Accor announced the appointment of Rachael Nicholson as its new director, commercial for New Zealand and Fiji today, 21st July.
She joins the Accor Pacific commercial team under the leadership of Anne Gill, vice-president for commercial market strategy and performance in the Pacific.
Gill said of the newest member of her team: “Rachael brings a rare blend of strategic insight, commercial acumen, and deep industry expertise. 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.”
Nicholson herself remarked:“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. 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.”
The announcement follows Accor’s 2025 Pacific Leaders Conference held on the Gold Coast, which brought together more than 350 senior leaders to shape the future of hospitality across the region.
Meet Rachael Nicholson
A highly accomplished tourism executive currently based in Auckland, Nicholson brings over 20 years of international experience across the hotel, airline, and cruise industries.
She 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.
Most recently, she served as group general manager of operations at Heritage Hotel Management, where she led the post-COVID recovery of a portfolio of ten properties.
Her leadership focused on restoring operational performance, driving revenue growth, enhancing guest satisfaction, and accelerating digital transformation.
Prior to this, she spent 18 years with Air New Zealand in several senior roles, playing played a key role in the airline’s pandemic response and international relaunch, including the introduction of ultra-long-haul services to Chicago and New York, the development of global sales strategies, and the management of critical international partnerships.
Nicholson holds both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Canterbury and has contributed to academic publications including the Journal of Travel Research and Journal of Vacation Marketing.
A dedicated advocate for the tourism industry, she is also a long time mentor with the Travel Industry Mentor Experience (TIME) program, supporting emerging industry talent.
