Our Mission
WiTR+ are launching a NEW mentoring programme for WiTR+ members via the WiTR+ Global network to encourage colleagues to mentor our growing industry to support, care, share knowledge, experience and wisdom with individuals in our industry. We welcome mentors from across the industry and all sexes are welcome.
Benefits of the WiTR+ Mentoring Programme
What is Mentoring?
Mentoring is a reciprocal and collaborative at-will relationship for the purpose of the mentee’s growth, learning, and career development.
Mentoring is a learning relationship, generally focused on long term career development. The primary purpose is to drive personal growth, building skills, knowledge and understanding. Mentors may use coaching skills in their conversations, but usually the mentor role is wider than that of a coach and may include opening doors, making connections, and sharing experiences.
Being a Mentor
A mentor is…
Why become a mentor?
Being a Mentee
WiTR+ Mentee Benefits
Mentee Process
Mentor Profiles
Elena Bloothoofd
Elena Bloothoofd is a dynamic and passionate brand ambassador with over two decades of experience directing fashion, beauty and lifestyle brand expansion in Global markets.
Elena created her specialist agency Brands of Style in 2015, paving the way for up-and-coming sustainable brands to find new avenues of revenue through an extensive network in international distribution and domestic retail.
With increasing business in the travel retail sector, Brands of Style launched the B2B discovery platform Travel Retail Bespoke in 2023. Elena believes the selection of challenger brands represent the answer to a changing demand in a market that is reshaping itself. With responsible high-end products that offer something unique in combination with their compelling creator stories Travel Retail Bespoke is paving the road to a bright and successful future.
Travel is truly in my DNA, which is why I’m so passionate about the Travel Retail sector. One of my favorite travel destinations has been Brazil, where I can indulge in sun-soaked holidays. My bucket list keeps growing, but ultimately, any location shared with my husband is ideal.
Beyond travel, I’m currently working on a deeply personal project: writing my mother’s memoirs. Her journey from Russia to Uganda to build a new life was remarkable, and I’m eager to share her story.
Another passion of mine is food. I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering as a cook at my husband’s lodge, and I’ve even been asked to cook privately for special occasions like birthday dinners. Cooking allows me to connect with people and cultures in a meaningful way, much like travel does.
Mentoring Specialities
- Building real, supportive, and transparent networks within the travel retail sector
- How to break through buyer barriers and navigate difficult relationships
- Ensuring that the community truly embraces entrepreneurs and voices from smaller, founder-led companies, regardless of size or ranking
- Leadership development, with a focus on resilience and breaking through closed doors
Francess Dharmamulya
Sr Manager Duty Free Americas | EMEA & Global Duty Free
Born and raised in Indonesia, educated in the US, currently living between Paris and Hong Kong, no other industry is a better match for her background even if she arrived in Travel Retail by chance.
Francess began her career in auditing at Ernst & Young in New York. After several years, she moved to Paris and joined a French company specializing in City of Light souvenirs. There, she managed retail operations across iconic locations like Carrousel du Louvre, Opéra, Champs Elysées, and high-end department stores, overseeing profitability, visual merchandising, customer service, and staff hiring, mentoring, and training. It is also with this company that she had her first experience exhibiting at TFWA Cannes in 2011.
In 2017, Francess co-founded Stevia Distribution with her husband and business partner. The company is a distributor of European confectionery, wine, and spirits to Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and America, focusing on premium and artisanal brands with strong identities and originality. Leveraging its extensive network, Stevia Distribution introduces these still lesser-known products that are not always available in the domestic markets to major travel retail operators and luxury hotels.
She considers herself fortunate that her work, which involves traveling to meet clients and sourcing products, has taken her to amazing places and introduced her to wonderful people. In her spare time, she enjoys capturing stunning destination photos for her Instagram and cooking for large gatherings of friends, creating beautiful tablescapes to complement her meals.
Mentoring Specialities
- Add my own perspective as an entrepreneur in travel retail angle.
