What Makes Mandala
Happily Different?

Gemma is a commercial dynamo with over 20 years of turning strategy into success and spreadsheets into stories. With a sharp eye for revenue growth, brand elevation, and market positioning, she leads the charge across sales, marketing, revenue, and project management, transforming underperforming assets into high-performing powerhouses through data-led magic and stakeholder savvy.

As President of SKÅL International Brisbane, she’s not just opening doors—she’s building new wings. Known for challenging the status quo (with a smile), Gemma blends big-picture thinking with boots-on-the-ground execution, delivering measurable impact and operational brilliance. Strategic, spirited, and never afraid to colour outside the lines—she’s the kind of leader who makes commercial excellence look effortless.

Wilson is a Chartered Accountant with diverse experience spanning the automotive, asset management, and hospitality sectors. He is passionate about turning complex financial data into clear, actionable insights to ensure Mandala Hotels & Resorts can achieve continued sustainable growth. Known for his practical approach and commercial mindset, Wilson partners closely with stakeholders to bridge the gap between numbers and real-world outcomes.

Outside the office, Wilson is an enthusiastic home cook who loves bringing people together over great food, often hosting family and friends with dishes made from scratch. He is also deeply committed to giving back to the community, volunteering his time across several charities. As Treasurer for a not-for-profit organisation supporting people with disability, he plays a key role in ensuring strong financial stewardship and long-term impact.

Murray Emerton is a hospitality operator who treats venues like finely tuned engines—precision-driven, performance-focused, and always built for profit. With a sharp eye on the numbers and an even sharper instinct for operations, he thrives on turning good businesses into great ones.

Murray gravitates toward like-minded operators who share his pace, standards, and appetite for success, and he’s at his best when building teams that deliver both experience and margin.

Outside the venue, you’ll find him trading the pass for powder—chasing his kids down ski mountains on a snowboard, usually with the same energy he brings to the floor: fast, focused, and just a little competitive.

Tracy is a culture curator and talent strategist with over 20 years of experience shaping talent, culture, and corporate social responsibility into meaningful business impact. Blending expertise across executive coaching, people management, ESG, and communications, she turns values into action and workplaces into thriving, purpose-led ecosystems.

At Mandala Hotels & Resorts, she’s the driving force behind talent engagement and development—bringing staff communications, training, and systems to life with clarity and care.

Tracy also manages local community giving partnerships, ensuring Mandala not only cares for its guests but also contributes meaningfully to the communities we operate in. Equal parts explorer and experience enthusiast, Tracy loves to travel and is always on the lookout for inspiration—and a great hotel experience!

Elena is a commercially minded problem solver who believes great hospitality is driven equally by numbers and intuition. As Director of Business Development at Mandala Hotels & Resorts, she works with owners and investors to grow hospitality assets through strategic thinking and a hands-on approach that delivers results.

With experience across hospitality operations, analytics, and project delivery, Elena has a unique ability to connect the bigger picture with the finer details. Known for asking the right questions (often followed by a spreadsheet), she combines data-led insight with instinct, moving seamlessly between financial modelling and guest experience to unlock performance across the business.

Currently undertaking a PhD in sustainable hospitality, Elena is focused on practical solutions to complex operational challenges. Originally from Moldova and having lived and worked across 26 countries, she brings a global perspective and curious mindset to everything she does. Outside of work, she is usually planning the next project—or the next trip!

Taryn is a commercially driven hospitality leader with extensive experience leading portfolio-level sales and commercial strategy across multi-property hotel networks. With a strong background spanning sales, revenue, distribution and marketing, she specialises in aligning commercial functions to deliver revenue growth, market share, and long-term asset performance.

Having worked across both branded and independent hotel portfolios, Taryn is passionate about building high-performing teams and creating commercially sustainable outcomes, and is recognised for her ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.

Outside of work, she is mum to a very energetic two-year-old son who keeps life moving at full speed. She can read an STR report faster than a bedtime story and is equally skilled in hotel commercial strategy and toddler snack negotiations.