Catherine Powell

"I encourage women at every level to recognize themselves as a leader"

"It was a difficult time for the entire travel industry, and we decided the best way for Airbnb to navigate the future was to go back to the company’s roots and focus on Hosts and great hosting."

"I’ve worked consistently on strengthening our relationship with existing Hosts, helping our Hosts adapt to the post-pandemic travel landscape and growing our Host community."

"Each time, I had to be willing to listen, acknowledge when I needed to learn and ask for help. Women, in particular, often feel we need to have an answer for everything to be taken seriously."

"In the current cost of living crisis, we also want to raise awareness about hosting as a path to meaningful income."

"Another way we’re helping our Hosts address rising costs is through our energy- efficiency programs. We launched our first programmes in the UK and France last year and we’re expanding to other countries this year."

"Anecdotally, how I had to change my business dialogue in negotiations and of what my expectations were, whether I was working in Europe, or when I went to Australia, how different that was than Paris."

"I’ve lived all over the world, I grew up in Hong Kong, and I married someone in the diplomatic service. With Disney, I lived in Australia, then back to Paris and then the U.S."

"The opportunity to work at Disney has been phenomenal. Living in Australia was the biggest family adventure. I remember talking with my husband, who at the time was deputy national security advisor, and he was the one who said, if we don’t go now, we will never go."