- Tool to help the WiTR+ community thrive.
- Support global networking.
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail.
- Harness long standing relationships.
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development.
- To build connections by introducing useful contacts and networking opportunities.
- To provide guidance, support, and sponsorship in career & growth opportunities.
- To provide guidance with topics such as public speaking, difficult conversations, personal branding and work life balance
Gerry Munday
Vice Chair | WiTR+
I had 34 years fantastic years in the TR/DF industry all in the fashion sector. During those years I launched 3 brands to the world of Travel Retail – Bally (Head of Travel Retail), MCM (Travel Retail Director) and lastly Furla (Global Travel Retail Director) where I retired from in December 2018. I also had the honor of serving on the TFWA Management Committee and the TFWA Board and becoming Vice Chair of WiTR+ (Women in Travel Retail +) a position I still hold today and of course am very involved in.
After taking a short time out, I started my own consultancy business – GM Travel Retail Consultancy so pulling on my 34 years experience, I have been helping and advising brands who wish to enter the world of TR, sourcing brands for airport operators and working with them to gain the right mix for their airport, it is very different from anything I have done over the years but extremely rewarding, but I have made sure it is not a full time job, so you could say I am semi-retired which also allows me to at last spend time with my husband of 41 years and we have taken up walking, taking more holidays, gardening, I have also taken up keep fit (never had time before or the energy) – so life is good.
Mentoring Specialities
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail
- Harness long standing relationships
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development
- To provide guidance, support, and sponsorship in career & growth opportunities
- To provide guidance with topics such as public speaking, difficult conversations, personal branding and work life balance
Gina Kothari
Global Head of Lagardere & Aer Rianta | Diageo
Gina’s romance with global travel started 2 and half years ago, having transferred back to the UK from Australia. She has held a range of roles in her tenure from commercial, digital, category and strategic partnerships. However, the biggest achievement has been chairing the diversity and inclusion team across Diageo to ensure all employees can bring their authentic selves to work and are truly represented. Her passion for diversity and inclusion stems back to childhood, having grown up in a diverse family. She also is a huge advocate for mentoring and supporting individuals to navigate squiggly careers in companies, networking and ultimately achieving their goals.
Hobbies are: travelling (of course- I’ve travelled across Italy, Ireland, Middle East, India), playing tennis and netball, trying out new restaurants and most importantly spending quality time with friends and family.
Mentoring Specialities
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail.
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development.
- To provide guidance, support, and sponsorship in career & growth opportunities.
Helen Chater
Head of Sales | TRBusiness
Publishing has been my career choice for the last 31 years in many different sectors from oil and gas to baking! My favourite has been, and continues to be, Travel Retail.
I have had roles in telesales, field sales as a publisher of DFNI and now am loving the Head of Sales role with TRBusiness. Some of these roles have involved managing teams from 4 people to 10 people across departments and in my own team.
I love my career and I am also lucky enough to be a grandma to 4 beautiful girls all under the age of 5. This means I like to help out with the girls as much as I can so work, life balance is very important to me.
My other passion is working for the Samaritans. I look after the recruitment for my local branch, I’m on the training team and I mentor newly qualified Samaritans.
I also love ciroc dancing, baking and amateur dramatics.
Mentoring Specialities
- Help women who have been promoted to roles which require them to manage people if they haven’t had that responsibility before
- Ways to deal with imposter syndrome
- Women in sales roles for the first time and how to build sustainable business relationships
- Managing upwards
Judit Balardi
Shopper Marketing Manager, IMEA Travel Retail | Suntory Global Spirits
Judit brings over 16 years of experience in multinational marketing (Nestle, PMI, Hershey’s), excelling in crafting and executing strategies that amplify brand presence and drive substantial growth. As the Shopper Marketing Manager for the IMEA region in Travel Retail at Suntory Global Spirits, she leads innovative marketing activations, elevating brand visibility and driving impactful results.
