karine thomas
Director

Sales, marketing and media strategy with implementation
Speciality: Luxury tourism sales, marketing and communications strategy

Karine Thomas designs strategic marketing communication plans that work for small, medium and large luxury travel and tourism companies, making her one of the most successful marketing and public relations specialists in Australasian travel and tourism.

After an early career in sales and marketing of luxury hotels in London with the Hyde Park Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental), she went on to work in senior sales, marketing and publicity roles with such major hotel companies as Forte, Shangri La, Radisson, Small Luxury Hotels and Star wood (Sheraton) based in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia. She returned to New Zealand as Director Sales and Marketing, Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers in 2000, managing a team of 17.

A winner of many prestigous tourism and advertising awards in both New Zealand and Australia for Yasawa Island Resort, Radisson Playford Hotel and Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers, Karine continues to excel by winning awards each year for her current client list. Just this year, 2007 Navigate's client list gained 9 nominations in the World Travel Awards.

Karine’s network of travel and media contacts internationally, and her experience in working within luxury international travel channels is extensive and ensures Navigate can offer a cost-effective source of targeted marketing and press coverage for their clients.

A board member of the Tourism Industry Association since 2006, Karine completed her Master of Management (Luxury Branding) at the University of Auckland in 2005, holds a Post-Graduate Diploma (Business), University of Auckland 2003 and a Graduate Diploma of Advanced Hotel Marketing from the prestigious Cornell University in NY, USA. She also holds a Bachelor of Education.