Flavour of the Week
The industry has quite a few fresh faces, so let the small talk and welcome morning teas begin!
New era for Tourism Whitsundays following AGM
Tourism Whitsundays (TW) held its Annual General Meeting on Monday [October 16] and announced its new board, which will assist the marketing and visitor attraction agency with strategy and direction for the next 12 months.
Al Grundy was again voted in as chairman in the email and postal ballot amongst TW’s member organisations.
Speaking at the AGM, held at Lure, Abell Point Marina, Mr Grundy said it has been an honour to represent Tourism Whitsundays during the past 12 months. He thanked outgoing board members and those board members remaining on the board serving their second year, and also congratulated the new board members.
“The board members give their time voluntarily to further the local tourism industry, when they are already running their own businesses as well,” he said.
“Like most things, it is a group effort and we appreciate everyone’s efforts along the way, especially in this very challenging year.”
Air Canada appoints Vic Naughton as General Manager Australia and New Zealand
Air Canada is today pleased to announce the appointment of Vic Naughton as its General Manager – Australia and New Zealand.
Naughton, who takes up his new Sydney-based position in November, will be responsible for driving Air Canada’s rapidly-expanding commercial activities across Australia and New Zealand.
He joins Air Canada from American Airlines, where as Head of Sales he has over the past two years played an integral role in the carrier’s successful return to the Australian market.
Prior to joining the aviation sector, Naughton spent more than 10 years with STA Travel, during which time he held a series of key sales roles in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia, including Regional General Manager Asia Pacific of the global company’s ISIC Card Division.
Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji appoints Jennifer Grayson to DOS role
Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji has appointed high-profile Jennifer Grayson to the role of Director of Sales Australia and New Zealand with immediate effect.
Announcing the appointment, GM Sascha Hemmann said Ms Grayson would take responsibility for all aspects of the luxury all-villa boutique resort’s sales in the key Australia and New Zealand markets.
Brisbane-based Ms Grayson needs no introduction to the Fiji travel scene where she has previously held two senior management positions since 2004.
These include Director of Convention Services for Sheraton Resorts on Denarau Island and more recently, a role as Director of Convention Sales & Director of Events Management at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa on Fiji’s Coral Coast.
Appointment of Group General Manager, Sales and Marketing for the Scenic Group in Australia / Asia Pacific region
Scenic is delighted to announce the appointment of Anthony Laver as Group General Manager, Sales and Marketing for the Scenic Group in Australia / Asia Pacific region, commencing 18 October 2017.
He joins Scenic from Destination New South Wales, where he spent the past eight years as General Manager Marketing, responsible for creating the strategic marketing plans to grow the NSW overnight visitor economy and overseeing a team of more than 40 people who implemented the programs for more than 140 annual events and integrated campaigns.
Laver said it was an exciting time to be joining the organisation as it continues to expand globally. “Scenic is recognised by the travel industry as a leader and innovator in the Luxury Cruise and Tour segment, offering high quality experiences and fully inclusive travel packages around the world. The launch of Scenic Eclipse in 2018 will offer unprecedented voyages of discovery and wonder that will set the industry benchmark for luxury experiences. I look forward to joining the professional team at Scenic Group”.
Topdeck travel appoints New South Wales West BDM
Leading group travel provider for 18-30 somethings, Topdeck Travel has announced the appointment of Tobin Hartley as their new Business Development Manager for the New South Wales West area.
Hartley’s knowledge of youth travel is extensive, with three years’ experience as a retail Team Leader in Australia and already four years with the youth tour operator based out of the UK and Europe. Hartley began his Topdeck journey as crew member in Europe before Hartley was promoted to Crew Trainer and Brand Ambassador where he travelled Europe extensively. Hartley comments “it was a valuable experience working as a Brand Ambassador focusing on ensuring our crew felt inspired to deliver the very best product possible”.
Hartley has now returned to Australia, responsible for educating agents about the brand’s products in the New South Wales West area. His extensive travel knowledge, passion for Topdeck and retail background makes him a perfect addition to the Topdeck sales team.
AVANI Hotels & Resorts Appoints Daniel Kipping as Director of Sales
AVANI Hotels & Resorts is delighted to announce the appointment of Daniel Kipping as Director of Sales for the upscale lifestyle brand.
Kipping will be responsible for the strategic direction of sales for the brand which spans 12 countries, with a portfolio of 18 properties and a pipeline of new hotel and resort openings within the next 3 years in South East Asia, New Zealand, UAE, Australia, Maldives and Africa.
Kipping will be based in Bangkok and he will play a key role in the brands leadership team, with the aim to optimise opportunities, drive business, find new regional synergies and support hotel’ sales teams.
A leader in the hospitality industry with more than 30 years’ experience Kipping has held senior positions with hospitality operators in Europe, Asia & Middle East, including InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton.
Shashita Nand leaves Nanuku to refocus on role with Pivotal Marketing Services
After nearly three years managing international sales and marketing activity on behalf of Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji, Shashita Nand is leaving the luxury resort to refocus her energies on Pivotal Marketing Services, the marketing/representation company she established in 2013.
Announcing her departure, Ms Nand said she was proud of her achievements with Nanuku having been instrumental in helping the resort rise from relative obscurity to becoming one of the best-known luxury brands in the destination.
But the time had come, she said, to refocus her efforts on her own company following opportunity couched within approaches from several boutique independent resorts keen to use her expertise in establishing further awareness of their brands in Australia and New Zealand.
This expertise extends to a ‘one-stop shop’ raft of services offering website and revenue management, digital marketing and PR.
Confirmit appoints new CFO to continue growth
Global solutions provider for Market Research and Customer ExperienceConfirmit has announced the appointment of Halvor W. Stokke as Chief Financial Officer.
Stokke’s appointment follows former CFO Ken Østreng’s move to the position of President and CEO earlier this year.
Stokke joins Confirmit from global engineering and construction organisation Kvaerner, where he held the position of Vice President, M&A and Business Development, for five years.
During this time, he was responsible for business strategy and planning, driving the reorganisation of the company at a time of volatility caused by significant price fluctuations in the oil industry.
Stokke’s long-term interest, however, has remained in the IT industry, which began during his first role as a consultant at The Boston Group Consulting. This interest was the catalyst for his move to Confirmit.
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