Mandy Nicholson, Dianne Smith and Laureate Professor Eric
Reynolds AO are the latest inductees to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition
Centre’s (MCEC) Club Melbourne Ambassador Program.
Club Melbourne has more than 80
Ambassadors who are business and community leaders in different fields
including agriculture, science, medicine and technology, who promote the region’s
knowledge sectors and help secure meetings, conferences and events for the destination.
New Ambassadors
Mandy Nicholson, a Wurundjeri-willam
(Wurundjeri-baluk patriline) artist and Traditional Custodian of Melbourne and
surrounds, is a cultural and community leader. As the founder, singer and
songwriter of Djirri Djirri, the only Wurundjeri female dance group, Micholson
preserves and shares her culture through community ceremonies, dance, language
and cultural workshops. She is urrently pursuing a PhD at Monash University,
researching ways that Aboriginal people connect to Country, off Country.
Dianne Smith is the CEO of Industry
Capability Network, an independent body that maximises procurement and supply
chain opportunities, providing support services for buyers and suppliers across
Australia and delivering employment and socio-economic outcomes.
Having previously held chief executive
positions at Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Victorian Tourism Industry
Council, Smith will bring her industry and government connections to the Club
Melbourne Ambassador Program.
Laureate Professor Eric Reynolds AO is
the CEO and research director of the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre at
the Melbourne Dental School. Reynolds’ career in molecular biology,
biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, cardiology and periodontology has led
to the development of 19 patents and has earned him numerous awards for his
contributions to science.
Club Melbourne manager Clare Kellett, said
she was “thrilled to welcome the new Ambassadors to the programme.
“It is a privilege to have the
expertise of Mandy, Dianne and Eric as part of our Club Melbourne program.
These new Ambassadors reflect the diversity of people, ideas and innovations
across our city.
“Our newest Ambassadors will
contribute to the legacy of the program and Melbourne’s reputation as a
thriving cultural hub, bringing thought leadership to the city and boosting the
local economy,” she added.
The latest round of appointments
exercises Club Melbourne’s ambition to diversify the programme and bring
together experts from a range of industries.
Since its inception in 2005, the Club
Melbourne Ambassadors, together with MCB, have secured over 160 international
conferences worth over AU$1 billion to Victoria’s economy and brought tens of
thousands of visitors to the city.
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
