October 26, 2021 | By Bronwen Largier
Across Australia and New Zealand there have been various new appointments over the last few weeks across the accommodation sector. Here’s a rundown.
At W Brisbane, Stacey Plaine has been appointed the hotel’s new Director of Marketing, bringing with her 11 years of international marketing experience, mostly in the UK and Europe for Marriott International. She is specialised in restaurant and bar marketing and has run her own rooftop bar in Mayfair in London after winning a European F&B Incubator Competition. She has also been recognised twice as a rising star in the restaurant marketing world in the UK and Europe. She has lived in Australia for the majority of her time since late 2019 and has held marketing positions at Sheraton Grand Mirage Port Douglas, Howard Smith Wharves and at an agency in Brisbane.
Still at W Brisbane, Jeremy Colahan has been appointed Hotel Manager, having previously held managerial positions at Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane and been the Director of Rooms at Westin Hotels and Resorts Perth.
The Brisbane hotel has also appointed a new Chef de Cuisine, Pawel Kloadowski, who completed his training is Poland and spent 15 years working in restaurants across Europe, the USA and the Pacific Islands. Most recently he was working at hatted restaurant Noosa Beach House on the Sunshine Coast.
In New Zealand, Mathew Simister has been tapped on the shoulder to lead the team at the new-build Holiday Inn Queenstown Remarkables Park, a flagship property for the IHG brand in New Zealand.
A New Zealand native, Simister has spent considerable time working at IHG properties in Australia, on the Gold Coast as well as in Adelaide and Sydney.
The new Holiday Inn is expected to open in December this year.
Also in New Zealand, Heather Gordon has been appointed as Director of Sales and Marketing for Island Hotels Group’s two properties in the Cook Islands, Edgewater Resort & Spa and Club Raro.
Gordon joins the group with almost ten years’ experience in sales and marketing in Fiji, including with Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa and Hilton Fiji. She has also held various roles in New Zealand including at The George Christchurch and Queenstown Convention Bureau.
Back in Australia, Sharon Byrne has been appointed Director of Sales and Marketing for Kokomo Private Island Fiji.
Byrne, who will be based in Sydney, has 10 years of experience with IHG, 11 years with Langham Hotels and co-founded the accommodation representation and resource company BTR Hotels in 2016.
Finally, Quercy Jouannes has joined SKYE Suites Parramatta as General Manager.
With a background in sales, marketing and operations, he brings over two decades hospitality experience around the world and in Australia to his new role.
The Parramatta property has 72 rooms and event space for up to 250 people standing.