Karryon Luxury Takeover March 2024 side lock up
Karryon Luxury Takeover March 2024 side lock up
Home Travel Industry Hub

Meet CT Partners' new Director, ATS Australia's new GM & more Movers & Shakers

It’s been a big week in the travel industry with people moving up and on from previous positions into new and exciting gigs, we call them our movers & shakers.

It’s been a big week in the travel industry with people moving up and on from previous positions into new and exciting gigs, we call them our movers & shakers.

So, who got a new gig this week by checking out this week’s travel industry Movers & Shakers below or clicking here to check out last week’s new appointments.

 

1. Meet… Carlson Rezidor Hotel’s new Vice President of Operations, China

Movers & Shakers

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announced the appointment of Gary Ye as vice president, Operations, China. Gary will join the company on December 18 and report directly to Katerina Giannouka, incoming president, Asia Pacific. He will also be a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Committee.

Based in the company’s Shanghai office, Gary will be responsible for spearheading the company’s hotel portfolio in China. Among his varied responsibilities – driving operational excellence to raise guest satisfaction levels and brand compliance, developing and implementing key strategies and services to elevate owner, employees and guest engagement and leading commercial resources to drive revenue and profitability.

“Gary’s vast experience in operations, marketing and quality assurance will play an integral role in continuing to strengthen and build our capabilities enabling us to further drive our growth strategy in China. As the company accelerates our China portfolio growth, we are confident that he will be a great asset to our overall leadership team with his profound knowledge of the China market,” said Robert Chessen, interim president, Asia Pacific.

A Chinese national, Gary brings with him a diverse 27-year hospitality career. Prior to his current appointment, Gary held senior roles in Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Greater China and SkySea Cruise Line. His previous roles include Area Manager for the Shanghai cluster of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels, where he championed group hotel activities, developed future general managers and built business relationships with partners.

 

2. Meet… Berjaya Hotels & Resorts’ new Head of MICE

movers & shakers

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, welcomes Ms. Alphansa Kumarie as the new General Manager of MICE, Business Development & Marketing. With over 28 years of building business volumes and maximizing profitability in both the leisure and MICE business, Ms Kumarie will oversee the advancement of Berjaya Hotels and Resorts MICE properties.

“I am thrilled to be working with Berjaya Hotels and Resorts and am looking forward to working with all of our business partners here in Malaysia and overseas to increase MICE business into our properties such as Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Berjaya Hotel Penang, Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, Johore and the all the Berjaya Islands with its innovative MICE facilities,” said Ms Kumarie.

Ms Kumarie brings strong and effective management & negotiation skills from her time at other Malaysian hotel companies such The Sunway Group, Meritus Hotels & Resorts, UOA Hospitality Group.

 

3. Meet… CT Partners’ new Director

movers & shakers

The Board of Directors CT Partners Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Tass Messinis Managing director of BCD Travel as a Non-Executive Director of the Company with immediate effect.

The announcement comes following CT Partners annual general meeting held in Bangkok as part of its 2017 Annual Conference where members reviewed the company’s financial report for the year ended 30 June 2017, elected directors for 2018 and approved payment of a dividend.

Mr Messinis joins a board members comprising of: Alan Wolf – Bay Travel Group, Barry Mayo – TravelManagers Australia, Gary Reichenberg – Executive Edge Travel, Grant Wilson – TravelEdge Group and Michael Chase-Smith – Orbit World Travel.

CT Partners’ chairman Grant Wilson thanked retiring director Tim Lane for his contribution over the previous three years and said, “we are fortunate to have an industry leader of Tass’ experience joining the board and following the company’s twenty-two percent growth in total transaction value during 2017 we are looking forward to another successful year ahead.”

In commenting on the shareholders’ dividend payment, Wilson advised that “CT Partners is not intended to be a profit centre in its own right and offers unrivalled transparency of financial activities and full accountability to members. The company’s only shareholders are its members and the dividend payment is a means of distributing unbudgeted profit to the membership.”

CT Partners 14th Annual conference is taking place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok from 30 October to 02 November.

 

4. Meet… Tjapukai’s new Sales Executive

movers & shakers

Former Tjapukai performer Damien Ralphs has returned to the role of Sales Executive and Peter Clarkstone has been appointed Chef/Beverage Manager at the Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns.

Tjapukai General Manager Bryce Madgwick said Damien performed with Tjapukai and started learning the sales role before moving to Adelaide where he worked in health promotion and as Arts Co-ordinator of the Spirit Festival.

“Having honed his sales skills over the past two years, he will be an asset to Tjapukai looking after our local market, tour desks and the education market,” he said.

“Peter is a qualified trainer and very experienced in managing kitchens, with his career in Melbourne including working as a restaurant trainer and as an executive chef at a conference centre.

“He will mentor our food and beverage staff to grow the restaurant into an established part of the Cairns dining scene.

“This continues an exciting period of change and growth at Tjapukai which we anticipate will boost the skills of our staff.”

A Wotjobaluk Gunnai man from Victoria, Mr Ralphs is one of more 45 Indigenous people working at Tjapukai.

Tjapukai is one of Australia’s largest employers of Indigenous people in the tourism industry with Indigenous employees making up 73% of the team.

 

5. Meet… ATS Pacific Australia’s new GM

movers & shakers

Helloworld Travel Limited is pleased to announce that Neale Herridge, currently General Manager of Global Sales at ATS Pacific, has been appointed General Manager ATS Pacific Australia.

Neale has been in his current role for the past 2.5 years and prior to that was Director of Sales – Inbound for Accor.

Cinzia Burnes Executive Director and Head of Inbound and Wholesale at Helloworld Travel Limited congratulated Neale on his new role.

“Neale has a proven track record and is bringing his significant experience in Hotels and Tourism to the role. He will continue to have responsibility for the sales function for the ATS Pacific Brand in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and we have no doubt he will continue to deliver great results to the business.” Mrs Burnes said.

ATS Pacific is a leading inbound travel management company servicing international travellers to Australia for over 30 years. With offices in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji it is a business of Helloworld Travel Limited’s Inbound division.

Stuart Neels, Group General Manager ATS Pacific echoed the sentiment and welcomed Neale to his new position.

“It’s great to have Neale moving into this overarching area of the business looking after the Australian arm of the brand in addition to his group sales role and we wish him every success,” he said.

Neale commenced in the new role in October 2017 and is based in Sydney.

Did we miss someone? Send us an email & let us know.