Tuesday, 22 November 2011, 10:57 am Press Release: Carlin Valenti
November 22, 2011
New CEO for Top Tourism DestinationTe Puia
The board of the New Zealand Maori Arts andCrafts Institute, trading as Te Puia, has announced theappointment of Tim Cossar as its new chief executive.
MrCossar, who will take up the new role in the New Year,leaves the Tourism Industry Association where he has beenchief executive since 2008.
Chairman of the New ZealandMaori Arts and Crafts Institute Harry Burkhardt says hisboard is delighted to have attracted someone of Tim’scalibre to take over leadership at Te Puia.
Mr Burkhardtsays Tim is a highly regarded figure in tourism havingpreviously been instrumental in driving the development ofPositively Wellington Tourism.
He says the board has beeninvolved in a process of strategic focus aimed at settingthe direction for the medium term future. That future willinvolve growing an already successful organisation andvisitor experience while extracting greater levels of valueout of the latent potential available to Te Puia.
“Wehave a twin focus – one on growing and enhancing thevisitor experience and a second about protecting the legacyof Maori arts and crafts as set out in our act of Parliamentset in place in 1963.
“We believe Tim Cossar has thetrack record, skills and demonstrated commitment to take TePuia to this next level.”
Tim Cossar has a stronghistory in tourism and management in New Zealand. Prior tohis role at Positively Wellington Tourism he was CEO of theQueen Elizabeth II Trust, General Manager of the OutdoorsmanHeadquarters in Rotorua and before that General Manager ofTourismRotorua.
ENDS