Who got a new gig this week? Check out this week’s travel industry movers & shakers!
1. Centara appoints 4 new Group Directors
With three promotions and a new addition, Centara Hotels & Resorts corporate operations team is being infused with some new energy and direction as the company continues to grow.
The four new Group Director of Operations roles were created as a response to the rapid growth in Centara’s property portfolio.
With properties in diverse regions, each requiring specific attention, there will now be greater concentration on the strategic areas for Centara, and to strengthen the product offerings and services.
2. Former Virgin manager joins Insight Vacations
After nearly a decade of working for airlines, Alex O’Connor has decided to take her management skills over to The Travel Corporation (TTC) as the new MD of Insight Vacations Australia.
O’Connor will step into the role on 8 February this year, to replace outgoing Managing Director, Joost Timmer who announced his resignation in December last year.
She joins the team with over 15 years travel industry experience, including six years with Air New Zealand where she held several titles such as Online Performance Manager, Corporate Sales Manager and National Distribution Manager. She also spent a year with Virgin Australia as Head of Industry Sales.
3. Two new GMs for Anantara’s Thai properties
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has appointed Giles Selves as General Manager of Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Resort and Lutz Mueller as General Manager at Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort.
Giles joins Anantara after 19 years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, most recently as General Manager at Keraton at the Plaza, A Luxury Collection Hotel & Residences in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Born and educated in the UK, Giles has followed the F&B route to hotel management, having started his career with Starwood in 1996 as a Head Waiter at the Sheraton Park Tower in London.
Moving up through the ranks in F&B, his time with Starwood took him to The Westin Turnberry Resort in Scotland, saw him heading up Restaurant & Bar Development for Europe, Africa & the Middle East based in Starwood’s regional office in Brussels for five years from 2005, and then moving back into hotel operations as Director of Operations for the pre opening of The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, as well as The Westin Costa Navarino Resort in Greece. Giles then made his first move to Asia in early 2011 as Hotel Manager at the St. Regis Bangkok, a hotel which is owned by Minor Hotel Group, Anantara’s parent company, before being promoted to his first General Manager position in Jakarta in 2012.
Lutz Mueller spent 22 years with Marriott International in Germany, India, Thailand and China, Lutz joins Anantara from his most recent position as General Manager at Wanda Vista Resort Xishuangbanna in southern China.
Lutz started his career in 1991 with Marriott International in Germany, where he gained valuable experience in Finance and Rooms Operations within Marriott properties in the cities of Frankfurt and Hamburg. In 2000 he joined the Marriott International Lodging team for a year as a Project Manager on their ‘At Your Service’ programme. Following this assignment, Lutz was promoted to Director of Rooms, and continued to work in this role for both Marriott and Renaissance Hotels in Mumbai, Bangkok, Shanghai and Tianjin, before becoming Resident Manager at the Renaissance Wuhan Hotel in China in 2006.
In 2007 Lutz was promoted to his first General Manager position at The Courtyard by Marriott Phuket at Kamala Beach in Thailand. This was followed by several more General Manager positions at the Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa and Wanda Realm Nanjing in China, a property he joined to lead the pre-opening team.
4. SureSave welcomes new BDMs
SureSave is pleased to welcome Steve Jacobsen as its new Business Development Manager (BDM) for Queensland and Bec Brown as its new BDM for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Now, at SureSave, Steve and Bec’s new roles will see them drive growth for the company which already insures 300,000 Australians every year.
With a career spanning over 20 years in the travel industry, Steve has held various sales and management roles in leading travel companies including, World Aviation Systems, Singapore Airlines, and most recently, Air France.
Encompassing a wide range of management and travel industry roles, Bec’s experience has developed over the past 8 years from an Assistant Manager at Flight Centre to most recently, BDM at Cox and Kings.