Webjet onto AFTA board

THE appointment of Webjet Chief Commercial Officer Shelley Beasley as a Director of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) (TD breaking news) has been approved by the existing Board members, in the lead-up to the organisation’s annual general meeting later this month.

Delayed under a three-month grace period allowed by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (TD 20 Aug), the annual general meeting will now take place on 23 Sep.

Under the AFTA Constitution a electronic ballot will be conducted for six other Directors who are up for reappointment, including Flight Centre Travel Group’s David Smith and Graham Turner, Helloworld Travel’s Andrew MacFarlane and Julie Primmer, Consolidated Travel’s Spiros Alysandratos and CT Partners’ Ian Edwards.

AFTA yesterday also confirmed other nominations had been received from Travlr’s Simon Te Hennepe and the Australian Travel Agents Co-Operative’s Michelle Emerton.

AFTA Chairman Tom Manwaring said the appointment of Beasley followed Webjet’s recent ATAS accreditation scheme and membership of the organisation (TD 14 Aug).

“Now more than ever, we need to speak with one voice in order to secure Government support, and having Webjet as part of the AFTA family amplifies our impact,” Manwaring said.

Beasley said she was delighted to be joining the AFTA Board as Webjet’s representative.

“I look forward to working closely with my fellow Directors and the AFTA team as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 impact to recovery and beyond,”