Flavour of the Week: Ann Sherry’s new gig, Bench Africa welcomes new state manager + MORE!
Lost track of who’s recently been hired and fired in the industry? Let this Flavour of the Week edition get you back up to speed.
Former Carnival boss joins Enero Group as chair
Former chair and chief executive of Carnival Australia, Ann Sherry AO (pictured above), has a new role.
Sherry will join Enero Group as an independent non-executive director and the new chair from 1 January 2020 to replace the outgoing chairman John Porter.
As a recognised business leader in Australia, Sherry currently holds roles as the director of ASX-listed National Australia Bank, as chair of its customer committee and a member of its remuneration committee. Sherry is also a director of Sydney Airport, chair of its remuneration and nomination committee, as well as a member of its safety, security and sustainability committee.
Sherry is also currently chair of UNICEF Australia and a director of international advisory firm The Palladium Group, Infrastructure Victoria, Cape York Partnerships, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The former Carnival boss will also continue as an adviser to the cruise company.
Bench Africa welcomes new state manager
Bench Africa has welcomed the latest addition to its team, with Anji Johnson joining as Queensland’s new state manager.
Johnson has travelled Africa extensively and visited the continent on multiple occasions, including gorilla trekking in Uganda, and travelling through the game parks of the Southern Africa. She joins Bench with previous BDM experience and a prior successful appointment at Flight Centre.
Bench Africa is thrilled to have someone of Anji’s experience and abilities join its growing family.
TripAdvisor announces new creative agency appointment
TripAdvisor has announced Mother, an independent creative company with offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai, will be the brand’s new global creative agency of record.
The new creative platform is scheduled to coincide with TripAdvisor’s 20th anniversary in 2020. The business will be led out of its New York office.
TripAdvisor also recently named Havas Media as its global media buying agency of record, responsible for developing an integrated approach to both offline and digital brand building.
Sun Island Tours appoints NSW and ACT brand development manager
Sun Island Tours has welcomed Marilu Vitale as BDM for NSW/ACT.
Vitale joins Sun Island Tours with three decades of industry experience and knowledge, having previously held similar positions at Bentours and Tempo Holidays, and Discover the World Australia.
International executive chef joins Outrigger Resorts’ Castaway Island, Fiji
Hicham Mneimneh has joined Castaway Island, Fiji, as executive chef, bringing 20 years of experience with dozens of different cuisines to the role.
A Lebanese national born in Kuwait, Hicham is fluent in German, French, English, and Arabic and has worked throughout Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
Hicham has been involved in the opening of eight hotels and five fine-dining restaurants; while in 2004, he received an award for running the best consumer cuisine Asian-fusion restaurant in Beirut.
He has served presidents and Arab royalty, including Saudi Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal and the former president of Ghana, John Koufur.
He has also been involved with the Alain Ducasse education training programs and is passionate about developing people and business.
Emirates announces Europe, Middle East, Far East management reshuffle
Emirates has made several key management movements across its commercial operations team in the Middle East, Far East, Europe and Emirates Skywards. These appointments will reinforce the airline’s presence across these strategic markets, and is in line with its commercial strategy to deliver strong business performance.
The new appointments, effective 1 November 2019, will see 12 UAE National commercial managers take on new leadership roles at Emirates across the Middle East, Far East, Europe and Emirates Skywards. They are as follows:
- Khalid Al Haddad, currently vice president Saudi Arabia, will take on the role of vice president for Skywards members and operations
- Mohammed Alnahari Alhashmi, currently holding the role of corporate sales manager UAE, will be appointed as vice president, Saudi Arabia
- Abdalla Al Zamani, currently manager Malaysia, will take on the role of country manager Indonesia
- Rashid Al Ardha, currently country manager Indonesia will be rotated as manager Singapore
- Mohammad Al Attar, manager Cyprus, will take up the new role of manager Malaysia
- Mohammed Al Wahedi, commercial manager Myanmar will embark on the role as manager Vietnam
- Haitham Al Battawy, manager Vietnam will be rotated as manager Thailand, Myanmar & Cambodia
- Talal Al Gergawi, commercial support manager Cambodia to take up the role of manager Cambodia
- Mohammed Al Qassim, commercial support manager Bangkok will take on the role of manager Cyprus
- Khalid Hassan, business analysis manager Far East, will take up the role of manager Sharjah and the Northern Emirates
- Omar Al Banna, manager Sharjah and Northern Emirates will be rotated as commercial corporate sales manager in Dubai
- Asma Al Rahma, business analysis manager will take on the role of Emirates Skywards programme manager.
No1 Lounges appoints Discover the World as exclusive sales rep
Premium airport lounge operator, No1 Lounges, has appointed Discover the World, a global travel industry sales and marketing specialist, as their exclusive sales representation partner across Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement will see Discover leverage its travel sales capability and travel trade relationships to raise awareness of No1 Lounges’ premium airport offering; the agreement also aims to introduce the benefits of No1 Lounges’ portfolio of airport lounges to a wider audience.
UK-based No1 Lounges operates 15 premium airport Lounges across the UK and Australia, under the ‘No1 Lounges’, ‘The House’, ‘Clubrooms’ and ‘My Lounge’ brands.
These include lounge locations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and Luton.
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