Latest posts by Martin Moodie (see all)
- Giesen and Strange Nature reunions; Aotea & Fushtagrammable experiences in Christchurch - March 21, 2025
- Finding a very New Zealand fault on the wondrous West Coast - March 16, 2025
- Back in New Zealand, Aotearoa, land of the long white cloud - March 11, 2025
It’s International Women’s Day and The Moodie Davitt Report’s own redoubtable team of women have been simply supercharged these past few days in their efforts to underline the occasion’s importance.
A glance at our home page tells you how passionately and well they have embraced that task. The page is splendidly awash with stories by women about women.
Each has committed to participating in and/or supporting a women-related event or cause, for example by donating to charity organisations, supporting IWD events and participating in local community gatherings that champion gender equality.
Just as importantly, the Moodie Davitt women have been pushing each and every male member of the team to do likewise. You can read about those efforts here.
Due to extreme workload, I have been unusually slow off the mark in deciding my contribution. Having pondered it when getting up at 4.30am this morn to ensure the website that never sleeps hadn’t nodded off, I decided I would affirm the importance of the day in two ways.
The first is by donating to a women’s cause in my home country, New Zealand – Aotearoa (‘Land of the Long White Cloud’). The Aoraki Women’s Fund strives tirelessly to accelerate opportunities for women and support their advancement in all aspects of life.
It recognises and challenges the gender inequalities that persist in New Zealand society and works towards ensuring that women have equal access to opportunities and resources. Why is this work vital? Consider the following:
Of 100 women in New Zealand:
- 20 would experience sexual harassment as secondary school students
- 25 would be heading solo-parent households
- 33 would experience domestic violence in their lifetime
- They would be underrepresented by 36% on NZX 100 companies
- On average they would earn 9% less than men
We imagine a world where women and girls can reach their biggest, most ambitious dreams. Where women are safe, respected and not constrained by discrimination, sexism and old-fashioned ideas of what we can and should do. The Women’s Fund is creating impact and positive change now, to ensure that wāhine [women] and taitamāhinetanga [girls and young women] continue to feel safe, and have their voices heard in the future. – The Aoraki Women’s Fund
My second initiative is to simply salute each and every woman member of The Moodie Davitt Report team.
I am pleased to say that women are not only in the majority across our team of full-time and freelance staff (by 12 to 7) but also head six of our departments. Their collective capability is off the scale. On International Women’s Day, they each deserve a shout-out from me, the company Founder. Here they are as I say thank you to The Moodie Davitt Report wāhine.
- Irene Revilla: Our Spanish superstar Publisher, Irene heads sales, sits on our board (MA Travel Retail) and is relentless in her pursuit of excellence. She has transformed our sales and sponsorship efforts since joining the company, partly due to her combination of professionalism and innate ability but also to a remarkable work ethic. With Irene, it’s never a case of mañana but always today.
- Sinead Moodie: Newly promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and also a member of the MA Travel Retail board, Sinead is the human glue that holds The Moodie Davitt Report together. Super-organised and diligent, she keeps the company ticking smoothly behind the scenes while the front of house whirrs frantically. Sinead is rightly proud that she can play such a role from our unlikely administrative headquarters of Ystradgynlais, south Wales.
- Hannah Tan: Talk about the website that never sleeps, here’s the Brands Director who simply refuses to countenance any form of slumber. Possibly a whirlpool in a previous life given her seemingly ceaseless energy, Hannah marries that energy with an eternal optimism and outstanding dedication. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, she is now based in the UK but spends much time travelling on our behalf doing the work she loves and carries out so well.
- Jessica Allerton: Since joining The Moodie Davitt Report in 2022 as Research Director from UK supermarket group Morrison’s, Jess has driven numerous projects from conception to fruition, drawing on years of research experience, including a spell with NPD Travel Retail. Capable and determined and steadily making a difference as she grows in the role, Jess is a lead player in the diversification of our advertising-led revenue base. Watch this space.
