Executive Appointments at ICC Sydney

AEG Ogden has appointed three new Directors to the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).

The appointments complete the team that will manage the daily operations of the new convention, exhibition and event precinct in the lead up to its December 2016 launch.

The appointments comprise Malu Barrios as Director of Event Services, Ivan Sanhueza as Director of Technology Services and Johnny Naofal as Director of Building Services.

Barrios has spent over 20 years at Director Level in the events industry, developing and implementing venue management strategies across a variety of venues throughout Australia. A seasoned AEG Ogden executive, Barrios is currently the General Manager of Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island (SEC@GI), which is also managed by AEG Ogden. Prior to her role at SEC@GI she was the General Manager at the AEG Ogden-managed Darwin Convention Centre, overseeing its launch and ongoing success for five years. Prior to Darwin she was General Manager of The Sydney Showground.

Naofal has over 20 years’ experience as a Facilities and Operations Manager in the service sector. He is currently the Facilities Manager at SEC@GI. Prior to SEC@GI, Naofal held the trusted position of Security Manager of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre for thirteen years, where he managed the safety of many high profile events such as the APEC Summit and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Barrios and Naofal will continue their management of SEC@GI and support of the exhibition industry at the interim facility. They will be responsible for the seamless transition of the industry’s events to ICC Sydney in December 2016 when the venue will officially launch and will play key roles in the test events that will commission the building from September 2016.

Sanhueza has fifteen years of experience in the ICT space and joins ICC Sydney following his previous role as ICT Manager for The Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust (SCGT)  which manages the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium. There Sanhueza was responsible for implementing a multi-million dollar, world class WIFI and IPTV technology network solution that was the first of its kind in an Australian stadium.

Chief Executive Officer of ICC Sydney and AEG Ogden Group Director for Convention Centres, Geoff Donaghy said, “I am incredibly proud of our expanding team, each new ICC Sydney team member brings a wealth of experience that will no doubt have an immensely positive impact on the successful management and operation of the venue. At ICC Sydney, it is the calibre of expertise, knowledge and innovative thinking that enables us to deliver world class experiences and best in class events and exhibitions.”

Opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney is hailed as the centrepiece of an A$3.4 billion transformation of Darling Harbour. ICC Sydney will employ more than 300 full-time and up to 1,500 casual staff when it opens.