Insights From the C-Suite: Kama Winters, President, Delta Vacations

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 industry technology and trends, how they take care of themselves, and so much more. This week, insight comes from Kama Winters, president, Delta Vacations. We asked Kama a series of questions about her career journey, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and more.

Women Leading Travel & Hospitality: 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?
Kama Winters: The most impactful lessons are often when an outcome isn’t as successful as you anticipated. One specific example is when Delta announced changes to its loyalty program last year. Our customers' immediate feedback enabled us to reset around our customer-centric values. It was also an important moment of leadership accountability. I took ownership for key decisions, provided transparency into the process for the team on how we arrived there, and actively listened to our customers’ feedback on the situation. Together, we developed a solution that took those learnings into account and, in turn, had the opportunity to come together as a team and support our business and customers.

WLT&H: How have mentorship and sponsorship played a role in your professional development, and how do you actively engage in cultivating talent within your organization?
KW: I often reflect on the influential role that my mentors, both formal and informal, have played in supporting and unlocking every step of my career. They include my graduate professor who helped me land my breakout internship, the executive who pushed me to consider my first leadership role, and a peer mentor circle of working moms who are a continuous sounding board for ideas and development. Your mentors often see things in you that you don’t (yet) — be open to that input. 

Active sponsorship was pivotal in every role in my career. It can feel uncomfortable to openly seek out mentors and take further steps to ask for their sponsorship, but based on your career goals it’s a critical step. Challenge yourself to identify and nurture a diverse “board” of mentors, and then be willing to listen and action the guidance they provide.

Within our organization, one of the first questions I often ask my team when we’re discussing talent is do they have a mentor. If the answer isn’t a definitive yes, that’s our starting point. Delta fosters formal mentor relationships across all levels of the organization, and I’m fortunate to be able to invest my time in supporting others through these programs.

WLT&H: 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?
KW: For me, this is a work in progress. Just like in the travel business, there are seasons in life and in work. I strive to be intentional in my investments in all areas of my life and acknowledge that sometimes I don’t always get the balance right. Many years ago, there was an article on this topic that stuck with me. The concept was: work, sleep, family, fitness, or friends — pick 3. I still lean into this during particularly demanding times and acknowledge that the current season won’t last forever. It helps me make conscious adjustments to balance my priorities, while being intentional about where to divest without (as much) guilt. 

My most important strategy though is to give myself grace. As a working parent, setting and establishing boundaries that align with my priorities and values is always challenging. However, as a leader there are others in the organization that observe how I do this. When I started my career, there weren’t many leaders who made being a female executive with a family look achievable. Now, the number of times individuals have shared with me that I’ve inspired them in this area is one of my proudest accomplishments as a leader. You can’t motivate your own team to find balance if you don’t lead by example. 

WLT&H: 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?
KW: I set aside time every day to keep a pulse on what’s happening in the news, from alerts and consolidated internal feeds. I intentionally seek out diverse sources of information. This helps me stay connected not only to trends, but importantly, what’s on the minds of our customers. We keep a regular dialogue across our leadership teams around topical areas and opportunities. I also draw a lot of relevant insights from Harvard Business Review (HBR). 

I’ve contemplated going back to school, but not in this season of my life. In the meantime, I love listening to podcasts, both as a source of information and inspiration. A few of my favorites are from Glennon Doyle, Mel Robbins, Gayle Lantz, Adam Grant, and Simon Sinek. I also enjoy Love as a Business Strategy and TED Talks Daily. In addition, I spend regular time with a robust peer network and have an executive coach. At the start of 2024, I also planned one key developmental investment in myself per quarter — a conference, seminar or training that aligns to my goals. This has been on the list to “restart” coming out of COVID and I’m excited to put more structure around my own personal development while encouraging the team in this area as well.