Women in Leadership
A Champion for Women in Leadership Shelley Verdouw – Hotel Manager, RACV Hobart With more than three decades in the accommodation industry, Shelley Verdouw is no stranger to leadership. As Hotel Manager at RACV Hobart, President of Hospitality Tasmania’s Accommodation Division, and more recently joining the Accommodation Australia board, Shelley embodies what it means to lead by example. Last year, she was awarded a Women in Leadership (WIL) scholarship through Hospitality Tasmania to complete the Foundations of Directorship course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) — an opportunity she describes as “perfect timing”. “Although I had been on the board with the hospitality association for nearly 10 years, most of what I had done was on the job. To have the opportunity to take on some formal training was amazing and perfect timing,” Shelley said. “It led me into the Accommodation President’s role, which was very exciting, and that also led to an opportunity with the Accommodation Australia board.” The AICD training provided Shelley with more than just a professional credential, it was a validation of her years of experience and instinctive governance
skills.
“One of the biggest things I got out of it was confirmation that I was on the right track, that the board I was involved with had the right principles and underpinnings,” she said. “The formal side really polished that off and brought together the fundamentals I needed to continue in that space and be a valuable contributor.” Now, as a visible leader across Tasmania’s hospitality landscape, Shelley champions the power of learning and professional development — inspiring the next generation of women to embrace every opportunity that helps them grow, lead and thrive. Having benefited from some strong female mentors throughout her own career, Shelley is now determined to pay back and provide the same opportunities whenever she can. “I’ve been given so many fortunate opportunities and if it wasn’t for the great people that I met and the people that believed in me or gave me those chances, I wouldn’t have been doing the things that I am. “I now think I’m at a point where I want to give back, and I want to make sure that I can contribute and give back to not just an industry that I love and has done so much for me, but to keep it fresh and keep it interesting for young people as well.”
SHELLEY (THIRD FROM LEFT) WITH THE ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA BOARD EARLIER IN 2025
27 Tasmanian Hospitality Review October/November Edition
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