- Vincci Chung: Our Hong Kong-based Associate Director Events is professionalism personified, integrity exemplified and good character epitomised. Whether you’re a colleague, an events delegate, a speaker or a sponsor, Vincci is simply a delight to work with. Yoga, hiking, kayaking and diving, you name it, just as with her job, Vincci is good at it.
- Kristyn Branisel: Our California-born, Pontardawe, Wales-based Administration and Events Support Manager is one of those ‘go-to’ people who makes a difference between a company being good or great. A true multi-tasker, she ensures advertising copy is not only received but carefully nurtured on behalf of our treasured business partners. And she plays a key role in supporting Vincci Chung on events. Never complains, even when (as very often) she has an absolute right to.
- Zhang Yimei: Our Chief China Representative, Yimei brings immense expertise and years of travel retail experience to her critical role in leading our company’s unrivalled presence in China. Drawing on her years with China Duty Free Group, Focus Network Agencies and Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free Co, Yimei has an arguably unrivalled business network and commands tremendous respect in the industry. And from me.
- Ameesha Raizada: Our coverage of the Indian aviation and travel retail sectors is unrivalled and our Haridwar, India-born, London-based Senior Reporter is a vital contributor to that leadership among her multiple responsibilities. Ameesha also plays a key role alongside Hannah Tan in creating top-class content for The Moodie Davitt Report’s Instagram and Facebook platforms. When you’re in Ameesha’s quietly spoken company you simply know you’re in the presence of someone with intelligence and conviction. A believer, as she puts it, in rolling with the punches and embracing the journey. The journalistic part of that journey is set to be long and successful and I am delighted we are an important part of it.
- Camille Bersola: The Moodie Davitt Report’s multi-national rollcall of women continues with our Manila-based Associate Editor. Camille is a star, shining but perhaps unsung (until this Blog) within our organisation. She plays a critical role in supporting me in our Asian time zone, taking on the most challenging tasks (Korean and Chinese language press releases, for example, that have to be translated and turned into quality copy quickly) without complaint. Until the pandemic, Camille was a TV journalist for a Macau broadcaster, a high-profile role that also saw her become the voice of the Filipino migrant community in the Special Administrative Region. Those qualities of humanity, diligence and professionalism have benefited The Moodie Davitt Report enormously.
- Leanne Farnell: Sub-editors, alas, are a dying species in media land. As an obsessive wordsmith, I am proud to say that is not the case at The Moodie Davitt Report. Leanne can spot a typo or grammatical flaw at a thousand paces. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy having a colleague with whom I can enjoy a conversation about, say, the merits of the Oxford Comma or whether to preface a quote with a colon or comma. Leanne usually wins any debate, which shows how much I trust her. As Anthony Burgess, author of Clockwork Orange, wrote: “There is a satisfactory boniness about grammar which the flesh of sheer vocabulary requires before it can become a vertebrate and walk the earth.” The Moodie Davitt Report walks the earth and Leanne is our trusty guide along the way.
- Penelope Zhou: As China Editor, Hong Kong-based Penelope (Penny) manages our acclaimed weekly Moodie Davitt WeChat Official Account (which is complemented by our Hainan-based daily China TR Express WeChat platform). Penny is a native Mandarin speaker, a professional interpreter and a top-class journalist. What a combo. Her interpreting clients include the Guggenheim Museum; the BBC; Morgan; Lewis & Bockius; DLA Piper, UNESCO and… The Moodie Davitt Report (Penny did an amazing job leading the live translation team at The Trinity Forum 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City). A consummate professional and wonderfully pleasant individual to work with in Hong Kong.
- Sonia Menezes: Born and raised in Sheffield, England, International Account Manager Sonia is our newest recruit, having joined the company at the tail end of 2024. But already she’s proving a force to be reckoned with, her extensive brand and travel retail experience (including United Distillers & Vintners, Bacardi and Welsh jewellery brand Clogau) coupled with an agile and strategic mindset making her a hit with colleagues and clients alike.
