Accor has welcomed Rachael Nicholson to the Group’s regional commercial leadership team as Director, Commercial – New Zealand and Fiji.
Formerly Group General Manager of Operations at Heritage Hotel Management, Nicholson is an accomplished tourism executive with over 20 years of international experience across the hotel, airline, and cruise industries.
Based in Auckland, Nicholson joins the Accor Pacific commercial team under the leadership of Anne Gill.
“Rachael brings a rare blend of strategic insight, commercial acumen, and deep industry expertise,” said Gill.
“Her appointment underscores Accor’s commitment to investing in exceptional leadership and reflects our ambitious growth plans in New Zealand and Fiji, with a continued focus on delivering strong commercial outcomes for our hotel owners.”
At Heritage Hotel Management, Nicholson led the post-Covid recovery of a portfolio of 10 properties, with a focus on restoring operational performance, driving revenue growth, enhancing guest satisfaction, and accelerating digital transformation.
Prior to this role, Nicholson spent 18 years in senior roles at Air New Zealand. At the airline, she played a key role in the pandemic response and international relaunch, including the development of global sales strategies.
Throughout her career, Nicholson has built a strong reputation in sales, customer experience, commercial leadership, and strategic transformation, having worked across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, North America, and Europe.
Nicholson said she looks forward to working with the team to showcase New Zealand to the world.
“The company’s scale, ambition, and commitment to excellence – from delivering outstanding guest experiences to its support for people, and its clear focus on performance – is genuinely impressive,” she said.
“I’ve been struck by the passion, calibre of leadership, and the depth of talent across the business. I’m looking forward to working with the industry to grow tourism and to help showcase this incredible country of ours to the world.”
An advocate for the tourism industry, Nicholson is also a long-time mentor with the Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME) program, and has contributed to academic publications including the Journal of Travel Research and Journal of Vacation Marketing.