PEOPLE do business with human beings, not companies, and people are the most valuable asset of a company. Business reporter ROPATE VALEMEI introduces some of those who have taken up new appointments to drive the performance of the companies they work for.
* Christine Lyons — The Fiji Times National Sales Manager
Christine Lyons is The Fiji Times new National sales manager.
Prior to joining the Fiji Times Ms Lyon was the Head of Sales at Fiji Television. She has been in sales for more than a decade.
During that time she helped grow brands and advertising partnerships for some of the country’s biggest corporate players and this is something she hopes to grow in her new role at The Fiji Times.
“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity to venture out into a new medium and I’m already looking forward to the unique challenges that I know will come with this new role,” Ms Lyon said.
With her new role, Ms Lyon will be specifically responsible for overseeing the entire sales operations.
“My immediate priority is to settle in and learn how this medium operates.
“Yes while the principles of advertising are generally the same across multi-media platforms, there are however still some unique differences that set it apart depending on which specific media platform you are in these days.
“I have my own brand of leadership that I subscribe to so yes, given time and as I settle into this new role, I hope to share my experience with my team to help move the organisation forward.”
Ms Lyons said the team had been very helpful.
“I have been with television since 1999 and over that period, I have seen the advertising market evolve tremendously with the onset of new technology and shifting consumer preferences and trends.
“Compared with my previous sales team, the team here is a lot bigger. So, one of the keywords for me moving forward is teamwork.”
Ms Lyons said she saw a wide spectrum of various experiences across the team at The Fiji Times and so the motivation for her was to harness that wealth of various experiences and channel that into a focused and dynamic sales team driving an already dynamic 146 year old iconic brand called The Fiji Times.
More team activities, she said was something she also hoped to encourage moving forward.
* Annie Robinson — The Fiji Times marketing co-ordinator
She has been working with The Fiji Times for the past seven years and now have been promoted to a post that is not new to her.
With her immense contribution to the development of the sales department, Annie Robinson has been appointed as the new marketing co-ordinator.
Ms Robinson had initially joined The Fiji Times as a classified sales representative and then she moved to the marketing and the Kaila Club and then to her initial role as a the advertising sales co-ordinator.
She says her new role also comes with responsibility.
She succeeds Fotokalafi Ledua who ventured into a new world of business.
With a big shoe to fill, Ms Robinson is ready to take down any challenge that comes with her.
Working in marketing is great as sales and marketing work hand in hand, she adds it was a smooth transition for her.
She is studying towards her TAFE diploma in marketing.
She says she was fortunate to have worked under two great minds Noelene Powell and Ms Ledua.
Ms Robinson is a small town girl (woman). She hails from Levuka and spent all of her childhood and school years there. Growing up with no sister but four brothers, she fell in love with rugby and the Manu Samoa Rugby team.
According to her, she is one of three people in Fiji who have Caterpillar mobile phones.
