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What did you want to be when you grew up: Funnily enough, a hotel GM….back then I thought it would be very glamorous. Your first job: Seymour Group of Companies – Queensland based property developer as their receptionist. Your first pay packet: Probably around $200 per week. Your first break: Being part of a team organising a Regeneration Through Heritage Symposium for HRH Prince of Wales in the UK. It inspired me to come back to Australia and become a professional conference organiser. Describe your current role: Establishing a Sydney based sales team and spreading the word about the hidden gem that is Shoal Bay Resort & Spa. The best part of your job: Meeting people from all walks of life... listening to their stories and ensuring their next conference, dinner or getaway is a success. The worst: Not enough hours in the day… Who has inspired you: I have been extremely lucky to work with a number of colleagues over the years who are professional, hard working, have a genuine respect and love of the industry and are always graceful under pressure… this is what I aspire to. Your best quality: My positive attitude and my laugh. Your worst quality: Being obsessed with my work. Your best achievement: Managing a 900 delegate event with just over three weeks’ notice around the time of the collapse of Ansett.

BRAD ANDERSON
EXECUTIVE CHEF
CROWNE PLAZA MELBOURNE

Brad Anderson has been appointed the new executive chef at Crowne Plaza Melbourne. Mr Anderson was apprenticed under the famed Alain Fabrègues for two years at The Loose Box restaurant, outside Perth. From there Mr Anderson moved to Williams Seafood Restaurant in North Fremantle. While there, the restaurant won three consecutive Gold Plate awards from the Catering Institute of Australia as well as four consecutive Hall of Fame seafood awards from American Express.

NICOLA FRANCIS
GROUP SALES MANAGER
AUSTRALIA/NZ VIRGIN BLUE AIRLINES

Nicola Francis has been appointed to the newly created position of MICE/Groups Sales manager for Australia/NZ at Virgin Blue Airlines. Ms Francis will be responsible for driving MICE and group business for the carrier both domestically and internationally. Ms Francis brings to the Virgin Blue team a wealth of knowledge and experience from her previous roles within the MICE industry. Among them, director of sales for unique venues – a division of Destination Marketing Services – as well as other key MICE roles with Stamford Hotels and Resorts, The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Accor.

ANDREA WERNER
SALES EXECUTIVE
SHOAL BAY RESORT

Andrea Werner is the new sales executive at Shoal Bay Resort alongside Tania Barnes. Ms Werner has previously worked for Regent/Four Seasons Hotels for 10 years in various sales and marketing roles based in Auckland and then Sydney between 1985 and 1995. In the past three years she has represented three properties including Hunter Resort at Hunter Valley, Tattersalls Club on Hyde Park in Sydney and Shoal Bay Resort and Spa in Port Stephens, under the banner of Werner Venues and Hotels.

SUE ELLIOT
INTERNET SALES MANAGER
SEA WORLD NARA RESORT

Sue Elliott is the new internet sales manager at Sea World Nara Resort. Reporting to general manager Ernst Pfister, Ms Elliott will be responsible for Sea World Nara Resort’s online business growth, management and development. Ms Elliott joins the organisation with extensive experience in marketing and online development and has more recently held a position in online marketing for RCI Pacific.
 
MICHAEL WATERS
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

Michael Waters recently took up the position of business development manager at the National Convention Centre in Canberra. Mr Waters has recently moved to Canberra from Cairns where for the past two years he held the position of marketing manager for a sub-regional shopping centre housing more than 100 retail outlets.

JULIE O’KEEFFE
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
SUNCORP STADIUM

Julie O’Keeffe has been appointed financial controller at Suncorp Stadium. Ms O’Keeffe brings to the stadium 32 years’ experience in accounting and financial management and 13 years’ experience in the convention and exhibition industry. For the past six months, Ms O’Keeffe has been manager of special projects with Ogden IFC head office, reviewing group-wide IT and financial operating systems, as well as providing specialist financial input into the company’s project management bids.

LLEWELLYN WYETH
GENERAL MANAGER
MERCURE HOTEL MELBOURNE

Llewellyn Wyeth has relocated to Victoria to take up the position of general manager of the Mercure Hotel Melbourne. In addition, Mr Wyeth has been promoted to area manager and in this capacity will oversee Hotel Ibis Melbourne, Mercure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide and Novotel Barossa Valley Resort.