 Pledge (www.pledge25x25.org) initiated by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group guaranteeing that by 2025 the number of underrepresented individuals in its leadership will increase by at least 25%.
“San Francisco is rightly proud of its deserved reputation as a City that celebrates diversity and understands that such diversity is the foundation of our brand and our economy,” said Kevin Carroll, Hotel Council President and CEO. “Having said that, one of the things that 2020 has shown us is that all of us can do better, and that includes the Hotel Council. We hope that more and more companies, and organizations, will step up and take this pledge. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do.”
Companies that take the pledge commit that by 2025 at least 25% of their leadership will be individuals from underrepresented groups — people of color, members of the LGBTQ communities and women, or that they will see at least a 25% boost in underrepresented executives in leadership roles. In addition, participating groups commit to increase resources by 25% by 2025 for funding and/or community engagement for underrepresented groups to expand minority talent. Those taking part in the “25 x 25” pledge also commit to educating their workforces about inclusion and unconscious bias and report progress to their stakeholders, members, clients and vendors.
“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is imperative to a company’s overall success,” said Kelly Powers, Hotel Council Director,who initiated and directed the Council’s education and outreach efforts including participation in “25 x 25” and the landmark series of DEI webinars. “A diverse team leads to innovation, creativity and new perspectives that help companies succeed. A focus on diversity also recognizes unconscious bias is a part of corporate environments. Through education and meaningful conversations, companies can make meaningful change by proactively hiring people of color, women and members of the LGBTQ communities.”
The third of the Hotel Council’s DEI webinars takes place tomorrow, April 6 at 11am PST. Facilitated by Cassandra Pye, partner at Lucas Public Affairs and featuring Renel Brooks-Moon longtime announcer for The San Francisco Giants and Veronica Velazquez, Senior Manager for Global Inclusion & Diversity at The Expedia Group, the webinar will focus on Unconscious Bias in the workplace and how if affects our decisions, behaviors and interactions. Additional DEI webinars are scheduled for June 10 and September 9.
“Understanding such implicit bias is key,” says Powers. “It is how we begin to dismantle structural inequality and achieve our social justice goals.”
According to a recent study by McKinsey and Company, a lack of diversity in business narrows perspective and promotes exclusion of other people’s experiences and opportunities. In addition, the economic benefits are evident when teams are more diverse.
“By taking part in the ’25 x 25 pledge, we demonstrate our commitment to progress on this issue as a visible leader to our employees and partners,” said Powers.
“As leaders in the hotel and hospitality industry we must be where our clients are,” Carroll summed up. “Businesses who come to San Francisco for conventions and conferences see us as allies on this issue.”
The Hotel Council of San Francisco is a non-profit membership-based organization advocating for the economic and social vitality of the hospitality industry in San Francisco. With a membership roster of over 200 hotels, allied members, and partner organizations, the Council is dedicated to protecting the San Francisco hospitality industry and connecting its members to support its growth and success.
Companies signed on to the “25 x 25” Pledge to date:
- 49ers
- Alaska Airlines
- Bay Area Council
- Children’s Hospital
- Hotel Council of San Francisco
- NAACP
- San Francisco Chronicle
- Santa Clara University
- Stanford Hospital
- United Airlines
- Western Digital
- Zoom