Gracie has more than 40 years’ work and executive experience in the hospitality, tourism, marketing, hotel and event management industry allowing her to bring forth valuable input and advice in entrepreneurial business management concepts, operational restructures as well as research and survey analysis for the related fields of hospitality, tourism and marketing.

She holds an MBA major in Tourism & Hospitality Management as well as a Master in Business Administration. Gracie is a certified PSMB Trainer as well as a certified Professional Conference Management trainer for MACEOS. As a Tourism and Event Management Consultant and Trainer, her main areas cover bid documentations and workshop trainings, bid presentations, tourism related research, PCO management & operations and events management. Her business experience and career from 1975 till date have covered airline stewarding, hotel operations and pre-openings, travel and event operations, entrepreneurial set ups in education, tourism and hospitality. Gracie served in the Sarawak Government with the Sarawak Tourism Board as CEO (2005 to 2009) and Associate Dean of UCSI University Sarawak (2009 to 2014).

Gracie ran and owned her inbound and dive tour operations from 1998 till 2014 before selling her business to the Aiman Group where she was retained as Director and Principal Consultant till 2016. She is currently Adjunct Fellow with the Berjaya University College of Hospitality, Sarawak Chairperson for Malaysian Association of Conventions and Exhibitions Suppliers and Organisers (MACEOS), Head of the Tourism Committee of Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Deputy Secretary General of Sarawak Business Federation (SBF). She is advisor, co-author and author of three books “Rainforest World Music Festival – Sarawak’s Success Story”, “Parks and Art Sarawak” and “Rainforest World Music Festival – 20 Years of Song and Rhythm in Sarawak”.

She received her award ‘Darjah Utama Yang Amat Mulia Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang Sarawak’ (PBK) from the State in October 2014 and the ‘Darjah Utama Yang Amat Mulia Johan Bintang Kenyalang’ in September 2018 for her contributions to Sarawak tourism.

Mona is a marketeer by training and a birdwatcher by passion. Her experience ranges from door-to-door sales, high-school English teacher, marketing strategist in a bank, tour operator, and even a muffin-and-cookie maker in a cafe! Mona believes in and has passion for guerrilla marketing and inbound marketing. She claims she gets marketing ideas in the shower. When pried off work, she loves birdwatching, camping, reading, playing the guitar, listening to the Beatles, and anything to do with the VW Beetle.

[Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing & Management – Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia] [Masters in Business Admin (MBA): Entrepreneurship – Excel College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia] [Professional Conference Management Course – SACEOS | Digital Event Strategist (DES) – PCMA]

“Approach your work with a deep sense of earnestness and an unwavering commitment to self-improvement, always striving to refine and enhance your skills and abilities.”

[Professional Conference Management Course – SACEOS | Digital Event Strategist (DES) – PCMA]

“What determines your success isn’t ‘What do you want to enjoy?’, the question is ‘What pain do you want to sustain?’. Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for”
–Mark Manson–

“There are some things that can’t be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt.”
–Shelby Mahurin–

“This the most simple and basic component of life: our struggles determine our successes.”
–Mark Manson–

“Embracing your uniqueness and being yourself not only allows you to tap into your creativity but also lets you showcase your individual identity and beauty”

“If you can’t do big things, do the small things in a great way.”
–Napoleon Hill–

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
–Lao Tzu–

“Dream, though your beginning may be humble, may the end be prosperous”
–Agust D–

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
–William Shakespeare–