Graham Werner joins the expanding team at Bench Africa as Business Development Manager QLD, NNSW & VIC. Well-known amongst industry colleagues from his 13 years in QLD with APT prior to COVID, he is the latest addition to the Bench ‘pride’ proving his charisma, positivity and enthusiasm were not lost on the pandemic.
Werner remained connected to the industry and kept busy through the last two years with the development of his photography business, providing his remarkable skills behind the lens to travel industry events, launches and conferences.
Werner says, “I am absolutely thrilled to re-join the travel industry, with Australia’s oldest and most trusted African Safari specialist. Representing Bench is a dream come true for me, with its range of travel styles, responsible travel focus, and its support of several organisations dedicated to the protection of culture and wildlife. Their long-standing commitment to Australia’s travel trade and the delivery of outstanding experiences to my favourite continent made this an easy choice… not to mention I’m a wildlife-addicted photographer keen to revisit the beautiful African continent. I look forward to reconnecting with our agency partners and building on Bench’ already robust relationships.”
Andy Kirkman, Bench’ Trade Relations Manager said of the new appointment, “Graham joining the team comes at a time when, like many other travel businesses, we’re seeing incredibly strong bookings, and QLD was identified as the logical choice for the next stage of our sales team rebuild. The overwhelming trade response we’ve received from his appointment, affirms that we’ve got the right man in the job to take our agent partner commitment to the next level.”
Trade partners in QLD, NNSW & VIC can reach Graham at graham@benchafrica.com.au
The news follows the recent Reservations appointment of returning Africa Expert Rebecca Goosen, previously working at Bench Africa for 7 years, and with over a decade of working within the Africa travel space. “We continue to welcome back yet another highly experienced and well-respected team member to the Bench family as the demand for Africa travel increases. With the rapid return to pre-pandemic booking levels, we continue to look for, and call out to Africa Experts looking for a new opportunity to get in touch! ” said Julie De Palo, Reservations & Operations Manager.
