PATA realligns top management
July 4, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Associations, News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 4 July 2012: The Pacific Asia Travel Association has named Sheila Leong as chief operating officer effective 3 July, while announcing the sudden departure of senior director – marketing and membership services, Stu Lloyd, who had yet to complete his first year with the association.
Mr Lloyd left the organisation, yesterday, with the association simply stating he was leaving to pursue new opportunities in the Southeast Asia region.
In contrast, Sheila Leong has a long track record with the association. A Singaporean national and a PATA staff member 1998 to 2011, she returns to the association to fill a newly introduced position to consolidate all operational activities.
Sheila Leong
All regional directors and representatives will report to the new COO with immediate effect, the PATA release explained.
Although the the press statement suggests she is the first to assume the role of a COO, Michael Yates fullfilled similar duties under the leadership of CEO Peter de Jong from 2003 to 2008.
PATA CEO, Martin Craigs added: “PATA is adjusting quickly to provide value to members. We are focusing on a streamlined range of quality services in line with members’ needs in a fast changing digital age.”
Mr Lloyd’s departure had been a subject for the rumour mill over the last three months, but Ms Leong’s return surprised the industry.
She resigned from PATA 30 September, 2011, to open her own events hosting company known as EON Events, registered in Singapore. Just last month she was joined by a former PATA staffer, Jackie Tisapramotkul as managing partner.
In a telephone interview with TTR Weekly, Ms Leong said the appointment was an “extended consultancy agreement to take on additional responsibilities” within the parameters of the EON Events agreement with PATA.
“There is a contribution of time to do the work that is written in the agreement and that has now been extended from three days a week to four and half, or 20 days a month, due to the additional responsibilities,” she explained. ” It is very transparent, with a set of objectives outlined by the CEO.”
PATA’s agreement with EON Events came into effect 1 October 2012 and will expire 31 December this year.
Considering that new COO responsibilities have been added, Ms Leong said she was confident the contract would be renewed for another year or two.
” I can take on the additional work load because Jackie joined me and is she is doing most of the running around for EON,” she said noting there was a commitment to ensure there was no conflict of interest between Pata projects and what EON was developing in other areas.
Ms Leong’s career with PATA started in April 1998 as the director of Northeast Asia at the association’s Singapore regional office. In 2000, she assumed the role of director – events and relocated to PATA’s headquarters in Bangkok. Since then she has played a lead role in organising and implementing all PATA events as head of the events department.
Before joining PATA, she established her travel and tourism event management skills and contacts working with Franco-Asia Travel, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, and Reed Exhibitions. (Edited press release)
While it should be stonkingly obvious and worth celebrating, an amazing thing has happened at PATA, virtually overnight and without anyone apparently noticing. Through complete accident, management incompetence, attrition, fluke and luck and absolutely no strategy whatsoever, almost the entire senior management of the association is now comprised of talented, relatively young Asians. Who knew? The new COO, three of the four regional directors, the communications manager, the events team, the incoming CFO and almost the whole support staff, are Asian. With the departure of the last alpha male expat after, according to the Bangkok Post, a “huge row” with the CEO and only one “part time” ex-UNWTO trailing the CEO’s coat tails, this could be the solution, albeit a little late in the game.
Sheila Leong is probably the only credible remaining senior PATA figure who is prepared to knuckle down and try and fix this sinking ship. She is arguably the best events organiser in Asia and against all odds she has made PATA’s events appear brilliant and successful. Her staff think she walks on water, and would walk on hot coals for her.
Yet she reports to a CEO who claims he inherited a loss from the three previous incumbents of a million dollars. He clearly hasn’t read the balance sheets, or can’t understand them, because most of the loss in the 2010/11 years happened on the watch of his long-time buddy Bill Calderwood, who hired him in the first place.
Yes, the previous CEO before the acting one had to (transparently, it has to be said) report a loss of just over $400k, but this hides the holdover of pre-paid membership dues (close to $200k) rolled into 2011 accounts and Executive Board ordered payouts of $100k to departing staff, including one who allegedly tried to hide the $60k loss in a cheque scam.
The simple question is how the acting CEO for 2011 managed to lose between $600k and $900k. Was it his $30k a month consulting fee, his business class airfares, or just sheer incompetence?
Nothing against Sheila; although if she’s that good, how come her own business gives her so much time to devote to PATA affairs. To call her “the best events organiser in Asia” is pure hyperbole. I know half a dozen people personally who could do at least as good a job – given a product that is marketable….
Is this the same Ms Leong who was appointed Deputy Chief Executive by Greg Duffell during his disastrous, loss-making tenure when membership numbers plummeted to a crash landing as fast as the reputation of his senior team and certain members of the PATA Executive Board?
Is this the same Ms Leong that has presided over the loss-making PATA Travel Mart? How can she be COO and remain a consultant? Perhaps it’s a tactic by PATA to avoid applying for a work permit and visa.
There seems to be a surplus of consultants at PATA tapping in to what’s left of the members’ money.
The latest CEO Martin Craigs deserves to be supported in his efforts to revive this once great Association but this appointment simply rewards failure. It’s a step backwards when PATA needs to be making giant forward strides. It seems that any new ex-pat faces hired by PATA (including Bill Calderwood’s dynamic duo appointed last year) fail to stay the course. Are they deemed to be a threat by the old hands at PATA HQ? I can recall many similar episodes here in HK and in China – albeit in the private sector. Perhaps the latest departure (Mr Lloyd) will share his thoughts with us in due course?