Northstar

PEOPLE www.travelweeklyweb.com New GM for Villa Maly & Kamu Lodge LUANG PRABANG – Luang Prabang's Villa Maly and its sister property, Kamu Lodge Experience, welcomed a new general manager last week as parent company Apple Tree Group puts Axel de Boynes in charge of the group's Laotian hospitality properties. Boynes has more than 16 years of hospitality experience with luxury properties in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Following his stints at fivestar properties Le Touessrok in Mauritius and the Sheraton Doha in Qatar, Boynes relocated to Thailand to take on the role of resident manager at the akyra Chura Samui, where he oversaw the resort's development and launch in June 2011. Since arriving early in 2012 as operations manager for Apple Tree Group in Laos, Boynes has leveraged his considerable expertise toward raising the profile of the group's Laotian properties among travellers and within the industry. The anchoring villa at Villa Maly was built in 1938 by His Royal Highness Khamtan Ounkham, a grandson of King Kham Souk Zakarine, and the first of his seven wives, Queen Pheng. The property was restored and re-opened as a 33room heritage hotel by Apple Tree Group in 2007. Kamu Lodge Experience is a 20-room eco-resort located 35 kilometers upstream from Luang Prabang. Each lodge is a hybrid affair, part-safari tent and partthatched sala. Solar panels power lights and fans, and heat water for hot showers. The lodge celebrates an earthy, authentic experience reminiscent of the Laos that greeted famed explorer Henri Mouhot when he travelled through the region in the 1860s. Wego strengthens Middle East presence, appoints regional MD DUBAI – Leading travel metasearch engine in the AsiaPacific and Middle East is expanding its reach, through the establishment of a dedicated fullservice operation in Dubai. This follows the launch of the world's first comprehensive Arabic language travel metasearch in April last year. Given the scale of the demand, Wego has established new regional headquarters in the prestigious Dubai Internet City, appointing travel industry veteran and entrepreneur Mohamad Ibrahim Masri to further develop the strategy and lead the team as managing director - Middle East and North Africa. He brings 16 years of regional experience to the company, in sales, marketing and management roles with some of the industry's leading brands, including Singapore Airlines and Tourism Malaysia. Masri also founded BizGate, the consulting firm that has represented Wego throughout the initial launch phase. "Essential to the continued expansion and success of Wego in MENA is strong management, along with an established relationship with both the business and travelling communities which is why we're very excited to have Mohamad join our executive team. We look forward to working in partnership with the Governments and suppliers in the region to broaden access to travel online," explained Ross Veitch Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wego of Masri's role. BA appoints Williams as regional GM SINGAPORE – British Airways has appointed Robert Williams as its regional general manager for the Southeast Asian market. Williams, based in Singapore, will oversee the carrier's commercial activities across his base, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. Williams brings to the role several years of experience in sales and strategic management, 8 | ■ TRAVELWEEKLY ASIA | MARCH 2013 spanning both the airline and shipping logistics industries. He is also a fully trained cabin crew. Previously at British Airways, Williams was Alliance Implementation Manager, based at the airline's headquarters at Waterside in Heathrow. During this time, he led the commercial implementation of British Airways' new joint business with Japan Airlines and helped to drive the synergies resulting from the partnership. Prior to that, he was British Airways Commercial Manager for Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Jamie Cassidy, area general manager, Asia Pacific and Middle East, said: "Rob is no stranger to the region and I am confident that with his extensive experience in sales and strategy, we are well-placed to achieve our group's wider ambitions in Asia. www.travelweeklyweb.com

• Cover