2023 Judge's Profile

Sharon Garrett

Director of Marketing

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives

In just one word, Sharon is a storyteller. Her super power is the ability to effortlessly cut through the clutter, to plot a clear and direct course of action designed to accelerate a company’s commercial success. Her tool kit is filled with goodies, from solid brand development strategies and marketing tactics to PR, crisis comms and enviable network. She credits her broad 360-degree approach to the professional and personal experiences she has enjoyed in her 35+ year career, which she says sometimes felt more like ‘a game of snakes and ladders’. She doesn’t underplay the vast impact of the different colleagues and personalities who have shaped her outlook and pushed her to balance creative with commercial. Whether it’s luxury hotels or those appealing to the mid-market, a standalone restaurant or recreation activity, Sharon will be able to spot the weakest links, the areas for improvement and what is running well. She is fearless and a go-getter. Her outlook is enriched from time running her own businesses, championing corporate governance contributing at Board level, being an in-house leader and following her passion for all things travel with a stint hosting her own radio shows and travel-writing. She is an advocate for the digital and eCommerce age and is known to embrace change, choosing to get her hands dirty in a quest to learn something inside out. Most importantly from a commercial viewpoint, she knows how to manage money. Sharon gets a thrill with measured ROI, seeing her brand in lights, curating customer experiences that deliver and she certainly drives hard to get more bang for the buck. While her experience transcends traditional PR boundaries, she celebrates PR and the importance of PR at the top table.