Katie has spent most of her career in travel retail, working across BAA Airports, World Duty Free and now Harding+. Throughout that time, she has focused on understanding customer behaviour and using insight to shape action – from retail strategy and communications to activations, product offers and engagement experiences that create real “wow” moments for passengers. She is passionate about working with brands to develop distinctive, experience-led retail concepts that feel relevant, memorable and commercially impactful within the travel environment. One of the things she values most about travel retail is the collaborative and supportive culture across the industry. She says that she has been fortunate enough to work alongside many inspirational women in leadership and support roles across retailers, landlords and brand partners, and in her experience it’s an industry that continues to champion and encourage female leadership.
What does this award mean to you personally and professionally?
It’s genuinely lovely to be recognised alongside so many talented women across the travel retail industry – I was really surprised, proud and honestly a bit chuffed!
Professionally, I’ve always cared hugely about creating retail experiences that really connect with customers and deliver results, and more recently about building teams that can bring those ideas to life in even bigger and better ways. So it means a lot to have that recognised.
On a personal level, it’s also a reminder of how supportive this industry can be. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly inspiring women throughout my career – across retailers, brands and landlords – who have encouraged me, challenged me and backed me at different stages along the way.
What has been the most defining moment or achievement in your career so far?
I’m going to give 2 – at very different ends of the scale!
First off, my first manager at BAA Airports, Nick Webb, taught me the importance of attention to detail. He always said that sweating the small stuff really matters – and that’s definitely stayed with me. Things like spelling, grammar, accuracy and getting the detail right are still a big part of how I work today.
More recently and on a much bigger scale, being right at the centre of the transformation happening across Harding+ has been incredibly exciting and eye-opening. I’ve loved being part of shaping and strengthening the retail strategy – through smarter ways of working, business expansion, constant focus on KPIs and always pushing ourselves to improve the guest experience and commercial performance. It’s been fast-paced, challenging and genuinely rewarding to be in the thick of it.
What advice would you give to women building a career in Travel Retail?
Travel retail is such a varied and fast-moving industry, and in my experience some of the best opportunities come from building strong relationships, staying curious and being open to learning from the people around you. One of the things I’ve always loved about the industry is that no two career paths look exactly the same -there are opportunities across brands, retail, marketing, insight, operations and experience-design, often when and where you least expect them.
I’d also really encourage people to make the most of networks like WiTR. The mentorship programme in particular is a brilliant way to learn more about the wider industry, hear different perspectives and potentially discover opportunities or career directions you hadn’t even considered.
What inspires or motivates you most in your leadership journey today?
What motivates me most is seeing ideas genuinely come to life – especially when you can actually see guests engaging with something, enjoying it and responding to it in the way you hoped they would. I also really enjoy bringing people together around ideas and building collaborative teams and partnerships where everyone feels excited about what they’re creating.
One of the reasons I’ve stayed in travel retail for so long is the energy of the industry itself. You’re constantly working with different brands, personalities, cultures and environments, and no two days ever really feel the same.
Your favourite inspirational quote
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
It’s perhaps a little obvious as a quote – but I think it offers a great lens both for what we are aiming to deliver every day for our passengers/guests/customers. And also how we should be showing up within our teams and for each other.
Being Highly Commended in the Innovation & Creativity Award – Retailer/Landlord category at the DFNI Awards Singapore is a well-deserved recognition of Katie’s passion for creating memorable retail experiences and her commitment to putting customers at the heart of every decision. Throughout her career, she has combined strategic insight with creativity to develop concepts that not only engage travelers but also deliver meaningful commercial results.
Katie’s journey reflects the collaborative spirit that makes travel retail such a unique industry. From valuing the smallest details to leading large-scale transformation at Harding+, she demonstrates that innovation is driven by curiosity, teamwork, and a willingness to continuously evolve. Her advice to embrace relationships, stay open to new opportunities, and invest in networks such as Women in Travel Retail is a powerful reminder that careers are built as much through people as they are through achievements.
At Women in Travel Retail, we congratulate Katie on this fantastic recognition and look forward to seeing her continue to shape the future of travel retail through creativity, collaboration, and inspiring leadership.
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