Meet the Culinary Entrepreneurs: Marlene Poynder

Marlene has 30 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality fields, including luxury hotel management in Australia, Asia and the U.S. In 2010, she joined Hilton as the pre-opening and opening general manager of Hilton Queenstown and Kawarau Hotel. From 2012 to 2013, she held roles in the Australasia corporate regional office and in Dalian, China, on behalf of Conrad Hotels & Resorts. In 2013, she became general manager of Waldorf Astoria Beijing, overseeing the hotel opening. Marlene also served as general manager of Conrad and DoubleTree by Hilton hotels in Haitang Bay Sanya, China, before taking on the general manager position at Waldorf Astoria Chicago and relocating to the United States. Prior to joining Hilton, Marlene held a variety of executive roles with Hyatt Hotels in Asia and Australia covering sales, marketing, and hotel and spa openings across the region. She holds many qualifications and certifications in selling skills and leadership, including Hilton's Excellence in Leadership.