Who got a new gig this week? Check out this week’s travel industry’s Movers and Shakers!
1. Two new people join the Fraser team
Frasers Hospitality is pleased to announce the appointment of two key staff to its sales and marketing team. Both appointments coincide with the group launching the Capri by Fraser brand in Australia with a new Brisbane property in March.
Annette MacAndrew has joined Frasers Hospitality as director of sales and marketing for Australia following a successful five year role as vice president of sales and marketing for Ishin Hotels Group in Japan.
Effective immediately, Annette will oversee all sales and marketing for the group in Australia. Based in Sydney, Annette will lead the Cluster Team, and oversee the properties, ensuring the implementation and delivery of the group’s 2015 strategic sales and marketing plans of which the Capri by Fraser Australian brand launch and Brisbane hotel opening form a core focus.
Annette brings over 25 years of hotel industry experience to her new role having worked for major hotel groups such as Stamford Hotels and Resorts, Duxton Hotels International and Hilton Worldwide. In her most recent role with Ishin Hotels in Japan, she oversaw a portfolio of 23 properties.
Supporting Annette will be Naomi Ademokun who has been appointed to the role of Director of Sales and Marketing for Capri by Fraser Brisbane effective 5 January 2015.
Naomi joins Frasers Hospitality from Oaks Hotels & Resorts where she was responsible for driving MICE business for the group. Previous to that, she has worked in various sales and marketing roles, including as Director of Sales and Marketing at Novotel Brisbane Airport.
As Director of Sales and Marketing for Capri by Fraser Brisbane, Naomi will devise and implement a pre-opening strategy for the hotel that will further drive awareness for the brand and drive forward bookings.
2. WLCL appoints new salesmen
World’s Leading Cruise Lines has announced the appointment of two key recruits to its sales team to time with the new year.
Christopher Rich has filled the newly-created role of P&O Cruises Corporate Groups Executive, responsible for helping to drive corporate bookings for the cruise line’s growing fleet. Chris has extensive sales experience in the MICE industry in both Australia and the UK, and most recently held an Accounts Manager role at Sydney’s Luna Park.
Ken Triffitt has taken the newly-established role of Cunard/P&O Cruises World Cruising Business Development Manager. Ken has spent more than 30 years in senior sales roles in the travel industry in Australia, most recently managing sales for Aircalin. He previously spent a number of years with Thai Airways and is well-known in the travel trade.
Launched in 2014, WLCL is the trade marketing umbrella of cruise operator Carnival Australia, representing seven brands in Australia: P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, P&O Cruises World Cruising, Holland America Line and Seabourn.
3. Per AQUUM VP takes brand into Africa
Leading the Per AQUUM team into new and unchartered territory this year is Vice President Nick Downing. Bringing a wealth of experience to the brand’s portfolio, Nick is set to take the hotel collection into Africa in 2015 with the establishment of Essque Zalu Zanzibar as a Per AQUUM hotel.
Nick‘s background in the hospitality industry, beginning in the early 1990s, has enabled him to effectively spearhead the Per AQUUM collection which includes Huvafen Fushi, NIYAMA, Desert Palm, and the rebranding of Essque Zalu Zanzibar, set to finish in 2015.
Re-joining Per AQUUM as Vice President after near on a decade with Ativa Hospitality and Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Nick is responsible for the overall leadership, direction and vision of the brand. He also ensures that the core Per AQUUM values of making a difference through signature guest experiences, service, and design remain central to the brand.
4. New leadership at the Hilton
Paul Hutton has been announced as Hilton Worldwide’s new vice president for operations in Australasia effective 16 February 2015. Paul is currently working for Hilton Worldwide as the regional general manager for China South.
In his new role, Paul will be responsible for the performance of the growing portfolio of Hilton Worldwide hotels in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific as well as the planning and implementation of strategies across a variety of key functions in the region.
Paul takes over from Ashley Spencer who is retiring from his highly successful 27-year career with Hilton Worldwide, having held senior leadership positions in the UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia. He was appointed to the role of vice president, operations in Australasia in 2006 following his three-year tenure as vice president, operations in Asia Pacific.
Under Ashley’s guidance, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has retained its status as the number one hotel brand in Australia (as measured by the annual BDRC survey) a position the brand has held for ten consecutive years. Further, under his stewardship, the region’s portfolio of hotels has doubled in size and he has led the successful launch of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand to the market.
