Cathay names new director of customer lifestyle as Paul Smitton steps down

Cathay Pacific’s general manager of customer experience and design Vivian Lo (pictured left) will take up the role of director of customer lifestyle, effective from 1 April 2025.

Succeeding Paul Smitton (pictured right), Lo will be responsible for helping grow Cathay as a premium lifestyle brand, according to a statement seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. She will report to Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Pacific.

Most recently as Cathay’s general manager of customer and design, Lo has extensive expertise in customer experience and has led the team to win numerous awards ranging from cabin products, dining and inflight entertainment. In her new role, she will continue interacting with customers beyond their journeys through the Lifestyle business.

Lo first joined Cathay as country manager of Malaysia in 2002, over the years she has held various senior roles within the companies such as country manager of Philippines, general manager of Taiwan and Korea.

Under Lo’s guidance, the company has doubled down on elevating customer dining experience in recent years. Most recently, Cathay partnered with Chinese restaurant Mott 32 to bring customers an elevated dining experience at The Pier, First class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport.

Don't miss: Cathay Pacific and Mott32 bring authentic Chinese cuisine to travellers

This collaboration exemplifies Cathay Pacific’s commitment to providing customers with an unmatched level of service and hospitality, not just in the air but also on the ground, as it sets sights on becoming the world’s best premium airline.

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a spokesperson from Cathay said the partnership complements Cathay Pacific's premium inflight dining service, embodying the airline's unwavering commitment to delivering unparalleled hospitality across all touchpoints of the customer journey.

To measure the returns on investment of this initiative, it focuses on key performance indicators such as customer satisfaction, impressions, engagements, and website traffic. "Meanwhile, customer feedback will also serve as a critical indicator of the success of our new offerings. The new menu has been well received by our customers, with demand surpassing our initial expectations."

Meanwhile, Smitton was appointed CEO of Asia Miles in July 2018, where he was responsible for managing Asia’s leading travel and lifestyle rewards programme, which has a portfolio of over 11 million members and more than 700 business partners worldwide. Most recently, he had been Cathay's director of customer lifestyle for over three years.

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