Dupe Olusola, the Managing Director/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, the hospitality subsidiary of Transcorp Group has won the prestigious Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) Leadership Award at the 2024 edition of the forum holding in Windhoek, Namibia. The award was presented to her on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 at the ongoing AHIF 2024.
AHIF is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting many prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies and their advisers. According to organisers, Dupe’s award is in recognition of her exceptional contributions and leadership in the African hospitality sector.
“Dupe’s record is outstanding. She became the first female CEO of a N1 trillion company shortly after Transcorp Hotels ended the year as the best performing stock on the Nigerian Exchange. One has to admire her ability to inspire people and the innovative way she fought to retain guests when other hoteliers would simply have said they were fully booked,” said Matthew Weihs, Founder of the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF).
Dupe became Managing Director and CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc during the COVID-19 pandemic when occupancy fell to just 5%. She led the company back to profitability faster than most of the world’s hospitality companies, with the share price growing over 600% in 2023.
Under her leadership, the company has extended its offer; historically an award-winning business hotel, the company’s flagship property Transcorp Hilton Abuja had since introduced leisure offerings, finding the perfect blend of business and leisure. The company has also won over 40 awards since Dupe became Manging Director/CEO. She has won several personal awards, including CEO of the Year. Transcorp Hilton Abuja has elevated its status as the place to stay and to hold major events in Nigeria’s capital city. In November 2023, with banqueting enquiries exceeding capacity, Dupe set up marquees within the grounds of the hotel rather than turn away business.
Dupe Olusola while commenting on receiving the Leadership Award said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Leadership Award. This recognition is a testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of the entire Transcorp Hotels team. Together, we have navigated challenging times and emerged stronger, continually pushing the boundaries of excellence in hospitality. I am proud of what we have achieved and excited about the future as we continue to innovate, expand and deliver outstanding experiences for our guests.”
While Dupe Olusola was unavoidably absent to receive the award in person, Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Lola Ade-John received the award on Dupe’s behalf, while the organisers played a video recording of Dupe Olusola’s acceptance speech. At the event, Mrs Lola Ade-John highlighted the crucial role of government in developing sustainable tourism across the continent.
