AJ Hackett Bungy CEO looks forward to new opportunities

Monday August 8 2011

Bungy New Zealand Group CEO Michelle Trapski has announced that she will be leaving the multi-award-winning adventure tourism company to focus on new opportunities and challenges.

Queenstown-based Ms Trapski has been with the company for eight years, six of those as CEO.

She said today (Monday August 8) that she was leaving the company with a great sense of pride and achievement as she was keen to explore more governance roles within Queenstown or further afield.

“I haven’t any firm plans as yet, and I definitely won’t be leaving Queenstown, but the time is right to leave the business on a high, to go do something else,” she said.

Ms Trapski said highlights of her time at AJ Hackett Bungy included helping the company take a “quantum leap” forwards in financial performance, with improvements in productivity and profitability.

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“Thanks to an amazingly talented and dedicated senior management team, we have weathered every tourism storm that has been thrown at us over the years.

“I’m most proud of our ability to be singularly focused on adapting to circumstance or change, while remaining very clear on what we need to do.

“I leave the business in really good hands and in a really strong position for someone to come in after me. This company continues to be as dynamic and innovative as ever, including development of the multi-million-dollar Kawarau Zipride project which is due to open at the Kawarau Bungy Bridge in the near future.”

Ms Trapski said she would leave AJ Hackett Bungy at the end of September, and would then assume an industry advisory role to the company.

“I’ve developed good relationships with the TIANZ, TNZ and national tourism entities on behalf of AJ Hackett Bungy Ltd over the years, so it makes sense for me to continue to maintain those in the interim,” she said.

Ms Trapski is also the current chair of the Backpacker, Youth and Adventure Tourism Association (BYATA).

Ms Trapski said the company would be conducting a “broad search” for its new CEO, as the business had matured to a point where strategy and planning for the future were critical to the role.

AJ Hackett Bungy co-founder and director Henry van Asch said it had been “delightful” to work with Michelle for nearly a decade.

“She has improved the performance of the company dramatically and has always amazed me with her focus on and dedication to the customer, the extent to which she is fiercely loyal to her team, and her commitment to the company,” he said.

“I’m so glad for her that she’s made the decision to move on, but we’ll really miss her.”

In recent years Bungy New Zealand Ltd has developed visitor attraction products in addition to core Bungy products. These include the Nevis Swing, the Secrets of Bungy Tour and Auckland Bridge Climb.

ENDS

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