Member Spotlight: Jillian Thaker, Assistant Managing Director, Business Travel Sales, Hilton

Our Member Spotlight series celebrates the remarkable women who make up the Women Leading Travel community, highlighting their leadership journeys, career insights and perspectives on the future of the industry. This week, we're featuring Jillian Thaker, Assistant Managing Director, Business Travel Sales at Hilton.

What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you?

I joined the travel industry unintentionally. I moved to Chicago after undergrad to do improv comedy at The Second City. My dad's racquetball buddy was a group intermediary leader and introduced me to the woman who would become my first boss at Hilton! I loved the industry so much—the connections with customers, the opportunity to serve others, the incredible travel experiences and the endless opportunities to learn about new segments of our industry—that I've built a career in it. (And I've maintained my love of comedy and performance as a hobby!)

What is one industry trend you're closely tracking and why?

I'm keeping a very close eye on distribution and learning as much as I can about the new distribution platforms for hotels. As technology evolves, travelers are embracing new ways of booking both transient and group travel, and I want to ensure I understand the most effective booking preferences and technology capabilities to create a winning approach to distribution in our industry.

What is one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?

The more hiring I do, the more I focus on a candidate's attitude. While there is complexity in what we do and specific skills are required, many elements of our industry are highly teachable if you have a motivated, determined and emotionally intelligent candidate. That's what I prioritize.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?

A few years ago, after my second daughter was born, I found myself somewhat overwhelmed as I returned to work. There was so much to do in both my work and my life, and it was challenging to manage it all and still feel good at the end of the day.

Everyone talks about priorities, but I had a coach share a grounding phrase with me that has become part of my weekly approach to prioritization: "What is the highest and best use of my time for the enterprise?" It's a simple and effective mantra that helps drown out the noise and focus on the most impactful work.

I pair that with a daily morning question: What is the one thing—not two, not three—but the one thing I need to complete at work today to feel accomplished? In a world crowded with meetings, emails and IMs, these two prioritization approaches help lock in my focus.

What's the best book you've read recently?

"The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans was one of the best books I read this year. It was so beautifully written and left me with a deep understanding of the character's perspective and how she evolved over the course of her life. I highly recommend it!

Connect with Jillian on LinkedIn to learn more.