SCU alumni are VeryGC

A reunion of sorts is afoot at Gold Coast Tourism, with a cluster of Southern Cross University graduates including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Winter, emerging at the key tourism organisation.

Human resource coordinator Tanya Sawtell, event services manager – business events Michelle Stewart, executive assistant to the CEO, Emma Berg, coordinator – international and domestic operations Emma Whitney and chief executive officer Martin Winter all completed studies at Southern Cross University before embarking on their careers at Gold Coast Tourism, proving that great minds really do think alike.

The five alumni between them boast a Bachelor of Social Sciences, two Bachelors of Sport Tourism Management, a Bachelor of Business in Convention and Event Management and a Master of International Tourism Management.

Together they form an important part of the team at Gold Coast Tourism which leads the promotion of the Gold Coast region to both domestic and international markets with the familiar slogan ‘Very Gold Coast, VeryGC.’

Martin Winter, who completed a Master of International Tourism Management by distance education, said studying was an experience he would recommend to anyone.

“My Masters degree at Southern Cross University relaunched my career and set me on the path to where I am today,” said Mr Winter.

“I was at a point where I was looking for a bigger challenge and for that I needed better qualifications and a deeper understanding of business principles.

“It was a challenge but I was impressed by the quality and intellectual rigour of the curriculum, as well as the genuine care for the students.

“I still refer back to the fundamentals of management I learned during my studies and apply those insights to the real world.”

Gold Coaster Michelle Stewart has been with Gold Coast Tourism the longest, having first joined the organisation two years ago, and was last year named Young Professional of the Year by national independent meetings management organisation Meetings and Events Australia.

The event services manager – business events said her Bachelor of Sport Tourism Management had proved invaluable.

“I liked the flexible choice of subjects – it meant I was able to tailor make the course to my needs and basically major in business events, which was perfect for me,” said Ms Stewart.

“I lived on campus in Lismore, which I can’t recommend highly enough – it was one of the best experiences of my life.

“None of the SCU people at Gold Coast Tourism knew each other while we were at the University, but it’s nice to know we have all shared similar experiences and in some cases have even had the same lecturers!”

Mr Winter agreed.

“I am lucky enough to have a job promoting the best tourism destination in Australia, if not the Southern Hemisphere,” said Mr Winter.

“In my opinion it’s the best tourism job in Australia and I have no doubt that it came about partly because of my studies.”

Photo: (L-R) Brains trust: event services manager – business events Michelle Stewart, executive assistant to the CEO, Emma Berg, coordinator – international and domestic operations Emma Whitney, Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter and human resource coordinator Tanya Sawtell (not pictured) all completed studies at Southern Cross University.