The latest industry appointments

ANNA THOMPSON has been named as Cathay Pacific‘s new director of flight operations, effective 10 April 2015. The move marks a promotion for Ms Thompson, who currently serves as Cathay’s general manager of aircrew – a position she has held since August 2013. She previously worked for Air Hong Kong.

STEFAN PICHLER has officially become the new chief executive offer of airberlin, following his move from Fiji Airways. Pichler starts work this week having initially been appointed in November 2014. He managed Fiji Airways through its recent rebranding from Air Pacific, and previously worked with Virgin Blue.

CHARLIE DANG has been announced as Starwood Hotels & Resorts‘ new regional vice president for Southeast Asia. Having first joined Starwood in 1993, by 2000 Dang had worked his way up to general manager of the Sheraton Xi’an. Most recently he served as vice president of operations for Greater China.

LINDA CELESTINO has been named as Etihad Airways‘ new vice president of guest services. Ms Celestino has more than 25 years’ airline industry experience, having held senior positions in Australia and the Middle East. Most recently she was general manager of in-flight services & product at Oman Air.

MELANIE SMITH has been appointed as Anantara Vacation Club‘s new vice president of club operations. The move marks a promotion for Ms Smith, who previously held the role of group director of club operations. She has 30 years of hospitality industry experience, including as a GM at Anantara Bangkok Sathorn.

TORSTEN VAN DULLEMEN has become the new general manager of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. No stranger to Mandarin Oriental, van Dullemen has held several senior hotel management positions within the group, most recently as general manager of Mandarin Oriental Manila.

APPLE WOO has been appointed director of sales & marketing for the new Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, which is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2015. A Singaporean national, Ms Woo most recently worked for the Jumeirah Group as director of global sales for Southeast Asia & Hong Kong.

JUNYA ONO has been announced as the new director of sales & marketing at the Regent Phuket Cape Panwa. A veteran of the hospitality industry, Ono has previously spent more than 28 years in luxury hotels, including spells with Ritz Carlton, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Okura.

MICHIEL LUGT has been hired as the new executive assistant manager at the Indigo Pearl hotel in Phuket. A Dutch national, Lugt has worked in hotels across the world, including spells in the Netherlands, the Turks & Caicos Islands and Hong Kong. Most recently he was F&B director at The Chedi Muscat in Oman.

ALLISON LEE has become the new director of public relations & media for Destination NSW. Ms Lee has a strong background in publicity and communications, most recently as managing director of PR agency IMPACT Communications Australia. She is also deputy president of the Public Relations Institute of Australia.