Transition

Appointed: New Zealand’s new High Commissioner to Western Samoa, Mr J R Martin. He succeeds Mr Brian Absolum, who has been appointed New Zealand’s Ambassador to Fiji.

Mr Martin was previously head of the Middle East and African division of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Wellington.

Appointed: Australia’s new ambassador to Fiji, Mr Robert Cotton, who arrived in Suva at the end of March. Mr Cotton is a career diplomat who has served in Sri Lanka. He is the son of former Australian Government Minister and diplomat Sir Robert Cotton.

Appointed: Nr Neil Paparella, general manager of Morris Hedstrom, the Car penter Group’s retail division, has been appointed a director of Carpenters Fiji Ltd, the group’s principal operating company.

Mr Dennis Cuthers, chief accountant and corporate secretary of Carpenters Fiji Ltd, has been appointed to the boards of W R Carpenter (South Pacific) Ltd, and Car penters Fiji Ltd. He has also been made a

director of Morris Hedstrom Samoa Ltd and Morris Hedstrom Tonga Ltd.

Mr Hector Hatch, general manager (administration) for Carpenters Fiji Ltd, has become a director of W R Carpenter (South Pacific) Ltd. Mr Hatch, who has been with the Group for 13 years, contin ues as a director of Carpenters Fiji.

Appointed: Toshihiko Nomiyama, as Jap anese guest relations manager for the Sheraton Fiji Resort. Mr Nomiyama was formerly the operator of Uncle Inc restau rants and coffee shops in Tokyo and sales promotion assistant manager for the Wes tin Akasaka Prince Hotel, which is also lo cated in Tokyo.

Sheraton Fiji Resort general manager Chris Gorring said the new position re flected a renewed interest by the Japanese in Fiji as a destination.

“With a new Air Pacific 747 service ex pected to start between Japan and Fiji in October, as well as an additional Air New Zealand flight between Auckland, Nadi, and Japan in April, the number of Japa nese into Fiji should increase substantially”. □