Rebecca Williams has been appointed regional director of worldwide sales for Hilton in Australasia, returning to Australia after almost 10 years to take up the role.
Williams has worked for Hilton for more than seven and a half years, with her previous role as senior sales director for global airline partnerships for Hilton Global Travel Partners based in Chicago. She also previously held senior sales roles for Etihad in Australia and the US.
Elena Fragasso has joined Hilton as director of international sales for Australasia, moving over from 1 Hotel Melbourne where she was the pre-opening director of sales. Fragasso has previously spent around 17 years collectively working for Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts which was later acquired by Marriott.
Ivy Zhang is Hilton’s other new hire, appointed as director of sales and marketing for Hilton Sydney.
Zhang has also spent considerable time with Marriott International and Starwood – over 17 years – most recently as director of sales and distribution for the Sydney Harbour Marriott.
Finally, long-time Hilton employee, Mahasin Balfour, has been appointed commercial director for Hilton’s Cairns cluster, which includes Hilton Cairns, the DoubleTree by Hilton Cairns and the forthcoming Hilton Palm Cove.
Balfour will move to the region from Amsterdam where she has been the commercial director for DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station since the middle of 2024. She has held several roles with Hilton since joining the hotel group in early 2018, including in the UK and in Munich, Germany.
“Hilton’s growth trajectory in Australasia continues to be incredibly strong, and these appointments will enable us to further accelerate our commercial performance,” said Hilton’s senior regional commercial director for Australasia, Daniella Tonetto.
“Each of these leaders brings deep expertise, global perspective and a forward-thinking mindset that will help us unlock new opportunities, strengthen our market position and drive sustainable, long-term growth.”
