4 minute read
Evolving To Meet New Challenges
from Hotel SA March 2024
by Boylen
From the CEO
ANNA MOELLER
One of the reasons the AHA|SA has succeeded over its 156-year history is our willingness to evolve.
In 2024, the demands on the association are greater than ever before.
To succeed in the years ahead, we need to ensure we have the organisational capacity – and flexibility – to achieve our goals.
Recently I announced changes to our executive leadership team and key staff positions. We are making these decisions from a position of strength, to capitalise on future opportunities.
Under our updated structure, Owen Webb has been elevated to the role of Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Owen is a high calibre operator. He showed his enormous capabilities during the response to Covid. He absorbed unrelenting pressure and won the respect of members, colleagues and our external stakeholders.
Owen will continue to be a point of contact for workplace relations, licensing and gaming matters, however his role will now broaden to focus on advocating for the interests of members across all areas of industry.
Natarsha Stevenson’s position has recently changed to the new role of Manager – Policy & Industry Affairs. Natarsha has demonstrated the rare ability to manage complex issues across many fronts and she has been an integral part of both the AHA|SA and Gaming Care over the last three years. In this new role, she will play to these strengths for the benefit of members. Importantly, she will continue to provide expert advice on policy development for the industry and play a critical role in developing our submissions to government in a variety of areas including grant funding, legislative changes and budget submission.
As many of you will know by now, Sarah Legoe has rejoined the AHA|SA. This is a real coup, as she returns with the experience of working as a commercial lawyer in private practice. Sarah’s title is Senior Advisor – Workplace Relations, Liquor Licensing and Gaming and draws on her decadelong time with the Association as a manager and advocate. Sarah can assist members with advice and advocacy on matters across workplace relations, liquor licensing and gaming.
With his incredible blend of skills and experience, Didier Vollerin’s role will broaden for 2024. In addition to providing advice on liquor, gaming and workplace relations, Didier will also be available to undertake educational compliance and auditing of venues in his role as Liquor Licensing and Gaming Advisor. He can come out to your venue and assist in a range of areas including Anti Money Laundering compliance, liquor licensing and gaming signage, food safety, liquor management plans and assistance with the LGO portal, CBS website, BOEN and RP approvals.
An Outstanding Team
As business owners and managers, you will know the importance of having an outstanding team. I am blessed to work with very talented people who ‘live and breathe pubs’.
Like a winning sports team, we are blessed with incredible depth of talent.
We’re taking the long view with these changes and positioning ourselves for the next phase in the AHA’s evolution, whatever that may bring.
Input from the AHA|SA Council has been of enormous value. Their backing and the continued longterm unity of members is a hallmark of the Association’s success. Those who seeks to pick a fight with the AHA|SA know that we have incredible strength in this unity. When I started, I promised to build on the good work of the outgoing CEO, Ian Horne.
The AHA|SA will continue to adapt and change to drive the interests of the hotel industry as a whole, and to better assist individual members to succeed and grow.
Congratulations
The AHA|SA congratulates Dini Soulio, the former Liquor and Gambling Commissioner, who has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive of Super SA.
While we didn’t always get everything we wanted, Dini always was prepared to listen to our point of view and to work with industry, rather than against it.
We wish him every success in his new role and look forward to working with his successor.
