The bureau has selected Nicolena Oborn to lead its global sales strategy and its customer experience initiatives as its new chief sales and customer experience officer.
Oborn moves over from Capella Hotels and Resorts where she has been director of sales and marketing since July 2022. Capella opened its first Australian property in Sydney in March last year.
She has also held roles as a senior tourism advisor to Dan Tehan while he was the federal tourism minister, as associate director of sales at Crown Sydney and she spent more than eight years with Crown Hotels, rising to vice president of sales. Prior to that, she spent over two decades in hotels in Australia, Asia and New Zealand.
Oborn will work closely with MCB CEO Julia Swanson to shape the strategic direction for the global sales team. In addition, she will leverage research, insights and customer feedback to ensure customer experience remains at the core of the services MCB delivers. Enhancing MCB’s global positioning is also part of her remit.
“We are delighted to welcome Nicolena to the MCB team as we look to strengthen our global presence,” said Swanson.
“Her extensive leadership experience, strategic acumen and deep understanding of the visitor economy will play a vital role in driving our global sales strategy and delivering long-term value for Melbourne’s business events industry.
“This new role strengthens our capability to deliver impactful outcomes for Victoria, as we continue to build a robust pipeline of future events that will drive economic growth, support key government priorities and leave lasting legacies for the destination.”
To date, MCB has secured $660 million worth of business events out to 2028 – netting an anticipated 150,000 delegates – including 215 wins in the last financial year, worth $252 million.
