From DMC owners to event planning extraordinaires, Global DMC Partners is highlighting inspiring female industry leaders from across the world to celebrate International Women's Day all throughout the month of March. The meeting and event industry is filled with so many hard-working, resourceful, and passionate women who give their all to make sure they inspire their clients everyday and that every attendee has an exceptional experience.

We're kicking this off by highlighting some of the female leaders at Global DMC Partners - our amazing Global Sales Advisors! Read on to learn more about what they think women bring to this industry, what they want to see for the future for women in meetings & events, and who has inspired them along the way.

Dawn Barbeau | Vice President of Global Sales

Q: What drove you into this industry and/or your particular role?

DB: I love being able to be helpful all around the world.  I find joy in connecting people to each other to achieve a common goal

Q: What do you think women bring to the meetings/events industry?

DB: Compassion, understanding of what both sides need in order to have a successful event/meeting/program, creativity

Q: What would you like to see for the future of women in our industry?

DB: Now having children that depend on me, I can now better appreciate the struggles of women balancing work and family in a nonstop industry.  Before I could easily take off on a last-minute trip with no limits on how long I was away. Now, my trips take a lot more planning to make sure each family member has what they need, can get to what appointment they may have, attend a school event, etc. In a global industry that doesn’t sleep or take a day off, work-life balance has become an increasing hot button of interest for me.

Q: Have there been female mentors or leaders that have inspired and/or guided you along your way?

DB: My mom, she has always been a mentor to me.  As a single mother who worked a high pressure job, she was always there for me and achieved her professional goal as well.

Q: International Women’s Day theme for this year is “Balance for Better”. What does the hashtag #balanceforbetter mean to you?

DB: Finding the balance so that both my family and work family (colleagues and clients) feel that I am there for them.

---

Maxine MacPherson | Managing Partner, UK

Q: What drove you into this industry and/or your particular role?

MM: After 20+ years in the industry, representing quality suppliers in the industry seemed to me the right way to progress my career. Having a portfolio of trusted suppliers to help event planners manage corporate group events means we can support them with the best the industry has to offer. Our complete understanding of their needs, as a local sales team, helps reduce their frustrations and better their chances of winning business.

Q: What do you think women bring to the meetings/events industry?

MM: I think it’s hard to generalise, we are all individuals. We are however a diverse and complex species, able to cope with stress, manage multiple tasks at the same time and can often be quite stubborn in our efforts to succeed. However, I also think we are natural nurturers and are keen to keep a happy working environment with those around us. Most of all I feel that many women are very resourceful and make the most of what they have available to them.

Q: What would you like to see for the future of women in our industry?

MM: I have always thought that there should be more training and mentoring for youngsters in the industry, men and women alike. Women seem to be more aware of it but both men and women need to look more carefully at their work/life balance…but we really do need to see more women at board level, that’s very apparent in every industry and our industry is no exception.

Q: Have there been female mentors or leaders that have inspired and/or guided you along your way?

MM: I have a great deal of admiration for any woman who can climb the industry ladder, work within an all-male board and still ensure they are nurturing their teams and their clients but also ensure, even insist, they have time for their families. It takes a strong woman to meet the demands of everyone around them and manage it all with good grace. I rather admire our own PM right now, Teresea May….she has a job no-one would have asked for and frankly most of our male politicians ran away when the going got tough. I think she is an inspirational role model for girls on not giving up on a task, for pushing forwards even when the going gets very tough and male critisism is abundant.

Q: International Women’s Day theme for this year is “Balance for Better”. What does the hashtag #balanceforbetter mean to you?

MM: It means we are a better person for everyone in our lives, our clients, our work colleagues, our friends and our families….but most of all for ourselves.

---

Shelley Meixell | Vice President of Global Sales

Q: What drove you into this industry and/or your particular role?

SM: My passion for helping one create a successful and rewarding program/event and my love of travel and exploring new destinations and different cultures.

Q: What do you think women bring to the meetings/events industry?

SM: Creativity, knowledge, heart and work/life balance awareness.

Q: What would you like to see for the future of women in our industry

SM: Equality!

Q: Have there been female mentors or leaders that have inspired and/or guided you along your way?

SM: My mother has always inspired me to go for what I want and to speak up for what I believe in. I have and I do work with many women in my career who have all inspired me in different ways, but its most important to me to always be myself and to help others in need.

Q: International Women’s Day theme for this year is “Balance for Better”. What does the hashtag #balanceforbetter mean to you?

SM: Treat everyone as an equal… tall, short, young, old, male, female…doesn’t matter what you look like, where you come from or what your job is we should treat everyone with the respect and honor we expect.

---

Riley Sassano | Vice President of Global Sales

Q: What drove you into this industry and/or your particular role?

RS: I was always interested in events, but I realized my passion for sales as I explored my options within in the industry. I love being a resource and offering solutions. I have also made a lot of friends and enjoy that talking through their events, helping them and learning from them is part of my job!

Q: What do you think women bring to the meetings/events industry?

RS: I think women are hardworking and we possess natural leadership and problem-solving skills. We are also well-balanced and organized which are invaluable traits in the meetings industry.

Q: What would you like to see for the future of women in our industry?

RS: Having just had a baby, I think work-life balance is very important. It’s vital to have quality family time AND quality time to put into your work. Women are so influential in their homes and in the workplace and I believe being given the resources to effectively manage both just helps fuel their drive for more success.

Q: International Women’s Day theme for this year is “Balance for Better”. What does the hashtag #balanceforbetter mean to you?

RS: This goes back to my previous answer about work-life balance. If you’re happy with the quality and quantity of time spent at home, then the time spent at work will be more effective and fulfilling.