The Daniels College of Business has featured a lecture series for years highlighting the big names in the ever-growing area of hotel, restaurant and tourism management. Following tradition, a lecture series was offered this fall by prominent speakers.

This particular series featured all women speakers.

The speakers included, among others, Dianna Vaughn, vice president of marketing at Hilton Hotel Chain, Joy Rothschild, Omni Hotel’s senior vice president of human relations, Lisa Miller, vice president of innovation at Brinker International, Kathleen McIntee, chief financial officer and Terri Haack, regional vice president both of Destination Hotels and Resorts.

The series was offered as a class, but is also open to those not enrolled and are simply interested in the inner workings of hotel management or any kind of management.

“The industry that our students are entering is changing, and significantly more people working in the industry are women than men. Most men are in managerial positions, and by exposing these men to powerful, successful women now, creates more opportunities for all making them more successful. [Young men] need to realize that you can’t move up until you can back sow your own position,” said Daniels HTRM director and associate professor, David L. Corsun.

“People surround themselves with those they feel comfortable with, but by recognizing the talent in others is where true success lies,” he said.

Women, once a minority in business, are becoming the majority in high-profile jobs especially in the hospitality industry. Corsun’s vision for future lectures is based on the rapidly changing ideas and qualifications of the American dream.

“The key to success in this industry is difference in perspective. Whether it be sex, race, religion or ethics it is important to get different perspectives from those who have lived different lives than you have,” Corsun said.

The lectures were held during the quarter on every Monday night HTRM school. The final lecture of the quarter will be on Nov. 12 and will feature Christy Sinnott, VP of learning and development at the Global Hyatt Corporation. It will be in the Tuscon room of the HRTM school at 4:30 p.m.

With hopes of opening the eyes of the business world to more minorities, Corsun hopes to offer future lectures based on diversity in the workplace.

“Only after you hear the stories and lives of those different than you, can you fully begin to understand the world,” he said.