Eager to find out who will be taking that empty desk next to you but not brave enough to rifle through the contracts in HR? Read this instead.

Hawaiian Airlines’ CEO retires

Hawaiian Airlines’ president and chief executive officer, Mark Dunkerley is retiring after fifteen years at the company. Peter Ingram, the executive vice president and chief commercial office will take over the roll as CEO in 2018.

Since Dunkerley joined Hawaiian in December 2002, the airline has doubled the number of passengers flown annually, to 11 million. Over the same period the company’s gross revenues have increased four-fold, to $2.64 billion and its employee count has doubled, to 6,600.

“I am so proud to be associated with this company and our employees. Hawaiian Airlines is truly in a class of its own, distinguished by all the employees I am honoured to call my colleagues,” Dunkerley said.

“At the same time, I am excited by the new opportunities ahead of me and I am confident that Peter Ingram and the team will lead the company to further success.”

Virgin Australia appoint Rob Sharp as Group Executive Virgin Australia Airlines.

Rob has been acting in the role of GE VAA for the past four months whilst an extensive internal and global search was undertaken. An experienced senior aviation executive, Rob havs held a number of executive positions in the Australian airline industry over the past 20 years.

“Rob has a wealth of commercial expertise including specialist experience in operating in a multi-brand environment, is backed by strong operational credentials and has a track record of innovation,” Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti said.

Virgin Australia also appointed Danielle Keighery to the newly-created role of Group Executive Brand, Marketing and Public Affairs.

The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa appoint new architect and executive chef for resort revamp

The Byron at Byron Resort & Spa have kicked off their six-week transformation of the restaurant, bar, reception and relaxation deck which is expected to be completed in January 2018.

Appointing leading interior architect from Luchetti Krelle, Rachel Luchetti will transform the heart and soul of the Resort into a haven for travellers. The works to the central facilities complete a full Resort upgrade encompassing refreshed suites and the relaunch of the spa.

Matthew Kemp will be the Executive Chef and in charge of delivering The Byron at Byron’s restaurant a reimagined food offering. Kemp hails from the UK where he received his Michelin starred training before taking the helm of Sydney establishment Banc before opening his own restaurant, Restaurant Balzac. Kemp will join forces with Head Chef Gavin Hughes to unearth new existing and producers to create a not to be missed food experience.

If your clients are planning to stay at The Byron over the next few months, don’t stress, the resort promises minimal disruption to guests throughout November and December.

A look inside the Goldman Group

The Goldman Group, established by Tom Goldman OAM in 1983 is a multi-award winning, third-generation family owned and operated travel advisory group, specialising with in-depth experience in all facets of luxury leisure and business travel.

The company focus on making clients’ travel seamless, luxurious, and cost-effective. They are a member of the exclusive Virtuoso and helloworld business travel network, meaning they have access hotels and experiences not always available elsewhere, from room upgrades to on-site assistance in remote locations.

The company operates six distinct business streams:

Goldman Travel Corporation, a multi-award winning corporate travel management company; Travelcall, Australia’s most highly-awarded luxury travel agency; Travel Phase, boutique bricks-and-mortar travel agency specialising in travel solutions for high-end corporate and individual clients; SmartFlyer Australia, comprising of the ultimate travel collective – 25 experienced agents nationwide – specialising in VIP travel for a distinguished client base; and
Quintessentially Travel Australia, the Australian arm of global travel company Quintessentially Travel.

Royal Caribbean Cruises appoint Frank PR as its Australian PR agency

The award-winning consumer PR agency will work across the international cruise company’s three key brands in Australia: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara.

Frank PR will be responsible for developing and rolling out creative campaigns for each of the three brands as the cruise company gears up for further growth.

“After an incredibly competitive pitch process, we selected Frank because they blew us away with their creative thinking, but also their ability to put themselves in the shoes of our target consumers,” said Adam Armstrong, Managing Director at Royal Caribbean in Australia and New Zealand.

Ani Villas Appoints New CEO

John Vasatka is taking over as CEO this month for the Ani Villas’ collection of private resorts in Anguilla, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as a fourth property due to open later this month in the Dominican Republic.

Vasatka has worked with upscale luxury hotels for nearly two decades. His most recent position was as GM at the Malliouhana, an Auberge resort on Anguilla. He will continue to be based on the 35-square-mile British territory in the West Indies where Ani Villas first opened its doors in 2011.

“John’s background makes him a perfect fit for Ani,” said outgoing CEO Ira Bloom.

In the wake of Vasatka’s appointment, Bloom will focus on acquisition and management of the assets of the group as owner’s representative for its principal Tim Reynolds, who parted company from Jane Street Capital some years ago to focus on the development of Ani Villas and its complementary philanthropic effort, the Ani Art Academies.

Centara appoints Deputy CEO

Centara Hotels & Resorts have appointed Markland Blaiklock as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. He will be responsible for steering the continued expansion of Centara, which aims to double both its revenue and number of properties over the next five years.

Blaiklock previously served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer in 2015. He has held senior executive positions with Le Meridien, Shangri-La, Raffles and Accor hotel groups, in Asia and North America.

“I’m delighted to be back with Centara during this dynamic period of growth for the company,” Mr Blaiklock said.

“The plans are ambitious and exciting. I look forward to contributing my experience, energy, and leadership to Centara’s capable team. Together we can achieve great progress.”