As Louise McCarthy received the Personal Travel Manager (PTM) of the Year award for 2023/24, amid flashing cameras and roaring applause, it looked like she couldn’t have been happier. It was in her eyes – a feeling of utter elation.
That’s what it meant for the TravelManagers star to claim, arguably, the most coveted prize at TravelManagers annual awards – and for the second straight year. Given the reception she received, she had some fans too. But will Louise make it a hat-trick in 2025?
McCarthy wasn’t the only PTM to walk away from the TravelManagers national conference’s gala dinner with a big award.
Wrapping up the three-day conference, the awards recognise TravelManagers’ highest performers as well as those who epitomise the group’s values and culture.
Another high-profile gong, the PTM Choice Award, went to Rachael Portelli from Aberfeldie, Victoria.
Decided by peer votes, this honour is bestowed upon a PTM who shows professionalism and dedication to the TravelManagers brand and values.
There was also a new category called the Above and Beyond Award, which went to Nicole Cocks.
“The inaugural recipient of the Above and Beyond Award, PTM Nicole Cocks, is the epitome of a TravelManagers PTM who goes above and beyond to assist colleagues and clients dealing with challenging circumstances,” TravelManagers Executive General Manager Michael Gazal said.
“She received the award for her exceptional service and selflessness in a situation that, without her quiet intervention, could have destroyed a client’s milestone family holiday.”
The Barry Mayo Spirit Award, which is presented each year to someone whose attitude has helped boost TravelManagers’ culture, went to Parkes, NSW-based PTM Maria Miller.
“Maria joined TravelManagers in 2008, and her strong connections across the network are a direct result of her willingness to lend a hand or an ear to any fellow PTMs in need of support and assistance,” Gazal remarked.
All the award winners
- TravelManagers Engagement Award – Julianne Gazal-Rizk
- Most Improved Personal Travel Manager – National Kirk Walpole, NSW/ACT Erin Beckford, WA/NT Stacey Lekias, VIC Kirk Walpole, QLD Nicole Cocks, SA/TAS Micheal Puttner
- Partner Supplier of the Year – Vietnam Travel & Cruise
- Top Sales Executive Martine Nunes – Oceania Cruises
- Supplier Choice Award – Karryn Bartlett
- Above and Beyond Award – Nicole Cocks
- Recognition Award – Cathy Moir
- TravelManagers Support Award Lia Malone – Cruise Product Manager
- Top Personal Travel Manager by State – NSW/ACT Louise McCarthy, WA/NT Sally Seward, QLD Bec Alafaci, VIC Emma Lucas
- PTM Choice Award – Rachael Portelli
- Denise Dean Advocate Award – Anna Curran
- Excellence in Marketing – Tanya Patterson
- Top 10 Personal Travel Managers – Ally Casey, Carli Byrne Hester, David Hull, Dominic Bellissimo, Emma Lucas, JP Bouteeu, Kerrin Poupos, Kirk Walpole, Louise McCarthy, Ric Pattaro
- Personal Travel Manager of the Year – Louise McCarthy
- Barry Mayo Spirit Award – Maria Miller
For the only comprehensive update on everything that went down at TravelManagers’ ‘Working Smarter’ annual national conference – including a Q&A with Olympic legend Cathy Freeman and a performance by singer Christine Anu – check out our rolling report.
