Susan Ang to lead Merlin Entertainments’ APAC region
Merlin Entertainments has appointed Susan Ang as its new divisional director for APAC, Midway, effective 1 April. She replaces Rob Smith who has moved to the UK to step into the new role of managing director, Midway.
Ang has been with Merlin for more than six years and was most recently regional director, Asia, Midway. With over 25 years of global experience in the tourism industry, she is well equipped to support Merlin’s APAC region through its next leap of growth – under the recently appointed chief executive officer, Scott M O’Neil.
In her new Singapore-based role, Ang will lead the overall management, regional strategies and financial responsibilities for Merlin’s 32 attractions across the APAC region.
“The travel and tourism industry is dramatically bouncing back, and as we look ahead to the next chapter of growth, we’ll be focusing on expanding the current portfolio of attractions, brands and partnerships in the region,” Ang said.
“Merlin boasts a diverse and inclusive culture, and I aim to deepen this across all teams in the APAC region, achieving our goal to become the greatest place to work in the world.”
SongDivision appoints new chief marketing officer
SongDivision has appointed Ardie Worsley as its new chief marketing officer, who brings more than 15 years of experience in marketing and brand management to the role.
Based in Sydney, Worsley will lead the company’s global marketing efforts and help drive growth in key markets around the world. He will be responsible for overseeing SongDivision’s global marketing strategy, including brand development, demand generation, and digital marketing initiatives, and will also work closely with the company’s sales and events teams to develop and execute marketing campaigns that support the company’s growth objectives.
“Ardie’s extensive experience in building and leading high-performing marketing teams all over the world, coupled with his passion for music and entertainment, make him the perfect fit to help drive our growth and expand our global footprint,” SongDivision chief executive officer Andy Sharpe said.
Worsley said he was honoured to join the team and help drive the company’s growth in the years ahead.
“SongDivision has a unique and compelling value proposition, and I am excited to work with the team to showcase our capabilities and bring the power of music to even more companies and organisations around the world.”
New GM at BIG 4 Holiday Parks
Louisa Day has been appointed to the role of GM – Park Success at BIG4 Holiday Parks, to help propel the company through its next rapid growth phase.
With more than two decades of tourism and sales experience with high profile companies such as Exodus Travels and Peregrine Adventures, Day will be responsible for rolling out the digital sales strategy focusing on the growth of the BIG4 network, through both the Fully Cooperative Member (FCOM) and Web Partner Parks model.
BIG4 Holiday Parks chief executive officer Sean Jenner said the company will be leaning on Louisa’s extensive skills in B2C sales, team management, trade relationship management, finance management and application of customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX) insights to execute its exciting digital growth strategy.
“We have invested heavily in our digital and branding strategy to better meet the needs and expectations of holiday-makers and to make BIG4.com.au the leading portal for Australian holiday park visitors,” Jenner said.
Day is also an experienced media commentator, having offered her insights for numerous consumer and trade media publications, including Escape and Travel Weekly, on a range of tourism-related topics.
“I’m delighted to have an opportunity to apply my passion and skills to helping regional Australian tourism operators recover from the challenging recent years of pandemic restrictions and set them up for future success by being connected to the power behind the BIG4 brand,” Day said.
