Walpole: What does your role entail, and how long have you been doing it?
Sophie Howse: I have been at onefinestay for eight years, joining in 2016 as an Account Manager looking after our B2B partners for EMEA. I became Chief Sales Officer in 2023, overseeing reservations, sales operations and the B2B team. Our global reservations team is responsible for finding the perfect home for our potential guests and guiding them through all the suitable options, as well as the booking process. Our sales operations team looks after our systems, ensures we work efficiently and it is usually the first touchpoint for our guests.
My other responsibilities include training the team to ensure it is highly knowledgeable on the 50+ destinations we cover, as well as working closely with our brand and marketing team to raise awareness around some of our lesser-known destinations. I work with our tech and product teams to ensure that our systems and website are working for our needs, and I am always on the lookout for new partnerships to grow our B2B division.
What’s your career background and what makes you passionate about what you do?
I graduated university in 2008 which was probably the worst year to look for work due to the financial crash. I spent 18 months interning at PR companies thinking that was the avenue I wanted to pursue, though I ultimately realised it wasn’t for me.
My first role was at Red Letter Days; I worked to grow the short break category into the third most popular category while I was there. I then moved to Wahanda, now known as Treatwell, where I was responsible for their hotel and spa category, which was 50% of the company revenue in 2014. My team realigned its strategy to focus on enhancing our relationships with spas, building trust in the brand and using Treatwell’s internal software to fill unused slots, which pushed our growth. The role allowed me to work with so many British five star hotels, which led me into the world of luxury hospitality.
I love design, seeing different spaces, looking at people’s unique tastes, and appreciating beauty from brutalist architecture, modern minimalist or traditional kitsch. Every one of our homes at onefinestay tells a story, so I come into work every day to looking at 'property porn' – what's not to like!
Can you tell us about a woman who you look up to regarding your work?
I was so sad to hear of the passing of Iris Apfel last week. She is a true icon of mine – to be the ultimate style queen irrespective of age. She signed as a model at 97 and had such a positive energy for life which is hugely admirable. She will leave a lasting impression on me and so many others.
Ruth Baden Ginsberg is another inspiration to me. She was a true feminist and a disrupter in her day. She always fought against gender discrimination, pushed the boundaries of equality, and she was often the only woman in a room full of men. She then became such an icon and a role model, gaining the nickname 'Notorious RBG'. I took my two-week-old daughter to see On the Basis of Sex at baby cinema – I feel very strongly about having positive female influences around her! On top of this, my RBG Christmas decoration from House of Hackney is one of my most treasured ornaments on my tree.
From a work perspective, the people I most look up to are my mum friends. In this day and age, there is so much pressure on women to be 'everything'. Whatever we achieve at home and in the workplace is commendable. This generation is the first in which the majority of women work, while also doing the majority of cooking, school pick-ups, and house chores. To see some of my friends sell businesses, become C-suite members or lead huge multinational projects, alongside managing societal pressures whilst being the most amazing mums is such an inspiration.
Have you ever faced gender bias within your career?
I’ve been fortunate to work in very female-orientated companies, which means gender bias is difficult to come by. We are really proud of the female representation in our C-Suite team at onefinestay, with four of eight of the C-Suite executives being women. I have also been lucky enough to return from both my maternity leaves to a promotion. This situation is nearly unheard of and I feel very privileged to work for a company that champions me in my career development, while acknowledging my need to take time away from work to spend time with my children. Although coming back from maternity leave is nerve-wracking (I felt imposter syndrome and guilt), to be acknowledged in this way hugely grew my confidence in what was a very transitional period – in both home and work life.
What advice would you give to other women following your career path that would have helped you when starting out?
I have always said I’m agnostic about the company I work for, I just need to be passionate about the product they sell. You spend the majority of your week at work and it takes more energy to work on something you don’t enjoy, so I would advise women to take the time to really think about what you are passionate about.
If I could go back in time, I’d tell myself not to overthink things. Sometimes there is a hesitancy to push yourself or ask for that raise or the promotion you’ve had your eye on. Just go for it: it can’t hurt to ask the question!
What does success look like to you?
I never thought I’d reach the position of Chief Sales Officer and my imposter syndrome was getting the better of me, so last year I started a community where commercial professionals can connect and share insights. I’d love for this community to keep growing organically, and have a deep and positive impact on its members in commercial, sales or business development roles.
My long-term goal is to sit on boards so that in the future I can have a positive impact and high-level influence on companies I’m passionate about, especially around social responsibility.
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