Travel Weekly’s Women in Travel Power List members came together in Sydney last week for a joyful end of financial year celebration, hosted by industry trailblazer Karen Merricks, bringing some of travel’s most influential women together to toast a huge year and swap a few well-earned laughs.
Held at Catalina in Rose Bay, the dinner brought senior leaders from across the travel industry together in one of Sydney’s most picturesque harbourside settings, with the group settling in for an evening of celebration, connection and a genuine sense of camaraderie.
It’s hard to imagine a more fitting host. Karen Merricks co-founded MTA – Mobile Travel Agents with her husband Roy back in 2000, giving Australian travel professionals, especially women, the chance to build a thriving career from home years before “remote work” entered the national vocabulary.
What began as a bold, slightly controversial idea has grown into one of the country’s most successful mobile travel networks, with hundreds of advisors across Australia. Earlier this year, Karen and Roy sold MTA in a deal worth a hefty $50 million, a milestone that caps 25 remarkable years of putting people, flexibility and family first, and cements Karen’s legacy as one of the true pioneers of the Australian travel industry.
Celebrating trailblazers
The evening also had a very special guest of honour: Jessica Watson who captured hearts with the extraordinary story of her solo sail around the world at the age of 16. Her courage, resilience and sense of adventure struck a chord with a room full of women who have built their own careers on exactly those qualities, and left guests inspired all over again by what’s possible when you dare to chase something big.
For this group of high-achieving women, the dinner has become one of the most anticipated dates on the calendar. Away from the high-octane pace of running airlines, tour operators, agencies and media businesses, the evening offered something rare: an intimate, relaxed setting to unwind, reconnect and celebrate one another, out of the spotlight and away from the day-to-day pressures of the industry they lead.
Among those attending were Toni Ambler, managing director ANZ for TTC (Contiki, Trafalgar and Insight Vacations); Kathryn Robertson, executive manager Global Sales and Distribution at Qantas; Yvette Thompson, general manager Sales & Marketing ANZ at Intrepid Travel; Jacqui Walshe, CEO and managing director of The Walshe Group; Julie King, founder and CEO of Julie King & Associates; Karen Deveson, managing director of Collette Tours Australia; Shelley Poten, managing director of Albatross Tours; Megan Henderson, global head of marketing at Flight Centre; Hoda Alzubaidi, general manager and publisher of Travel Weekly; Haley Janssens, sales & partnerships manager at Travel Weekly; and Nancy Hromin, director and owner of Travel Weekly.
Inspired by the Women in Travel Power List, gatherings like this one continue to give senior women across the industry the chance to step back, celebrate how far they’ve come, and toast a strong finish to the financial year, together.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be a Women in Travel Awards winner? The awards are open to women at every stage of their career. All you need to do is demonstrate excellence, dedication to the travel industry and a commitment to driving positive change.
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