Zephné Weston has been appointed Executive Head: Product & Strategic Initiatives at Akilanga DMC & Events, effective July 1.
Akilanga, established in 1994, is a Destination Management Company based in South Africa, operating in Southern and East Africa, as well as the Indian Ocean islands. Weston has 20 years’ experience in product management, business development, quality control and business strategy in the tourism sector.
She will be overseeing both product managers and business development managers, while working closely with key stakeholders on strategic development.
“I am ready for the challenge and look forward to working with an amazing team. I am excited to introduce new markets to their current portfolio,” says Weston.
Akilanga focuses predominantly on the French, South American, Spanish and Italian markets. Weston brings experience from the United States, Central America, the United Kingdom, German and Swiss markets with her as well. Her role will also include quality control, brand uniformity and developing new products for Akilanga to promote both internally and externally.
Fiona Jeffrey OBE has been appointed new Chair of the African Travel & Tourism Association (Atta), succeeding Julian Edmunds.
She has served on the Atta board for four years as Industry Relations Director, and has had a successful career in the travel and tourism industry. Responsible for World Travel Market from 1986 until 2013, both as Managing Director and ultimately as Chairman, she brings a breadth of knowledge to the role across all aspects of the industry, from government, national tourist boards and destinations to private-sector and international trade bodies and organisations.
She was awarded an OBE for services to travel and tourism, and in 2013 received the TTG Contribution to Industry Award.
Commenting on her appointment, she said: “Being selected as the new chair of Atta is an unexpected honour I do not take lightly. My predecessors have all done amazing jobs, and my role is to build on their success. With new opportunities emerging all the time, Atta will seek to embrace these, putting the interests of our membership at its heart.”
As Bushtracks Africa bids farewell to its Group Commercial Manager for Zimbabwe, Neville Hattingh, the group welcomes a new member to its finance team, Frederique Wagener.
Wagener recently joined the Bushtracks Africa team. Part of his responsibilities will be dealing with finance in Zimbabwe, as well as accounts and finance in the company’s central Johannesburg office.
“We are excited to welcome Frederique Wagener to the Finance Team. Frederique has completed his articles and is in the process of completing his professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant. He will contribute significantly to the company and we are looking forward to working with him," commented Karl Geyer, Finance and Accounts at Bushtracks Africa.
Clinton Thom, previously GM at Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands and the Radisson Blu Le Vendome Sea Point, has been appointed GM of Radisson Blu Waterfront Cape Town.
Thom has 19 years’ experience in the hospitality industry.
