Insight From the C-Suite: Dawn Gallagher, Chief Commercial Officer, Crescent Hotels & Resorts

As part of a new, members-only series, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is asking industry executives about their professional journeys, mentorship, how they stay up-to-date on the latest technology and trends, how they take care of themselves, and so much more. This week, insight comes from Dawn Gallagher, chief commercial officer, Crescent Hotels & Resorts.

Can you share a specific instance where you successfully navigated a major change or challenge, highlighting the key lessons learned and how they shaped your leadership approach?
Throughout my career, there have been instances where I’ve been overlooked for promotions, sometimes due to educational qualifications and other times likely because of my innovative approach. One specific experience significantly influenced my mindset, prompting me to set clear goals and achieve them strategically, positioning myself as the undeniable choice for future opportunities. Let me set the stage: During a reorganization in a previous company, the emergence of division vice president roles presented a competitive scenario. I was up against an evenly matched counterpart, both of us starting on the same day with similar responsibilities overseeing the highest revenue-producing regions. During my interview, conducted by my then-current boss, I came prepared with statistics on revenue performance and sales productivity. However, the brief, approximately five-minute meeting and my boss’s demeanor made it clear that I wasn’t going to secure the role. When he later communicated the decision, I actively sought specific feedback to understand how I could improve for future opportunities. While he couldn’t pinpoint the reasons for his decision, I knew that my inclination toward change and progress, challenging the status quo, played a role. Determined to enhance my prospects, I set ambitious goals, volunteering for projects and undertaking companywide initiatives to increase visibility and showcase substantial accomplishments. Ultimately, these goals not only paved the way for my success in leaving that company, but also led to my role as the leader of the commercial division in another organization. The key takeaway from this experience is the importance of aligning with a company and executive leadership team that shares similar goals. While gaining diverse experiences is valuable, reaching the highest levels of professional success requires working within an environment that fosters alignment and allows your potential to flourish without artificial constraints.

How have mentorship and sponsorship played a role in your professional development, and how do you actively engage in cultivating talent within your organization?
Mentorship, whether formal or informal, has played a large role in my life. As I was coming up through the ranks, I had role models in the field that I looked up to, took advice from, and followed their lead. I was blessed to work with a legend, Jean Spaulding, who was my greatest mentor. She tamed me where I needed taming, led me, supported me, and gave me space to be successful. At Crescent, we have a program called Crescent RISE, connecting mentors and mentees across the company and at all levels. I currently have the privilege of mentoring a senior sales manager aspiring to step into her first leadership role. This initiative not only strengthens our talent pool but also contributes to the development of future leaders at Crescent. Our commitment to nurturing talent extends to training and engaging individuals who display interest and exhibit high performance. Within Crescent, we introduce annual commercial priorities during our commercial kick-off meetings. The first initiative, “INVEST IN YOURSELF,” emphasizes the importance of personal investment for continuous improvement. This initiative is designed to fortify our team, positioning them for lasting success in both their personal and professional lives.

How do you maintain a healthy work-life harmony, and what strategies do you employ to prioritize your well-being amidst high-level responsibilities? How do you ensure your team does the same?
I like the phrase work-life harmony. As I was coming up through the ranks it was work-life balance, and for a working mother, I coined the phrase overcommitted. There were times I was overcommitted at work, and other times I had to be overcommitted in my family life. Nothing is perfect; we all do our best and sometimes that means we suffer. Growing up as the middle child, with an older sister just 10 months ahead and a younger sister two years behind, taught me the importance of finding my path early for success. My inherent competitiveness, evident in my love for challenging anyone on my Apple Watch, goes beyond formal competitions — I find myself competing even when there’s no structured contest. This daily workout routine serves as a stress-reduction strategy, fueled by the desire to outperform someone in my group. Competition is healthy. Even if you don’t win, the act of competing brings out adrenaline that drives excitement and removes burnout. This spirit of competition isn’t confined to my personal life; it extends to our Crescent commercial team. We share a collective goal of investing in ourselves to gain clarity on our objectives and evolve into performance coaches for our teams.

How do you stay informed about industry trends and emerging technologies, and what role does continuous learning play in your ongoing personal and professional development?
Staying ahead of industry trends and embracing emerging technologies is a constant focus. As someone driven by competition, I’m always looking at industry trends to see if they’re adaptable to parts of our business. By recognizing the pivotal role that emerging technologies play in shaping our future, driving revenue and capturing market share more swiftly, we prioritize staying at the forefront. In today’s landscape, top talent expects advanced technology, making it a high priority for recruitment efforts. At Crescent, we’ve established a cross-divisional technology committee to ensure we adopt the best approach to technology integration. Continuous learning for me is very important. I see it as a vital aspect of my role as a leader. I strive to set an example for my team by engaging in master classes, listening to performance coaching podcasts, and reading books that provide the performance edge needed for success.

Are you a C-suite woman executive in travel and hospitality? We’d love to feature you! Reach us at wlt@skift.com.