Victoria Lilian Arnold, Director of Strategy, AvroKO | Brand Bureau
Skift Take
As Asia’s travel industry evolves, leaders like Victoria Lilian Arnold show that the future of growth will depend not only on strategy and development, but on cross-cultural leadership, community building and creating opportunity that is both inclusive and sustainable.
As Women Leading Travel continues to expand its global reach as part of the Skift family, we remain committed to amplifying the voices of the women shaping the future of travel across every region.
In celebration of Asia’s Women Leading the Travel Transformation, published by Skift, we are spotlighting leaders whose influence is driving meaningful change across the industry. Among them is Victoria Lilian Arnold, Director of Strategy at AvroKO | Brand Bureau, whose perspective reflects the creativity, cultural fluency and leadership needed to help shape travel’s next chapter across Asia.
As we gather today for our inaugural Women Leading Travel Asia Global Leadership Exchange in Bangkok, this spotlight offers a closer look at Victoria’s leadership journey — from community organizing to hospitality branding — along with her views on progress, cross-generational leadership and building community through meaningful work.
2. What inspired you to pursue the path you’re on today?
My mother. She always nurtured my love for exploration, history, food and storytelling. She was at the forefront of Thailand’s tourism industry as a museum curator and tour guide for more than a decade. I grew up watching her share new flavors and cultural anecdotes with people from around the world. I knew I wanted to do that, too, which eventually led me to hospitality and branding.
3. What transformation, personal or professional, are you navigating this year?
I’ve been training in Muay Thai for more than a year. The process has been both humbling and rewarding. I originally started because of an incident where a stranger followed and threatened me on my way to work. Thankfully, I was able to get to safety, but I was left feeling skittish and paranoid. Learning Muay Thai has been life-affirming and a massive confidence builder. I look forward to growing a bit more every day.
4. What’s one challenge women leaders face in your region that deserves more attention?
Women in Thailand are often bound by rigid social hierarchies, which can prevent them from speaking up or standing their ground. I want to see us become more accepting and encouraging of women across different backgrounds and ages. We must do the work to truly champion one another.
5. How do you use your voice in rooms where women are underrepresented?
It might sound simple, but the first thing I do is adjust my body language: I sit up straight and speak from my diaphragm. For me, the key is exuding both confidence and kindness. When I have something valuable to contribute, I speak plainly — direct and clear, without flowery language.
6. What leadership skill has been most critical to your growth?
With roots as a community organizer, I was taught to pair public speaking with active listening. To be an effective leader and motivator, those two skills must go hand in hand. Throughout my career, I’ve repeatedly seen the wisdom in that balance.
7. What woman or women in the industry inspire you right now?
There are so many women doing amazing things, but to highlight a few:
- Kuok Hui Kwong, a leader at the helm of a major family business making a significant impact.
- Pichaya Soontornyanakij, leading the way for female chefs in Thailand and championing the culture of Bangkok’s Chinatown.
- Anchalika Kijkanakorn, an entrepreneur who spotted a gap in the market and built a formidable boutique hospitality brand.
- My team at Brand Bureau Bangkok. It is an honor to work with such creative, strong women. They never fail to impress me.
8. What does progress in the travel industry truly mean to you?
The first mark of progress is opportunity — creating stable, meaningful careers that allow families to thrive. Another is thoughtful design and development that respects the environment. This means spaces that embrace nature’s quirks and contours rather than erasing them for cost and convenience. It means leaning into creatively upcycled materials and embracing principles of biophilia as a norm, not just in lifestyle spaces but in luxury settings as well.
9. What trend in Asia travel are you watching most closely and why?
The increase in point-to-point travel. I’m eager to see how new routes bring previously unconnected hubs together. I’m especially intrigued by creative in-flight programming, like seating design and food and beverage offerings, meant to combat the fatigue of long-haul flights. While I love slow rail travel, we rarely have the luxury of enjoying that mode of transport. Often, multiple flights are the only option, which can be draining, so seeing how airlines innovate in this space is paramount.
10. How do you balance ambition with sustainability, personally or professionally?
I always come back to Marie Kondo’s philosophy of “sparking joy.” Everything I do should spark joy in my life. Whenever I need to rebalance, I apply this to my health, family and work. Tidying up my priorities helps put everything back into perspective, making decisions much easier from that point on.
11. What experience most shaped your leadership perspective?
In my final year of university, I was trained in the community organizing model developed by Marshall Ganz at Harvard University. I applied those skills in an underprivileged neighborhood in upstate New York. Bringing together people with vastly different interests to do unpaid work for the common good is a big ask. Identifying and motivating leadership potential in others is something I still do every day — just in a different community now.
12. What does community mean to you as a leader?
It takes a village to do anything significant. Whether at home or at work, community is something to nurture and protect. As a former community organizer, I know that good things only happen when people are treated with dignity and given the stability to thrive.
13. What advice would you give women building careers across borders?
Bring your culture with you, but make space to adapt to where you are. Listen to local experts and don’t assume you know better, especially at first. Try not to live the expat lifestyle all the time. Get to know neighborhoods, markets and local eateries. Make the most of your privilege and create good vibes wherever you go.
14. What motivates you on difficult days?
I think of my grandparents. In the mid-1960s, they were on a road trip from Canada to Florida. While checking into a hotel in the Deep South, they saw the manager viciously turn away a Black couple, claiming there were no rooms. When the manager gestured for my grandparents to come forward, my grandfather said loudly, “If you have no rooms for them, you have no rooms for us.” My grandmother took the other woman’s arm and said, “Let’s drive until we both find something.” They drove in the dark to three different hotels until they found one that welcomed everyone. It wasn’t convenient, but it was right.
15. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to — and why?
Netherlands. I went on a family holiday with my husband, mother and in-laws. Visiting Anne Frank House was a profoundly moving experience. Reading Anne’s words and hearing her story while walking through the space where she hid with her family is something we will never forget.
16. What’s the top item on your bucket list?
A three-week trip through Central Asia along the ancient Silk Road with my husband and favorite cousins. Camel riding is optional; delicious food is not.
17. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I read it smiling with tears streaming down my face — people definitely stared at me on my morning commute.
18. What excites you about connecting with women leaders in Bangkok?
Sharing our experiences and motivating one another. I truly hope this is a moment where we can let our guard down, move past the formalities and genuinely connect.
19. What would you want other women in travel to know about you?
I approach life with a positive mindset, and I’m always ready for a new challenge. I don’t see problems; I see opportunities. Oh, and girl power forever.
20. What role do you hope Women Leading Travel can play in Asia?
I hope it provides a platform for more women in the region, bridging gaps across different class, religious and ethnic backgrounds. Give women — especially entrepreneurs and self-made women — a chance to showcase themselves.
Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn to learn more.