Ashley will continue to work for Hilton Worldwide, in a consultancy capacity, on a number projects across Australasia and Asia Pacific. His ongoing involvement with Hilton Worldwide ensures all hotels across Asia Pacific will continue to benefit from his outstanding operational expertise, enabling them to continue to deliver the highest levels of service.
5. GM takesover Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort
Outrigger Resorts has appointed Pieter van der Hoeven as General Manager of the Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort, effective 7 January 2015.
The appointment marks van der Hoeven’s second spell with Outrigger. Until early 2013, he was Outrigger Vice President Sales and Marketing, Asia Pacific. In his new role in Mauritius he will report to William Visser, Outrigger Vice President, Operations, Asia-Pacific, who is based in the Outrigger Resorts regional office in Phuket, Thailand.
Van der Hoeven initially joined Outrigger as a General Manager when the company started its expansion in Asia in 2008. He now returns to Outrigger after 18 months as General Manager of the two Raffles Hotels in Cambodia. Prior to joining Outrigger, he had a long career in hospitality that included three years with Six Senses Resorts, where he was General Manager of the Evason Hua Hin Resort and Evason Hideaway at Hua Hin, Thailand, and the Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara in Vietnam. He has also spent five years with The Peninsula Bangkok with earlier management positions in his native Australia with Hyatt and at The Peninsula Hong Kong.
6. Three new appointments at Rail Plus
Rail Plus announced the appointment of Kieran Healy to the Melbourne-based role of Operations Manager Australia, and the promotion of Kirsty Blows to the newly-created position of Country Manager New Zealand.
Healy, who takes on the Operations Manager role effective 2 February, is currently Rail Plus’ Sales Manager Victoria/Tasmania. Since joining Rail Plus in 2008 he has held a number of key roles, including Reservations Supervisor.
As Operations Manager he is now responsible for leading Rail Plus’ expert team of specialist rail consultants and ensuring the optimisation of all reservation and booking systems.
Blows has been with Rail Plus for more than eight years, during which time she has occupied a selection of senior Melbourne-based positions. In February 2014 she relocated to Auckland to take up the newly-created post of Sales and Marketing Manager, New Zealand.
In her expanded role as Country Manager she will now be responsible for the New Zealand reservations team, in addition to directing the company’s marketing efforts, liaising with trade partners and undertaking a range of travel agent support activities.
Rail Plus’ latest appointments form part of a wider organisational re-structure designed to deliver operational efficiencies while enhancing travel agency sales and support services.
Under the new structure the company’s former Australian state-based sales team is now re-aligned under a national accounts model, with former Sales Manager NSW Nicki Schleibs taking on the new Melbourne-based role of National Account Manager, alongside Brisbane-based Account Manager Larry Burrows.
Rail Plus is also in the process of appointing a new Inside Sales Executive, who will be responsible for coordinating communication with agents across Australia and coordinating sales reporting and analysis.
7. Local talent takeover senior management roles at Fiji Airways
The Fiji Airways Group has announced the appointment of two local professionals to senior management positions.
Shaenaz Voss has been appointed General Manager Industry, International and Government Affairs, reporting directly to the Managing Director and CEO. Ms Voss, prior to this appointment was the General Manager for Fiji Link, the domestic and regional subsidiary of Fiji Airways.
In her new role, Ms Voss will be accountable for all aero-political and public affairs priorities, memberships and relationship with the industry, the trade and Government bodies for the Fiji Airways Group.
She will work together with all internal stakeholders on key public and international projects, such as Air Services Agreements, infrastructure development and of course Government travel.
Ms Voss joined Fiji Airways Group in 2008, first as a Regional Sales Director and then in charge of Inflight Services. Since, 2011 she has been General Manager of Fiji Link (formerly Pacific Sun) and has just finished the fleet roll over of the airlines’ ATR fleet in 2014.
Thomas Robinson will take over the challenging job as General Manager for Fiji Link from Ms Voss and will also report directly to the Managing Director and CEO.
Prior to his new role Mr Robinson was General Manager Maintenance and Engineering.
Mr Robinson will move into this new role working to further embed the fleet transition process at Fiji Link and leverage the additional capacity from the new aircrafts into a significantly higher profitability of the regional subsidiary. He will also become the Accountable Managerof Fiji Link responsible for safety, security and its overall operations.
Mr Robinson will celebrate his 25th anniversary at Fiji Airways this year and will leave his last job of General Manager Maintenance and Engineering for this new position.
These new management appointments are effective from Friday 16th January 2015.