We’re so pleased for all these industry movers and shakers that we might as well go to the pub and have a few arvo wines in their honour.
G Adventures welcomes two new Global Purpose Specialists
Newly representing G Adventures in Queensland and northern New South Wales is Nikki Woodward who is based in Brisbane, with Ben Goschnick taking up his role as Global Destination Specialist for New South Wales and ACT from Sydney.
As Woodward and Goschnick hit the road, they will be armed with three brand new brochures designed to help agents sell G Adventures’ Classic, 18-Thirtysomethings and National Geographic Journeys travel styles.
Sean Martin, managing director for G Adventures in Australia, said both are a great fit for our team with their existing passion for small group adventure and changing lives through travel.
Woodward has previously traveled with G Adventures through Colombia and Cuba, citing the Cuidad Perdida – Lost City trip – in Colombia as a highlight, where she hiked through the jungle and slept in hammocks alongside the local Wiwa community.
After a two and a half year hiatus from sales, Goschnick is excited to be back doing what he loves – helping agents sell travel to adventure and off-road destinations.
Carnival Completes Sales Restructuring to Provide Agent Partners ‘Heavy Support’
A comprehensive sales restructuring has been completed to better equip the major cruise brands – P&O Cruises Australia, Holland America Line and Seabourn – to provide “heavy duty support” to travel agent partners across Australia.
Ryan Taibel, vice president of sales at Carnival Australia, said travel partners with businesses at the epicenter of cruise tourism would particularly benefit from the combined face-to-face and behind-the-scenes elements of the new sales structure.
As a result of the new agreements, P&O Cruises Australia, Holland America Line and Seabourn will each have dedicated account managers, including Christine Oliver and Helen Courias at Holland America Line and Anastasia Kotinidis and Jennifer Compton at Seabourn.
Angus Mackay remains the key account manager for P&O Cruises Australia, which will continue to invest in its sales team to ensure it can best support its trading partners.
All key account managers, including Belinda Clark in New Zealand, will report to head of sales Andrew Thwaites, who has 15 years’ experience to support the sales team.
The dedicated sales support functions for all three brands will report to head of sales operations, Alex Pikardt, who has 12 years of sales experience with Carnival Australia.
The new agreements also reflect Holland America Line and Seabourn’s desire to separate so that each can take different trade routes to grow in the region.
SkyTeam appoints Patrick Roux as new CEO and MD
SkyTeam has appointed Patrick Roux as its new CEO and managing director.
An industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Roux joins SkyTeam from Air France-KLM Group, where he spent the last 15 years working at executive levels in key roles covering strategic and operational leadership, most recently as vice president of top of alliances. In this role he was responsible for overseeing Air France-KLM strategic partnership activities, including commercial offerings in various markets through more than 80 joint ventures and joint agreements.
Kristin Colvile, outgoing CEO and manager of SkyTeam, whose four-year term is coming to an end, will return to Delta Air Lines. During her tenure, Colvile led a strategic transformation that saw SkyTeam develop industry-leading technology enabling 600 million customers to travel seamlessly across SkyTeam airlines.
She also led SkyTeam through the pandemic including the introduction of SkyCare&Protect, a series of linked personal health security measures across the alliance. Most recently, Kristin has leveraged the alliance’s platform value to focus on sustainability, launching the first SkyTeam Sustainable Flight Challenge. Her tenure ends as SkyTeam welcomes Virgin Atlantic as its first new member in 8 years.
Accommodation Association appoints interim CEO
The Accommodation Association of Australia (AAoA) today announced that Michael Johnson will support the existing team as interim CEO in leading the proposed merger with Tourism Accommodation Australia which is expected to be completed in mid-2023.
This follows last month’s landmark moment of the Accommodation Association Council and the Board of the Australian Hotels Association separately agreeing the Amalgamation Scheme to create the new merged peak body, Accommodation Australia, subject to a vote of members and some regulatory steps.
Recruitment for the inaugural role of CEO for Accommodation Australia is now underway.
Hurtigruten Group announces key appointments to APAC team
Hurtigruten Expeditions has added two key recruits to its Asia-Pacific operations – Amber Wilson, who joined the company earlier this month as Hurtigruten’s regional sales director, and Marisa Jones, who took on the role of marketing manager at the end of September.
Both Wilson and Jones have a proven track record of delivering impressive results and are expected to further strengthen Hurtigruten’s highly successful sales and marketing team, working alongside Asia Pacific Marketing Director Joel Victoria.
EXO Travel Appoints Head of Destinations for the first time
EXO Travel has recently announced the promotion of Alexandra Michat to the newly created role of Chief Purpose Officer (CPO).
Michat has been with EXO for eight years and was previously the group’s director of sustainability and director of the EXO Foundation.
In her new role and as part of the company’s senior management team, Michat is fully empowered to drive EXO’s purpose and ensure the company continues on a positive path.
Michat will continue to work with EXO Foundation and external partners to create more shared value project opportunities, while also working to establish EXO as a B-Corp.
As a destination management company (DMC), EXO works at ground level on a daily basis to ensure that tourism does not come at the expense of helping local communities and protecting the planet, and that travel can enrich and improve lives.
Radisson Hotel Group appoints new Australasia MD
Radisson Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Lachlan Hoswell as its new managing director for Australia.
In his new role, Hoswell will lead the growth of Radisson Hotel Group in the region, a role that will see him draw on his experience in the hospitality industry, which spans more than two decades.
Prior to joining the Group, Hoswell held leadership roles at APVC Holdings Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Accor Hospitality, as well as senior positions at Wyndham Vacation Resorts South Pacific and Daikyo Australia.
Most recently, he held the position of company director, general counsel and commercial officer of Minor Hotels Australia and New Zealand.
Hoswell will be based in the recently established Australian Business Unit in Sydney.
Anam Group announces three senior recruitments
The Anam Group has called on Laurent Myter to lead its expansion and oversee its growing number of properties.
The group has also appointed Martin Koerner, who has considerable experience in sales and marketing, as group commercial director.
Ye Chang Sheng (Peter), who has worked for the group’s first resort Anam Cam Ranh since its debut in 2017, has been promoted to resort manager of the group’s second property, Anam Mui Ne, to celebrate the grand opening in January.
Myter joins the group after working at YTL Hotels for 26 years, of which 23 years were based in Malaysia, where he became YTL’s ‘executive vice president of resort operations’ responsible for 12 hotels and resorts in South East Asia and France.
He has been executive director and president of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World International Hoteliers Advisory Board for three years and two years respectively.
StayWell announces new global director of human resources, training and compliance
StayWell Holdings has appointed Frances Smith as global director of human resources, training and compliance
With over 30 years of human resource management experience, Smith has proven success in building high-performing teams and improving company effectiveness.
Her extensive experience in human resource management includes working with leading brands such as Intercontinental Hotels Group, Movenpick Hotels and Resorts and Mantra Group.
Smith’s extensive experience in the Middle East, Africa and Asia as a result of her time at Movenpick Hotels & Resorts included managing all aspects of HR functions for 58 hotels.
Bringing her impressive experience to the global StayWell family, Smith will be responsible for the group’s HR strategy, including building high-performing teams and increasing employee satisfaction across all properties.
Featured image: Amber Wilson, Hurtigruten’s new regional sales director
