Korie Bukovelo is the senior manager of development marketing at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and serves as co-chair of the Wyndham EMPOWER enterprise resource group (ERG). She’s also a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality member! In this member spotlight, we asked Korie a series of questions about both her professional role and personal life, including the woman that inspires her, her leadership style, her advice for the next generation of female leaders, and much more.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Leaders” by Alina Polonskaia and Andres Tapia. It’s interesting to see how other leaders in various industries handle diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), a topic I’m quite passionate about as I serve as co-chair for the women’s ERG at Wyndham. This book has so many good data points and tips for leaders to develop skills that will help us to create a more inclusive workplace and future overall.
  2. What do you love most about the industry?
    I love that everyone in the industry lives hospitality. Everyone you work with is genuine, ready and willing to help, whether in a big way or a small gesture.
  3. What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you?
    I speak three languages. In addition to my native English, I also speak French and Ukrainian. I love talking to people so the more languages I can speak, the better!
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    Having difficult conversations with team members, especially those you genuinely like and respect. As leaders, our primary responsibility is to achieve our goals and ensure our teams are successful. Sometimes this involves addressing performance issues or providing constructive feedback, which can be challenging. However, I believe that these conversations, when handled with empathy and professionalism, can lead to growth and improvement for both the individual and the team.
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    I think motivation is such an individual thing. What motivates one team member might be completely unimportant to another. Showing your team members that you know what their goals and priorities are is so important.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    Too many to list! I feel extremely lucky to work alongside some amazing women and get to meet even more at the various industry events I attend each year. I love hearing about their different paths to success as well as the new paths being paved.
  7. Where do you believe the future of the industry is headed?
    I believe and actively work each day to ensure the industry will see increasingly diverse leadership. I’m passionate about finding new ways to increase representation for women and Black entrepreneurs in hotel ownership and I love hearing about the new diversity initiatives both within organizations and across the industry as a whole.
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a job candidate?
    A desire for continuous improvement. This industry is constantly changing, so it’s important to be adaptable and open to learning new things.
  9. What’s something that you learned about yourself in the past year?
    That I possess a strong sense of resilience and perseverance. I’ve faced several challenges, both professionally and personally, and I’ve realized that I can stay focused and motivated even when things get tough. This has helped me maintain a positive attitude and keep pushing towards our team goals.
  10. What’s your favorite podcast?
    I just binged all the episodes of “Too Much: The Women Who Went Their Own Way.” It’s an excellent series on high-achieving women who are breaking barriers despite being called “too emotional, too outspoken, etc.”
  11. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Empathy is my No. 1. I feel that it’s super important to understand that each individual is on their unique journey and that recognizing our shared similarities can foster a more inclusive and collaborative environment.
  12. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    It’s essential for me to live authentically and to be surrounded by genuine individuals. I believe that life is too short to conform to others’ expectations or to engage in activities that do not bring fulfillment and joy.
  13. Do you prefer to work in the office, at home, or hybrid?
    While I’m fully remote and do enjoy it, I’m also very grateful that my job involves regular travel so that I’m able to connect with my colleagues and friends in the industry. If that weren’t the case, I would need to be in a more hybrid environment so that I could nurture those relationships.
  14. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
    Paris. I studied there during undergrad and have been back several times since. I can’t get enough of the culture — particularly the art and food!
  15. What is a top item on your bucket list?
    It used to be skydiving, but now that I’ve done that I’d love to take a hot air balloon ride over Napa Valley or Tuscany, Italy.
  16. What do you do to recharge?
    I’m a huge proponent of mental health walks and I also love curling up with a good book.
  17. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    Getting my master’s degree while working a full-time corporate job.
  18. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Be proactive in sharing your ideas and insights during meetings and discussions. Your contributions are valuable and can truly impact the team’s success. Diverse perspectives are needed for innovation and problem-solving, and your voice is an essential part of that process.
  19. What gets you up in the morning?
    Knowing that I’m making an impact, whether it’s on the industry or just making a fellow team member’s day just a little better.
  20. What do you like most about being a member of Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?
    Being in the hospitality industry, it’s interesting to hear from the women on the travel side. I also really like that there’s such a mix of industry veterans and folks newer to the industry, which means that so many different points of view are being shared.

Interested in connecting with women like Korie? Apply today to become a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality member!