Following the FHTA Annual General Meeting on Thursday 23 June 2022, the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association Board of Directors stand as follows;
Brian Kirsch – President
Company Director, Likuri Island Resort
Brian is also a Company Director for Fiji Gateway Hotel and Plantation Island Resort. He has been an active member of the FHTA board since 2012 and was previously Vice President of the Association. He has been appointed to represent employers on the Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB). He is a board member of Denarau Corporation Pte Ltd (DCL) representing Denarau Residential Estates Pte Ltd (DREL) and has been a private sector Board Director for the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) since 2020.
Tammie Tam – Vice President
Senior Vice President/Executive Director – Pacific, Warwick Hotels and Resorts
Tammie has been a FHTA Board Member for over 20 years, representing the Warwick Fiji, Naviti Resort, Tokatoka Resort Nadi and Tambua Sands Beach Resort. While currently as Board Member, she also serves on the Proprietary Rights Sub Committee, HR/IR Sub Committee and the FRCA Sub Committee. Tammie is a board member of Tourism Fiji .
Narend Kumar – Vice President
Group General Manager, Tanoa Hotel Group
Narend’s accomplished management career reflects 25 years’ experience in Hotel operational leadership. He joined the Tanoa Hotel Group in 2007 as Hotel Manager Tanoa Waterfront Hotel. Prior to his engagement with Tanoa Hotel Group, he had worked at Novotel Nadi and Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort.
Neeraj Chadha – Executive Director
Multi-Property Vice President Fiji & Samoa, Marriott International and General Manager Westin and Sheraton Resorts, Fiji Complex
Neeraj is a hotelier with work experience in Europe, Australia and Asia with back ground in both operations and business development. He held various management positions in Australia before coming to Fiji. He is a board member of Tourism Fiji.
Vincent Macquet – Executive Director
General Manager, Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa and Area General Manager Accor Hotels Fiji
Vincent is originally from Mauritius with a Francophone background. He has over 20 years of experience which commenced at the Hyatt Hotel Corporation in Australia. He is a board member of Denarau Corporation Pte Ltd (DCL) and the national airline, Fiji Airways. Vincent is the Area General Manager Accor Hotels Fiji including Novotel Nadi, Mercure Hotel and Novotel Suva Lami Bay.
Lachlan Walker – Treasurer
Area General Manager – South Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Lachlan possesses a wealth of international experience, strong commercial acumen and a respected background as a hotel leader. His 30-year career has seen him work in across a number of markets and brands, including at Regent Four Seasons Hotels, Park Hyatt, AccorHotels, Starwood and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), where he was most recently Area General Manager, Regional New South Wales. Lachlan is General Manager at InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, as well as Area General Manager of IHG’s hotels in the South Pacific, including Holiday Inn Suva, Holiday Inn Resort Vanuatu.
Steven Andrews
General Manager, Castaway Island, Fiji
Steven has over 25 years of practical experience in the industry and is a hands-on results-driven hotel executive with experience in all aspects of resort operations with proven success in the industry. He is passionate about the development of local talents in leadership roles in the industry and supporting the growth of the greater tourism industry in Fiji. He has been on several industry boards including the Mamanuca Fiji Hotel Tourism Association, The Fiji Hotel Association and the Mamanuca Environment Society.
Allan Gortan
Owner, Paradise Taveuni
Allan has worked in various styles of hotels, resorts and restaurants during his career. He came to Fiji in 2000 as an Executive Chef before being promoted to Resort Manager from 2003. He and his wife Terri co-own and operate Paradise Taveuni. Allan was appointed to the Board in August 2016 to represent Taveuni and the Northern region, as well as sits on the FHTA Dive and Domestic Transport Subcommittees.
Azam Khan
Director, Hexagon Gourp of Hotels
Viliame B. Vodonaivalu
Chief Executive Officer, Fiji National Provident Fund
Viliame is an experienced financial services professional with demonstrated expertise across a broad range of areas including banking, superannuation, accounting, auditing, balance sheet management, risk management, Investment portfolio management, funds management and business analysis. He is the Chairman of the Denarau Corporation Pte Ltd (DCL).
Adam Wade
General Manager & Chief Executive Officer, Vuda Marina Fiji
Adam Wade joined Vuda Marina Fiji in October 2012 and came with vast experience in the food and beverage hotel industry not only from the coral coast of Fiji but also in Malaysia for the 5-star hotel Shangri la. Eventually, this journey also led him to take on the challenge of joining the Marina Industry and adding the touch of his experience to the now award-winning Boatshed Restaurant and Vuda Marina Fiji.
James McCann
Owner, Yasawa Island Resort & Spa – Fiji
James McCann is a qualified Chef and completed a diploma in Hotel Management at Swiss Hotel school. James first came to Fiji as a hotel General Manager back in 1993 and since then has managed and marketed many of Fiji’s leading Island resort properties. In 2011 James along with his wife Erin purchased the award-winning Yasawa Island Resort & Spa and have been owner-operators of this boutique Five Star property ever since.
Brad Rutherford
CEO, South Sea Cruises Group
Brad has spent the past fifteen years in Fiji employed across various senior management positions related to both inbound travel and tourist transport operations. He was appointed to his current role as CEO of the South Sea Cruises Group in December 2016. With an ultimate responsibility of overseeing the wider business, Brad has a key focus on achieving growth and diversity across both existing brands as well as the introduction of new products. Prior to moving to Fiji, Brad held management positions at Tourism Holdings Ltd in both New Zealand and Australia. Brad holds a Diploma of Travel & Tourism, a Diploma of Management, and has completed executive leadership studies at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and Harvard University’s online Business School. Brad has also served as VP of the Society of Fiji Travel Associates for the past several years.
Josephine Smith-Moffat
Company Director, Musket Cove Island Resort & Marina
Josephine has spent a lifetime in tourism; living and working in the industry at her family home of Musket Cove Island Resort. She is the Chair of her family group of companies spanning Tourism, Property, Manufacturing and Retail. She is a former member of the Board of Bio Security Authority 2012-2013 (Chairperson), Tourism Fiji 2010 – 2016 & 2020 – current. Josephine was a previously long-serving member on the board of FHTA and a Fiji Excellence in Tourism Young Achiever award winner 2005.
Kaydee George
General Manager, Club Wyndham Denarau Island
Prior to moving to Fiji Kaydee has had experience in managing Resorts in Australia and New Zealand and has worked for Wyndham for over 9 years. Kaydee has had vast exposure in resort operations and has recently completed an Executive Leadership and Performance Leadership Certificate with Cornell University. Wyndham Resort Denarau has 201 apartments and a range of resort facilities that service over 57,000 of their Club Wyndham Owners in the South Pacific.
Simon Doughty
Sales and Marketing Manager, Volivoli Beach Resort & Ra Divers