What did you want to be when you grew up: An actress. And even though my acting career never took off, I’m still trying to escape being labelled a ‘drama queen’ by friends and family.

Your first job: When I was 15 I spent a few hours a week cutting rolls of fabric for a haberdashery store. What a start!

Your first pay packet: No more than 35 bucks – and being 15, I probably spent most of it on cheap Bourbon.

Your first break: I landed a job as an editorial assistant for an IT magazine.

Describe your current role: I put words into sentences. I then take these sentences and combine them with other sentences to create articles. I do this quite a few times over until the pages of the various publications that BT Publishing produces are no longer blank.

The best part of your job: Writing for a creative and passionate industry, and having the opportunity to travel.

The worst: Missing birthdays, long sleep-ins and Sydney Swans games due to travelling.

Who has inspired you: My sister – she’s the strongest, most determined person I know.

Your best quality: I like to laugh, particularly at myself. Your worst quality: Acting the clown means I often get myself into trouble.

Where do you want to be in 10 years’ time: Still tapping away at my keyboard writing stories, but hopefully from a $3 million home in the Maldives… I better start saving!

JADE WOON
DIRECTOR OF SALES
WESTIN KUALA LUMPUR

Jade Woon joins The Westin Kuala Lumpur as director of sales. Ms Woon is a highly motivated and experienced industry professional with skills in sales, marketing, strategic planning, team management and relationship building. She brings with her a decade’s experience in the hospitality industry.

SUE WILSON
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Q1 RESORT & SPA

Sue Wilson has been appointed director of sales, serviced apartments Sunleisure, incorporating Q1 Resort & Spa and Circle on Cavill apartments. Ms Wilson was previously employed as domestic sales manager for both Legends Hotel and Q1 Resort & Spa, and brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm into this new role.

EMILE KAIRUA
SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER
EDGEWATER RESORT

Emile Kairua has been appointed sales and marketing manager of The Edgewater Resort & Spa in the Cook Islands. Mr Kairua will take full responsibility for all aspects of the resort’s international sales and marketing activity. This includes a strong focus on leveraging further benefit from the destination’s popularity with Australian PCOs, MICE-related business, and the wedding and honeymoon markets.

PAMELA WHEAT
GENERAL MANAGER
HANCOCK EVENTS

Pamela Wheat has been appointed general manager of Hancock Events. Ms Wheat comes to the company with more than 20 years’ experience in the event industry and is one of only five Certified Special Events Professionals in Australia. She is also a board member of the International Special Events Society’s Sydney Chapter.

MICHAEL SENGOL
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, ASIA PACIFIC
MILLENNIUM & COPTHORNE INTERNATIONAL LTD

Michael Sengol has been appointed executive vice president, Asia Pacific, of Millennium & Copthorne International Ltd to drive the continuing growth of the company’s hotel distribution network in the region. He was previously senior vice president, operations, Asia Pacific, and concurrently holds the post of general manager for The Regent Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

SALVATORE BUSARDO
SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER
RADISSON TREETOPS RESORT & SPA

Salvatore Busardo has been promoted to the position of sales and marketing manager at the Radisson Treetops Resort & Spa, having previously held the position of sales manager since joining the resort 12 months ago. In other staff changes at the property, Clare Taylor steps into the role of sales manager, bringing expertise and skills in the areas of rooms, reservations and yield management. General manager Michael Coe said the new appointments reflect a refocus on yield management and regional marketing.

MANDY SCOTNEY
GENERAL MANAGER ASIA PACIFIC
TMS ASIA-PACIFIC

Mandy Scotney has been appointed general manager Asia Pacific of TMS Asia-Pacific. Announcing the appointment TMS CEO, Gary Marshall, said Ms Scotney would take immediate responsibility for all aspects of the company’s marketing and branding, new product development, operations management and new business initiatives. She will also play a key role in the development and implementation of specific regional projects designed to facilitate TMS growth in the Asia Pacific region.

