As Chief Development Officer for Luxury and Lifestyle brands, at Accor, Agnès Roquefort travels to dream destinations to expand the hotel network of Europe’s leading hospitality group and the world’s sixth-largest. Passionate about leading teams and working with multicultural groups, she has built a rich career across the globe. For The Women’s Voices audience, she shares what drives her success. An exclusive interview.
Can you describe your professional journey?
I am currently the Global Chief Development Officer for the Luxury and Lifestyle brands at Accor, part of Accor ExCom. With a global team based across the world, we have the mission to sign and open one Luxury & Lifestyle branded hotel every week!
I have been with Accor for 14 years, holding various roles and responsibilities.
Three major pillars have guided my professional life: People, Strategy, and Performance. Together, they are the true drivers of my professional motivation. I perform best when collaborating within a team, brainstorming ideas, and leveraging the strengths and unique personalities of each member.
Strategy has been a key component of my first 10-year career, with roles in private equity and consulting firms at Bain & Company, Advancy, and Turenne Capital. These years were filled with challenging projects that were intellectually and physically demanding due to the pace of work, but they offered invaluable learning experiences, working methods, and a unique professional network.
Today, strategy and vision continue to be crucial for me to drive a team, providing direction and meaning to our efforts, fostering innovation, and ensuring our relevance in the sector.
After a decade of very intense work and an unbalanced work-life dynamic, I chose to join Accor, as I discovered my passion for the hospitality sector during various consulting projects.
At Accor, I have had the opportunity to hold various roles in Project Management, Operations, Revenue Management, Data, Marketing, M&A, and now Hotel Development. I love my current job as it beautifully synthesizes everything I have learned and enjoyed so far: team management, strategy, and performance.
What is unique about your field of activity ?
The uniqueness of my current job as Global Chief Development Officer lies in the diversity of human relationships, from managing global teams to collaborating with investors and partners with very different profiles.
In recent weeks, I was in Saudi Arabia, Japan, Vietnam, and London… The contrast in cultures and the richness of people’s experiences are remarkable.
Our investors also have very diverse profiles and motivations. High-Net-Worth individuals or Family Offices are concerned about what they will leave for the next generations. Private Equity funds are driven by financial KPIs and demanding partnerships, while Sovereign Funds focus on building the future of their nations. This requires constant adaptation, cultural awareness, and a deep understanding of each individual’s professional and personal drivers to foster truly customized relationships.
What are your challenges for this year ?
For 2025, we have set very ambitious growth targets for Accor’s Luxury and Lifestyle brands. We are benefiting from strong market momentum, as the hospitality sector has experienced two record years in terms of revenue, and investors are eager to invest in new hotels.
As a global development team, our goal is to sign and open one Luxury and Lifestyle hotel every week, totaling more than 50 hotels per year under brands such as MGallery, Sofitel, Fairmont, Raffles, Mama Shelter, Hoxton, Delano, and Orient Express, to name a few.
We aim to accelerate Accor’s Luxury & Lifestyle growth while ensuring that the hotels we develop are of the highest quality and respectful of the environment and local communities.
ESG is now a hot topic for our industry and represents both an inspiration and a challenge. Today, tourism is often seen as a burden on the environment. We have the power to change this paradigm by opening hotels that are better integrated into local communities and more sustainable. However, this transition is challenging, as it requires major investments to improve existing buildings or construct new hotels that meet high ESG standards. Nevertheless, this shift is fascinating because it allows us to be part of a new model of growth.
What has been your biggest failure, and what lesson did you learn from it ?
Staying in a toxic professional relationship for too long!
A few years ago, I had a difficult relationship with my manager. We were not strategically aligned, and there were communication issues.
We tried to resolve them, but in vain. Instead of taking action to change my job, I stayed and started to lose my self-confidence. Fortunately, I had a coach at the time who encouraged me to act and leave.
Lesson learned: If you are not happy in your job, try to improve the situation, but do not wait more than six months before making a change. There are always other opportunities where you can deploy your talent and energy in a better environment.
After making that decision, I took a new position that was perhaps less complex and challenging, but it helped me regain my confidence. I had a lot of fun and achieved great success with my team.
What advice would you give to a young woman entering the workforce ?
One of my key pieces of advice to young women: Dare to ask. Do not wait too long for things to happen; be an active driver of your career. This means asking for a new challenge, a project, a promotion, or a salary increase. In the worst-case scenario, the answer will be no, but in 80% of cases, you will receive a yes!
Do not hesitate to take on more responsibilities than you initially believe you can handle. You do not have to choose between your personal and professional life. It is not a matter of either/or but rather both/and.
The right balance between personal and professional life is unique to each of us. Do not let others dictate what that balance should be, whether because you are a mother, a wife, or for any other reason. You are the one who decides where your balance lies. If you are aligned with your own motivations and professional drivers, you will find happiness in your personal life and success in your career.
At the beginning of my career, I was fortunate to have a mentor—a senior colleague who took the time to answer my questions and guide me through doubts. Today, I am proud to give back. I am an active member of Accor RiiSE’s Diversity network and a strong advocate for mentoring programs.
To navigate important professional decisions, I encourage young women to seek a mentor or coach, or to build a supportive network. A few people around you who challenge and push you can make a significant difference. They will serve as sparring partners, asking the right questions and helping you go beyond your comfort zone.
What is your motto?
“One for all and all for one.” This is the famous motto of the Three Musketeers in Alexandre Dumas’ novel.
A collective and team spirit is essential—it allows us to go further. I love brainstorming with my teams, enriching discussions with different perspectives, ideas, and cultural backgrounds.
In my daily job, this is a key element of success. Opening a hotel requires bringing together expertise from multiple disciplines—Development, Design, Legal, Operations, and more—to first convince an investor and then build or renovate a property that will become a global landmark for guests.
Who have been the inspiring “voices” in your career, and what were their messages ?
I find Christine Lagarde’s words particularly inspiring:
“Dress, address, and redress.”
For me, Dress represents pleasure and personal expression while maintaining a feminine touch. Address and redress signify taking command and solving difficult issues when necessary. It is excellent advice!
I was also greatly inspired by the Group Human Resources Director when I joined Accor. She taught me a lot about leadership. Coming from strategic consulting, where most professionals have similar profiles and are primarily driven by performance, I had to learn a more nuanced approach to hospitality, which involves a wide variety of people and personalities. She imparted to me the importance of values, purpose, and vision. She was truly an eye-opener and played a key role in my journey toward becoming a manager and leader.
Share with us methods, tips that serve you most in your daily work.
I found Stephen Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, very useful. Among the key takeaways: Dedicate time each week to working on long-term, transformative topics. Prioritize personal well-being—sport is my personal outlet, and I play tennis every Monday evening and on weekends. It helps me feel balanced and energized. Replace to-do lists with to-be lists, focusing on impactful activities. What message do you want to convey? What behavior do you want to embody?
These principles have helped shape my career and leadership approach.
#5000VOICES is an initiative made possible thanks to our partners Engie, Accor, Transdev, La Fondation RAJA, Aurel BGC, Veolia and Mastercard.
Discover : Caroline Benard : “Women are taught to be wise, accommodating”