Accor launches its international women's network: Women at Accor Generation

Accor aims to account with 50% women hotel managers worldwide, with an intermediary target of 35% by 2015.

PARIS, Dec. 11, 2012 /CNW/ - Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, announced the international launch of its women's network: Women at Accor Generation (WAAG). WAAG's aim is to fight against stereotypes and help Accor reach its gender equality objectives. This network is opened to both women and men, and is represented on all five continents.

Women at Accor Generation is chaired by Sophie Stabile, Accor's Global Chief Financial Officer. Its activities are mainly based on mentoring, sharing of experiences and training, as well as on the creation and collaboration through networks, with the aim of promoting greater access by women to managerial positions.  The network also intends to act as a source of proposals in areas that concern Accor's own business. The first workgroup set up with this in mind will come up with innovative products and services that meet the expectations of business women who are customers at Accor's hotels.

"There are more female graduates than male graduates, and yet women are under-represented in corporate managerial positions," explains Sophie Stabile, Accor's Global Chief Financial Officer. "We know that mixed teams are more innovative and more efficient. Women at Accor Generation aims to give women confidence in their potential, to embolden them, and to accompany them as they take this approach."

Women at Accor Generation is structured around a Steering Committee, which determines its key areas of activity and coordinates regional initiatives, and a Bureau, which is its active representative body. WAAG's initiatives are agreed on collectively and in consultation with the regions. They are coordinated locally by nine regional leaders in eight geographic regions, namely: Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, Southern Europe, Northern, Eastern and Central Europe, and France.

By end 2015, the network aims to have 3,000 members and to have deployed all its action plans and workgroups on the five continents.

Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 92 countries with nearly 3,500 hotels and 440,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and hotelF1 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With more than 160,000 employees in Accor brand hotels worldwide, the Group offers its clients and partners 45 years of know-how and expertise.

SOURCE: Accor