~ 30 August 2022  ~

Alison Smith to move on to new opportunities

One of the New Zealand’s business events sector’s most well-known and respected leaders, Alison (Ali) Smith, has announced that she has resigned from her role of director of conferences and incentives with Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Ltd (“MCK”).

Ali’s list of achievements in a career that spans 40 years is long and includes being named CINZ (now known as BEIA) Outstanding Contributor in 2015, serving on the board of that organisation for 18 years, and on the Professional Conference Organiser’s Advisory Board for eight years.

In her 25 years with Millennium, Smith has led her teams through a number of major challenges – the Canterbury earthquakes, the Global Financial Crisis and most recently the Covid pandemic. She has always recognised the skills and attributes of others and as a result had a steady and loyal team around her.

“I am proud of my team and their achievements and I have loved working with my colleagues and our clients,” she says.

Stuart Harrison, MCK’s Managing Director of Millennium and Copthorne Hotels New Zealand, says he accepted Smith’s resignation reluctantly.

“We are extremely grateful for the work that Ali has put into our business – the people she has led, grown, mentored and cajoled and I truly want to say thank you.”

Smith says she is ready to move on to a new professional focus and the time is right for her personally as well as the industry as a whole.

“I wish to leave a footprint and make an industry difference, which I am lucky enough to have the opportunity and choice to do.”

“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead the conference and incentives team members at MCK, both present and past. I leave behind a highly capable and well respected team and I am stepping aside to allow them their time to shine.”

Alison Smith’s last day with MCK is Friday 2 September 2022. MCK is actively recruiting for a successor and an announcement will be made in due course.