Executive Appointments @ PATA

PATA has appointed Parita Niemwongse as Director – Human Capital Development, and Wallace Wong as Regional Director – Asia.

Khun Parita Niemwongse’s primary focus is to initiate Human Capital Development (HCD) programmes and activities for members of the Association including PATAcademy, PATA Youth Symposium, and the PATA Intern and Associate Programme.

Khun Parita will also be responsible for PATA’s Capacity Building Programme, University and Tourism College relationships, and any future related HCD programmes, as well as the continued management of the PATA Gold Awards and PATA Face of the Future.

PATA CEO Mario Hardy said, “As HCD has become one of the greatest challenges facing the travel and tourism industry today, it has also become an integral and important part of PATA's activities. I believe that this topic deserves to have a senior member of the PATA management team's attention and it will be a great pleasure to work with Parita to grow our programmes.”

Ms Niemwongse joined PATA in 1999 in the communications department, where she gained extensive experience in working with PATA’s media partners around the world. Prior to PATA, she worked in the Public Relations Department at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Thailand and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Ms Niemwongse has also lived and worked in Dubai as a Flight Attendant for Emirates Airline.

She received a Master of Arts in Public Relations from Bond University, Australia, and Bachelor of Arts with Honours, majoring in French, and a Gold Medal from Thammasat University, Thailand. Ms Niemwongse also received a certificate of Learning French for Overseas students from Centre de Linguistique Appliquée, Besancon, France.

Commenting on her promotion, Ms Niemwongse said, “I am excited to be enhancing PATA’s HCD projects and initiatives to benefit PATA members and all stakeholders in the industry. HCD is of growing importance to PATA and working with educational institutions and young people is a great learning experience.”

With more than 10 years of experience in the airlines and travel industries, Mr Wallace Wong was most recently the Regional Business Development Director of Asia Pacific at Travelport GDS in Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, where he successfully developed effective sales strategies to strengthen the company’s commercial presence in the region.

He has also worked for OAG and Singapore Airlines, taking up various commercial and operational posts based in Singapore, Copenhagen, Denmark and Chennai, India.

In his new role based in Bangkok, Mr Wong will be responsible for PATA’s commercial and industry development, as well as bridging the relationship between the public and private travel sectors in the Asia Pacific region.

His territorial responsibilities will include the all of Asia with the exception of mainland China (this includes North Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia and the sub-Indian Continent), and will report directly to PATA CEO Mario Hardy.

“I am pleased that Wallace joins PATA at a time when the organisation is in its transformation phase. His vast travel industry network and experience will be a great asset to PATA. His understanding and appreciation of different business cultural mindset will bring value to the Association, and I look forward to working at his side to develop our membership and member engagement,” said Mr Hardy.

Mr Wong was born in Malaysia and is now a Singapore Citizen. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Bahasa Maleyu, Bahasa Indonesia and has some basic knowledge of French.