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News that DFS Asia South and DFS Venture Singapore Managing Director Craig McKenna is moving back to his native New Zealand will be met with mixed emotions by the industry. One location’s loss is certainly another’s gain.
Over the past ten years, the popular and much-respected Kiwi has done a stellar job not only in driving the travel retailer’s business in Singapore and South Asia but also with his tremendous contribution to charitable causes.
If DFS has ever been called on to support any Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Craig has always been there at the front of the queue, always supported in numbers by his team.
In particular, he and his wife Kathryn have tirelessly helped drive and publicise the outstanding work of Kuma Cambodia School. DFS raised over S$125,000 (US$99,000) in this year’s Great Travel Retail Educathlon to be split between Kuma Cambodia and industry charity Hand In Hand for Haiti.
[The DFS Singapore team get into the spirit of this year’s Great Travel Retail Educathlon]
The remarkable Kuma Cambodia project provides education for poor and marginalised children in the capital and largest city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Under the initiative, a school called Kuma – the Khmer word for ‘children’ – has been constructed with a dining hall, kitchen, library, showers and toilet facilities.
Students are provided with two meals a day, showers when they arrive at school and a well-rounded education which includes sport, art and IT lessons. They also receive medical checks every three months, dental education and checks, and vaccinations.
The work doesn’t stop there. Click on this link to see what Craig and Kathryn, supported brilliantly by DFS have helped achieve in one of the poorest regions of Cambodia. It is inspiring.
Craig will no doubt enjoy being back in New Zealand, where not only can he watch more of his beloved All Blacks rugby team (due to heavily defeat England at Twickenham this weekend -Ed) but spend time with his newborn grandson. Along with many others, we wish one of the truly good guys of travel retail well.
[Craig (left) and Kathryn McKenna with son Jerrod, all in national costume, with then-DFS Chairman and CEO Ed Brennan and Martin Moodie back in 2008]