PATA recruits Four Experienced Travel and Tourism Professionals

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has significantly bolstered its management team with the recruitment of four experienced travel and tourism professionals at its Bangkok head office, effective from the start of 2007.

Mr Michael Yates joins as Vice President-Operations, after consulting to the organisation for more than three years. He will play a key role in supporting the change agenda initiated by PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong, to ensure PATA continues its evolution into a more agile, knowledge-based association.

Mr Yates has spent more than 20 years in management roles in travel and tourism in both the private and public sectors, based in Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Auckland and Singapore. 

Ms Louise Butler joins as Director-Membership Services, and will be focused on leading the membership team in the pursuit of PATA’s ambitious membership growth and retention goals.

Ms Butler has held senior sales and marketing roles in the publishing industry, most recently as Advertising Director, TIME Inc, based in Singapore. She has developed extensive travel industry networks across Asia, the Gulf Region, Africa and Europe.

Ms Min Min Wong joins as Assistant Director-Corporate Communications, and will drive PATA’s advocacy and reputation management strategies, brand communications and media relations.

Born in Malaysia, Ms Wong worked in communications for Millennium Hotels in the UK, Australia, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, before moving to the Grand Hyatt Dubai. Most recently, she was Dubai-based Communications Manager for UK-listed Serco Group.

Ms Chami Jotisalikorn joins as Assistant Director-Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC) after many years of writing and editing for interior design, spa and hotel clients. The author of 10 lifestyle books published in six languages, she also worked as a strategic planner for a Thai advertising agency.

With Director-SIC Mr John Koldowski and his team, Ms Jotisalikorn will oversee the development, design, editing and production of SIC products and publications.

All of the new staff are native English speakers and, between them, contribute additional language skills in Cantonese, Mandarin, Malay, French, Spanish and Thai.

Mr de Jong said he was delighted to welcome such a talented and highly motivated group of individuals into the PATA team. “We have a taken our time with recruitment to ensure we have secured the right mix of skills and experience to drive our strategic agenda forward in 2007 and beyond,” he said.

Mr de Jong, who recently signed on for another term at the helm of PATA, said the combination of new staff and the existing high-calibre team will enable the Association to push ahead with innovative programmes to add real value to members and stakeholders in the years ahead.

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