Club Med appoints Heidi Kunkel as CEO East & South Asia and Pacific

Kunkel takes over from Mr Olivier Horps, former Managing Director, Asia Pacific, who was nominated CEO Greater China.

She is also a member of the Club Med Executive Management Committee and reports directly to Caroline Puechoultres, President & CEO Asia Pacific, based in Paris.

Heidi joined Club Med in 2003 as Marketing Manager for Australia, and had demonstrated capabilities in increasing brand awareness and spurring business performance in the Australian market. She was promoted to General Manager Pacific in 2005 and was instrumental in guiding Club Med Australia to garner the “Best Hotel Resort Group” at the AFTA National Travel Industry Award.

Heidi was promoted to President North East Asia, Japan, Korea in January 2010 and she led the Japanese team to turn around the business amid tough times in the Japanese market.

In this new appointment, Heidi is set to enhance Club Med’s performance and brand conviction among consumers in the SEA region. She is now based in Singapore

“Club Med enjoys very strong brand recognition in Singapore as well as the rest of SEA region and we must continue to build upon this strength to reach out to new and younger markets. As a pioneer and innovator in group travel, we are constantly pushing the threshold in introducing new travel experiences to our modern, discerning, worldly travelers,” revealed Heidi.

“In Singapore, we have a series of campaigns lined up till 2012, all designed to excite our loyal customers and attract first‑timers to our convivial Club Med family and of course, our unique and all-time popular All-Inclusive holidays made for vacationers of all ages. There will also be launches of new resorts around the world which we will announce when it is ready,” she added.

Before Club Med, Heidi worked at SPHC (Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation) for several years at various 4- and 5- star hotels in Australia. She is a graduate of Sydney University (Major in Psychology) and holds an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Sydney (MGSM). She had lived in Japan from 1991-93 and speaks fluent Japanese.