AUDRA ROHINI ARUL
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
LE MERIDIEN NIRWANA
GOLF & SPA RESORT

Audra Rohini Arul has been appointed director of sales and marketing at Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort. Ms Arul joins Le Meridien Nirwana Golf & Spa Resort Bali from Nexus Resort, Malaysia, where she was director of sales and marketing. Her hospitality management career in Malaysia spans more than a decade in resort sales, beginning with Hyatt and continuing to the start-up team at Sutera Harbour Resort & Spa as sales manager.

ERIC BARAVILALA
INT. BUSINESS TOURISM MANAGER
SOUTH AFRICA TOURISM

Eric Baravilala has been appointed international business tourism manager at South Africa Tourism in Australia. His principal duty will be to implement South African Tourism’s strategy to drive incremental and exponential growth for the tourism industry. He will also be required to embrace the tourism growth strategy, take on board all strategic research material and other authentic sources of information, and translate these into a country specific strategy and a detailed implementation plan. He will also be responsible for presenting and selling the strategy to management, and obtaining buy-in from all key stakeholders.

ANTHONY ROSS
GENERAL MANAGER
INDIGO PEARL, PHUKET

Anthony Ross has been appointed general manager of the Indigo Pearl resort in Phuket. Mr Ross has held senior positions for the launch of three hotels – Azur Lodge in New Zealand, Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel in Malaysia and the Pan Pacific Hotel Gold Coast. He brings to the position instant operational success for new hotels. Mr Ross has also held senior management positions with The Sentosa Resort and Spa (Singapore), Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (Monaco) and All Seasons properties (Australia).

MATT OUIMET
PRESIDENT, HOTEL GROUP
STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE

Matt Ouimet has been appointed President, Hotel Group of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Mr Ouimet spent 17 years at The Walt Disney Company, most recently serving as President of the Disneyland Resort. In this newly created position at Starwood he will oversee hotel operations worldwide for the company’s nine hotel brands consisting of more than 850 hotels in 95 countries.

SIMON BROWN
GENERAL MANAGER
QUAY WEST RESORT MAGENTA SHORES

Simon Brown has been appointed general manager of the new five-star Quay West Resort Magenta Shores, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and Tuggerah Lake at Magenta on the Central Coast of NSW. Mr Brown will be responsible for all operational aspects of the resort and will oversee accommodation, the day spa, food and beverage, leisure facilities, golf operations and sales and marketing for the property which opened in mid–August. He has more than 31 years’ local and international experience in hotel and hospitality management in a range of positions at a number of hotel groups including Accor Resort Hotels of Australia, Eco Point Management, Horizons Golf Resort, Tourism Hotels and Leisure and The Anchorage, Port Stephens.

JANAYA BIRSE
MARKETING AND
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
SOUTH AFRICA TOURISM

Janaya Birse, formerly trade relations manager at South Africa Tourism in Australia has been appointed marketing and communications manager. Her new responsibilities include being the point of contact for public relations and advertising agencies, trade and media in Australia. She will also be required to ensure the accuracy and consistency of South Africa Tourism’s brand positioning across all communications.

DONNA XUEREB
SALES MANAGER – NSW/ACT
BEST OF ASIA TRAVEL MARKETING

Group travel specialist Best of Asia Travel Marketing (BOATM) has appointed Ms Donna Xuereb as sales manager – New South Wales/Australia Capital Territory. Ms Xuereb has extensive experience in the Australian travel industry, having worked in senior sales and marketing roles with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and the South Pacific Hotel Corporation.

STEPHEN GRIEVE
CEO
EEAA

Stephen Grieve has been appointed CEO of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA). He has a diverse employment background spanning the airline, retail travel, tourism and events industries. Mr Grieve replaces Mark Baker who has been appointed CEO of Gift and Homewares Australia.

MARISE CREAGH
SALES MANAGER – SOUTH ISLAND
HERITAGE HOTELS

Marise Creagh has been appointed sales manager - South Island of Heritage Hotels. Ms Creagh will work from Heritage Christchurch’s office and manage Heritage Hotel Management’s trade and South Island key corporate accounts. Originally trained as a dancer/choreographer, Marise also has a background in business management and most recently worked on contract as business development manager for Millennium Hotels and Resorts in Christchurch. She replaces Janette Sharp, who has successfully managed the role for a decade and has moved to Singapore.

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