Malaysia’s KLCC announces changes in leadership team

Malaysia’s premier purpose-built venue, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has  announced a series of promotions and new appointment in its leadership team. John Burke (pictured) takes over the helm as venue general manager, succeeding Alan Pryor in this position. Having joined the Centre in 2017 as deputy general manager, Burke helped push the venue’s digital transformation forward and oversaw the upgrade of the venue’s security infrastructure. He also managed the development of hybrid and virtual event spaces and platforms as well as paved ways for new revenue streams for the venue including the expansion of the Centre’s product offerings, during Covid-19 times. He has also driven multiple projects, initiatives and investments that better positions the Centre as a sustainable venue. Burke succeeds Alan Pryor who retires after 40 years in the business events industry. Pryor worked very closely with Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) in developing Malaysia as a preferred business events destination in the region and catering to the professional development of Malaysian event professionals. He also formed the Business Events Council Malaysia, a united voice representing the industry supply chain in the advocacy of value and impact of business events to the country. In his time at the Centre, Pryor also drove the creation of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance, a destination collective offering a single-point-of-contact for international meetings and events planners and organisers. His most recent undertaking is positioning the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Precinct (where the venue is located) as a sustainable meetings destination, bringing together key stakeholders to collaborate on this initiative. Prior to joining the Centre, Burke was Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre’s (OCEC) director of operations, and before that, director of IT at Qatar National Convention Centre for four years. The KLCC also welcomes Robert Hatton-Jones, an experienced hospitality and events professional, to the management team as deputy general manager. He brings nearly two decades of experience in food and beverage (F&B) operations, business development, venue and asset management, event planning and marketing. Hatton-Jones was previously general manager of commercial and business development at Cape Town International Convention Centre since 2017. KLCC has also promoted Layzree bin Bongsu to the position of director of finance and administration. A chartered accountant with 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Layzree will oversee day-to-day finance and procurement as well as information technology operations at the Centre.