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Insight and Luxury Gold expands national team

Samuel Rutledge, Sales Manager, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold

Claire Haggarty, Trade Marketing Manager, Insight Vacations

Angela Middleton, Head of Sales, Insight Vacations

Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold have announced three new appointments, working across sales and marketing for both award-winning brands.

Angela Middleton has been appointed as Insight’s new Head of Sales, following David Farrar’s move to Director of Sales for Luxury Gold earlier this month. With 10 years of experience at Virgin Australia in numerous roles, Middleton brings with her a wealth of knowledge and an outstanding reputation within the industry.

Also a current committee member and mentor for upcoming travel industry professionals for TIME (Travel Industry Mentor Experience), Middleton is passionate about growing and developing her team.

Insight’s marketing team will be strengthened even further with the appointment of Claire Haggarty as Trade Marketing Manager.

Haggarty joins from APT where she was the Business Development Manager in Sydney and Canberra. Haggarty brings first-hand experience working within premium travel. She is a solutions focused operator who understands what agents need to succeed.

Samuel Rutledge will take on the role as Sales Manager in Victoria. Having recently moved to Australia from the US, Rutledge started his TTC career as a Tour Director for Contiki, Trafalgar and Insight Vacations before moving onto a District Sales Manager role for Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold in Utah, Colorado and Nevada.

His wealth of first-hand knowledge will be invaluable, and he will be able to provide agents with a greater understanding of what their guests will experience when traveling with Insight.

Sabre Names Clinton Anderson as President, Hospitality Solutions

Sabre Corporation, technology provider to the global travel industry, today named Clinton Anderson as president of Sabre Hospitality Solutions (SHS), effective Aug. 7.  He will succeed Alex Alt who has accepted an executive position at another company.

“Clinton has demonstrated his tremendous value and executive skills leading initiatives and taking on strategic projects across the company over the past three years, working effectively with customers and employees alike,” said Sean Menke, Sabre’s president and CEO.

“Having someone of Clinton’s caliber already on the Sabre team allows a seamless transition as he steps into this new role and builds upon the outstanding organization and opportunities that Alex has created during the past five years he’s been at Sabre.  Sabre has identified the hospitality sector as a key engine of growth and Alex has also positioned the company for tremendous opportunities.”

Anderson joined Sabre in 2014, and he currently serves as senior vice president of strategy where he has been instrumental in key product, technology, business and investment strategy initiatives.  Prior to joining Sabre, he co-founded Emerson/Anderson, a private investment fund focused on small cap businesses.

He was also a partner at Bain and Company where he served as a leader of consumer products and performance improvement practices and led consulting engagements across many industries to drive profitable growth, operational efficiency and strategic differentiation.

“Growing the Sabre hospitality business and taking advantage of the technology opportunities in the sector has been a key focus in building Sabre’s business strategy,” said Anderson.

“We have leading technology solutions and intend to continue to build a portfolio that will allow us to scale and work with hotel operators of all sizes and across the globe.  Alex should feel very proud of what he has accomplished, and I welcome the chance to take the reins and continue to drive Sabre’s hospitality business to even more success.”

Australian Hotel Start-up Announces Executive Leadership Team

Newly formed Australian headquartered hotel group, Crystalbrook Collection, has announced its executive leadership team.

Following an extensive global recruitment search, CEO Mark Davie has appointed Geoff York as Group Director, Hotels, Laura Davie as Group Director, Operations and HR, Kylie Brajak as Group Director, Global Sales and Distribution, Katie Malone as Group Director, Marketing and David Kotze as Director, Hotel Systems.

To date, Crystalbrook Collection has committed AU$370 million in investment to develop three distinctive lifestyle-savvy hotels in Cairns. Combined, these hotels will add more than 900 rooms to the city. Investments in other key Australian locations is expected in the near future.

“I’m thrilled Crystalbrook Collection has been able to acquire such high calibre professionals and I have every confidence in their ability to lead the company in Australia and beyond,” said Davie.

Combined, the leadership team has worked with many of the world’s most prominent hospitality groups including Marriott, Starwood, IHG, Carlson Rezidor, Accor, Hilton, Event, Fairmont, Jumeirah and Langham as well as with individual brands including St. Regis, Sofitel, W Hotels, Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Le Meridien, Radisson, Atura and Eventhouse.

The team has extensive international experience with members having worked throughout Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand.

In addition to hospitality, the company’s leaders have experience across a multitude of industries including international business, aviation, automotive, online travel, luxury retail, IT and FMCG.

“Hospitality is a demanding industry and I don’t underestimate the task I have set the team,” said Davie.

“In addition to experience, I needed leaders that could create strong team cohesion and who have the ability to be agile, fast-thinking and capable of evolving with the ever-changing nature of a start-up business.”

Over the next 12 months, the leadership team will be responsible for developing the Crystalbrook Collection brand and ethos as well as building a staff of 150 people in preparation for the opening of the first hotel in 2018.