She is actively involved in coaching and mentoring. Having successfully navigated a major career transition from Hungary to Dubai with the support of her mentors and coaches, Judit balances her professional life with her role as a mother of two young girls, alongside her husband.
Hobby: Theater (Latest favorite show was Hamilton that I saw in San Francisco), yoga, fine dining,
Favourite travel destination: Milan, Italy (partially because we have family there, but also because it means amazing food and great fashion)
Mentoring Specialities
- Tool to help the WiTR+ community thrive.
- Support global networking.
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail.
- Harness long standing relationships.
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development.
- To build connections by introducing useful contacts and networking opportunities.
- To provide guidance, support, and sponsorship in career & growth opportunities.
- Adjusting to international career moves
- Work-Life Balance / Mental Health First Aid
Natalie Fernandez
Sr Manager Duty Free Americas | EMEA & Global Duty Free
Natalie has over 20 years’ experience in the beverage & retail resale industries, in various commercially focused roles managing numerous global brands in domestic and global markets. She is currently a Senior Duty-Free Manager for Heineken and manages the strategic development of key commercial areas for the duty-free channel in cruises, travel retail, airlines, and military within the Americas region. Natalie resides in Houston, Texas and when she is not selling beer, she enjoys exercising, cooking, the outdoors and visiting new places with her husband and two sons.
Natalie is passionate about helping others in their personal growth and professional development. Her areas of expertise are organization, business & consumer analytics, strategic thinking & planning, problem solving, sales & marketing, FMCG, merchandising, account management, training, organization, work/life fit, and health & wellness.
Mentoring Specialities
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development.
- To build connections by introducing useful contacts and networking opportunities.
- To provide guidance with topics such as public speaking, difficult conversations, personal branding and work life balance
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail.
- Harness long standing relationships.
Sue Kelly
Sue started her travel retail career at ARI’s operation at the Eurotunnel in Folkestone & Calais in the 1990. Since then, she has built up over 20 years’ experience in travel retail, working primarily in the Buying and Business Development functions. She has held both regional and global roles such as; Luxury & Fashion Buyer, Global P&C Buyer, Head of Buying – ARI Ireland and ARI North America and Head of Planning and Category Strategy. She now heads up ARI’s business development programme, building winning customer centric strategies and proposals for new businesses. She has been instrumental in ARI’s prestigious contract wins such as; ARI’s Abu Dhabi Zayad International Airport Beauty & Sunglasses concession award and ANA Aeroportos de Portugal Joint Venture for Duty Free Retail operations at 8 international airports in Portugal.
Sue is a complete swimming bore and will happily chat for hours about swimming – in the sea, in lakes and in pools. A running joke with her friends is: “How do you know Sue has been for a swim? Don’t worry she’ll tell you…”
Her current favourite travel destinations don’t require flying – she does enough of that with work and she loves to relax in South Kerry – where yes, she communes with the jellyfish daily.
Mentoring Specialities
- Support global networking.
- Support new generations coming into Travel retail.
- To actively promote leadership growth, learning & building skills, and career development.
- To provide guidance, support, and sponsorship in career & growth opportunities.
- To provide female to female support and encouragement
Tracy Ross
Projects & Design Manager, Sustainability Champion, LEED Green Associate
Tracy has 34 years experience in the Interior Design industry, spanning across all market sectors from corporate, commercial, downtown and travel retail to hospitality projects.
Her design career has carried her from her home in South Africa, to Mauritius for 2 years and onto the Middle East for the past 27 years, of which 20 of those years, have been dedicated to the Aviation and Travel Retail industry, as Projects and Design Manager with ARIME, based in Bahrain, leading internal and external design and project consultantancy teams, which has afforded her the opportunity of directing designs for more than 50 global airports in 25 countries. This extensive, diversified experience, has developed a cultural sensitivity to working within new countries, environments, different nationalities and several project teams. Coupled with her strong design direction skills and well-rounded knowledge on sustainability, are her project management skills, ensuring that each project is delivered according to budgets, programs and stakeholder expectations, communicating efficiently and professionally with all stakeholders and project team members, from gathering of project data, transferring this information to the relevant team members, ensuring outputs capture the inputs, finishes, fixtures and materials specifications, reviewing and approving project drawings, managing documentation, budgets, submissions project reporting and presenting.
