Advisors

Christina Lawford is the Founder and CEO of DiamondAir International, a global airport hospitality business she founded at just 18 years old. Over the past three decades, she has grown the company into an international market leader operating across more than 630 airports and major rail hubs worldwide.

A recognised innovator within the travel industry, Christina pioneered Heathrow’s first commercial Airport Concierge service and continues to challenge traditional airport experiences through new products that redefine the passenger journey. Her entrepreneurial approach has earned multiple industry accolades, including Female Entrepreneur of the Year. She is also the founder of the Association of Meet & Assist Companies, helping to establish standards across the sector.

Beyond business, Christina is an advocate for women in leadership and social impact. She mentors women through Women in Travel CIC and Crisis, has volunteered with Crisis at Christmas for more than 20 years, including running the women’s shelter, and serves as a Trustee of The Pavement charity.

An experienced HR & Talent professional, Claire also works across a range of sectors but predominantly in the tourism space. She is Director and Chair of Education & Training at the Institute of Travel & Tourism in the UK where she co-founded the ITT Future You initiative bringing industry and education together to inspire and inform the next generation of travel professionals and in 2022 launched the Future You Foundation in response to the talent challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Claire is also the UK Director for the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership, working to inspire young people to build successful and responsible careers in travel and tourism, particularly in countries where tourism is a vital part of the economy.

Claire is honoured to be an industry Ambassador for the international water charity, Just a Drop and an advisory Board member for the social enterprise Women in Travel (CIC), working globally to help provide women with the opportunity to fulfil their economic and individual potential. She also a founding member of HR in Travel and a regular speaker and moderator at industry events.

Every penny of profit earned by Charitable Travel, everything we do and everything we offer our customers, supports charity fundraising and good causes. We are a registered social enterprise and a financially protected travel agency. Our purpose and mission is to help you with your holiday plans and at the same time support the great work that UK-based charities deliver around the world. When you book a holiday or cruise with us, we sacrifice travel agency commission so you can make a free five percent donation to your choice of charity through our dedicated JustGiving website. We pride ourselves in offering travel expertise, a wide choice of holiday options, quality, great value and a unique way of creating travel-for-good for our customers as a true not-for-private-profit social enterprise.

To learn more about Charitable Travel, check out their website.

Born in Marrakech and educated in France and the UK, Zina Bencheikh started her career in finance before joining Intrepid as Finance Manager in Morocco in 2010. She has progressed rapidly through a number of financial and operational leadership roles with the company, and in 2020 was appointed EMEA Managing Director of Intrepid Travel. She is now responsible for achieving Intrepid’s dual goals of growth and balancing purpose and profit in the EMEA region.

Zina is driven by her passion for making the world a more inclusive and equal place. She has used the company’s global reach to create economic opportunities for women through tourism, breaking down gender barriers in countries where women have been traditionally excluded from paid work and equal access to education, such as Morocco.

Now regarded as one of Morocco’s leading advocates for gender equality, Zina’s work has been profiled by the BBC Travel Show, Skift, Forbes, amongst others.

Ed leads the UK, Ireland and Nordics commercial team at Amadeus Hospitality, supporting hotels and venues with technology solutions across the entire customer journey.

Before joining Amadeus, Ed worked on the Google Travel Team for 10 years, consulting with many of Google’s largest hospitality partners and leading the Accommodation team.

Greether is the platform that helps women travel safer by connecting them local female Greeters around the world who they can book to navigate destinations.

Alessandra is the award-winning Founder and Managing Director of Women in Travel CIC, with more than 20 years; experience shaping the travel and tourism industry. A recognised leader in gender equity, inclusion and talent development, she has built a career at the intersection of commercial strategy and social impact.

She began her career in tourism at the European Commission before holding senior positions with the World Travel & Tourism Council and KPMG. Driven by a passion for creating more inclusive workplaces, she co-founded consultancy Shine and the Shine Awards for Women’s Achievement in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality in 2004, championing female talent across the sector long before diversity became a boardroom priority.

Today, Alessandra is recognised as one of the industry’s leading voices on gender equity, mentoring and inclusive leadership. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, trusted adviser and regular media contributor, working with organisations to unlock talent, drive cultural change and build more diverse, high-performing businesses. Her first book on growing a travel business through inclusion will be published in December 2026.

Elisa is a seasoned Community Tourism Consultant, Connector, and Storyteller with nearly 20 years of international experience in local Sustainable Development through tourism. Her expertise spans over 30 countries, where she has provided communication and marketing services in four languages, both virtually and on the ground.

Elisa’s innovative approach to storytelling has made her an invaluable consultant to tourism entrepreneurs, SMMEs, national Tourism Boards, NGOs, and private companies. She specializes in helping destinations highlight their positive impact stories and uncover the rich, often untold, cultural narratives of Indigenous communities.