CHRIS MEARS TAKES ON CEO ROLE AS NIGEL VERE NICOLL BECOMES THE ORGANIZATION’S FIRST PRESIDENT
(Posted 04th January 2018)
As reported here in early October last year have major changes taken place at the head office of Atta, the Africa Travel and Tourism Association, of which ATCNews is a media member.
Chris Mears has stepped up take on the role as Chief Executive of the organization at the beginning of the new year while industry veteran and the ‘father‘ of the Atta we see today, Nigel Vere Nicoll, has moved to the newly created position of President of Atta.
Nigel is credited to have turned Atta into the most relevant organization in regard of travel to and across Africa since he joined the organization in 1992, making it THE premier business association for Africa’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Seeing Nigel leave the sharp end of the job will bring an era and career in African tourism to a remarkable end. Nigel is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, who made his mark in Kenya when he was Managing Director of Signet Hotels, which was later on sold to Lonrho Africa to become Lonrho Hotels. It was when Nigel ran Signet when we first met and got acquainted.
After leaving Signet Nigel served in various top management positions like Wild Africa Safaris, Universal Travel and On Safari Ltd before being appointed CEO of Atta in 1992.
This correspondent takes this opportunity to wish Nigel all the best in the future, which in his capacity as President of Atta will keep him closely connected to Africa.
All the best also to Chris who since joining Atta has energetically worked to build on the foundations laid by Nigel and who will now captain the Atta ship in its journey ahead.
Atta today has over 600 members in 42 countries around the world and in 22 key tourism countries across the African continent.
Elected Chairman of Atta is Coastal Aviation’s Julian Edmunds, seen in the picture above with Chris and Nigel during their MKTE2017 Atta get together at the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.
Also check out:
https://atcnews.org/2017/10/03/atta-sets-date-for-new-marketing-event-in-london/