While her sustainability focus is on Green building design, implementation, supplier guidelines and reviews, as a qualified LEED Green Associate with US Green Building Council as well as Estidama trained under the UAE Green Building regulations, she also has a well rounded knowledge and understanding of Corporate Sustainability, ESG Strategies and Circular Economy having recently obtained a certification with the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. As sustainability is constantly evolving and advancing, Tracy aims to continue her ongoing education in this field.
Tracy also leads ACI’s ANARA (Non-Aeronautical Revenue) Sustainability working group 6 (WG6), having recently completed a draft white paper outline for the group and industry, which was published on ACI’s website in April This group meets quarterly to discuss the progress and challenges of Sustainability within our industry. She is actively involved with the TR Business Sustainability Forum since 2021, partaking in several Sustainability panel discussion and supplier sustainability judging sessions.Tracy recently completed and ACI Certification on “Airport Sustainability and Environment Management”. Passionate about sustainability Tracy aims to continue sustainability discussions with industry colleagues, on an on-going basis, whereby ever evolving information, materials, legislation, processes, challenges and achievements are shared on a GTR Sustainability platform, recognising the importance of collaboartion and sharing for the greater good of industry progress.
At the beginning of 2023, Tracy founded HOPE (Helping Ocean Plastic Elimination), together with Michael Barrett of TRB, a GTR program, which is supported by TRB, ACI, ETRC and UNEP, which aims to make a positive impact and contribution towards the global ocean plastic pollution problem, through collaborative industry support, together with Ocean Plastic organisations who are preventing or cleaning up waste streams, while supporting impacted coastal communities.
Mentoring Specialities
- Confident Communication & Public speaking
- Presentation skills
- Personal branding
- On-going personal growth & development
- Work life balance
- Mental wellness first responder
- Finding your passion
Enquire About The WiTR+ Mentorship Programme
The WiTR+ Mentorship Programme is only available to members. If you are already a member then please login and then come back to this page to get in touch for more information about the membership programme. If you are not yet a member then you can find out more information about joining via the button below.
What our members have to say
“Sustainability (people and planet) is critically important for everyone in every business function, and industry to embrace. I am proud to be a WiTR+ member to champion the sustainability agenda with the travel retail industry, in an open-minded, supportive, and meaningful way.
The WiTR+ events I have attended have been enriching, eye-opening, and business-focussed, making it relevant to our work, whilst facilitating a brilliant community of women.”
Smruti Sriram
CEO – Bags of Ethics
“When I joined WiTR+ at the end of 2022, I was looking for a platform of woman in the TR industry, with whom I could connect – WiTR+ provided this platform, through their regular virtual webinars and in person social gatherings at various TR events. Becoming a member not only provided this connection to like-minded individuals within our industry but opened the door to numerous inspirational and motivational talks
The element which touched me most, was the WiTR+ annual charity drive, to support less fortunate woman, children and communities where members are given the opportunity to recommend a charity. In 2023, it was an honor to have my charity of choice nominated – Koma Karanth Foundation, which build homes, feeds, educates and supports the community of Gloria Mindoro in the Philippines. Throughout 2023 a total of 34,133 Euros were raised through WiTR+ webinars and in-person TR events, enabling the charity to build a total of 6 furnished family homes for this community. The names of WiTR+ and their sponsors, feature on each home, in recognition of the generous donors.
It is a honour and pleasure to be associated with this wonderful network of executive woman, lead by Sarah Branquinho and Gerry Munday who constantly strive to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those less fortunate.”
Tracy Ross
ARIME | Projects & Design Manager – LEED Green Associate