Orbit World Travel Chief Executive appointment

Orbit World Travel has appointed Anita Hawthorne as Chief Executive Officer following an executive search conducted by SEQEL Partners.

Orbit World Travel is New Zealand’s only locally owned and operated corporate travel management company. For more than 30 years, it has established strong customer relationships across the regions, earning a reputation for going further than any other travel management partner in the market.

Anita brings a proven track record in integration and operations at scale across highly regulated, customer-centric organisations in New Zealand. Most recently, Anita was Interim CEO for Southern Cross Travel Insurance, the market-leading travel insurer in New Zealand. Previously, she was Chief Operating Officer at Oceania Healthcare, where she led major operational turnarounds, technology programmes, and acquisition integration work.

Anita built her earlier career with Air New Zealand where she held increasingly senior mandates spanning operations, customer experience and loyalty. This included time managing Airpoints partnerships and travel agency relationships.

Anita said that what drew her to the role was her understanding of and passion for the travel industry, the strength of the Orbit World Travel brand in the market, and the important role the company plays in helping New Zealand businesses succeed globally.

Anita holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Commercial Law from the University of Auckland and is a Chartered Accountant. She joins the Orbit World Travel team on 3rd August.

Read more in the latest NZ Herald article here