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Illusions New Recruits
Dubai, UAE, 1 July 2009

With such speedy expansion and the drive to keep winning those awards, comes a hardworking, dedicated team, storming ahead in the quest to stay ahead of the game. Meet the new recruits who are helping make Illusions Online a reality…

Lisa Shortland
If anyone has a greater passion for travel technology, we haven’t found her yet. Lisa started her career in the travel industry over 18 years ago as a reservations agent for one of Australia's largest wholesalers, Qantas Holidays, and quickly realized where her future lay.

After 7 years in wholesale reservations and operations, Lisa was instrumental in delivering one of the first online B2B booking engines in Australia. With 11 years at Qantas Holidays to her name, she continued up the travel ladder with project roles at Australian airline consolidator, Concorde International and the Belgian Software provider, ICSAT.

In 2003, Lisa joined Flight Centre International and implemented the Travellusions product for the wholesale division, Infinity Holidays, becoming an expert on giving each business maximum return on investment. She comes to Illusions having managed several other large-scale projects at Flight Centre.

Lisa moved to Dubai in 2008 and continues to scratch her itchy feet by working and traveling abroad, and keeping up with every happening in the world of travel technology.

John Flower
As experienced as John is on the front line, he’s also honed plenty of skills in the back office, having fuelled his love of globe-trotting as a retail travel consultant in the suburbs of Melbourne Australia. A family man at heart, John lives in Dubai with his wife and two daughters, who happen to be the only people who let him sing in front of them. John confesses: “I might have been born a Welsh man, but I can’t sing a note!”

Now Business Development Manager for Illusions Online, John brings essential hands-on experience to the company, thanks to a base in the world of wholesaling, as a destination specialist and in the area of business development with tour companies, including the prestigious Emirates airlines.

His first love is product management and John is ever active in his mission to gain a foothold in the industry, utilizing the amazing advances in travel technology available today. When he’s not trekking, flicking through the pages of his beloved history books and acting as a true asset to Illusions, John remains hard at work on his singing voice…

Maheen Mohamed
Maheen flew in from Bombay and first set foot in Dubai in 1979. Needless to say, she’s seen more than a few changes in her time. Varied work included time at both a construction and a shipping company, before she planted roots at Emirates in 1986 as Sales Co-coordinator for DNATA. A stint at Emirates Holidays quickly saw Maheen become the Tours Sales Manager UAE for the Destination & Leisure Management Division.

In 2002, Maheen was instrumental in setting up the Groups, Promotions & Incentives Division, which saw her life become a jet-setting frenzy. In managing all aspects of group corporate/business travel requirements for an exhaustive list of clients, no destination in the Emirates network was left untouched! In demonstrating the most exciting programs for eager clients, Maheen’s work was never done – they always came back for more.

After a 9 month (well deserved) break, Maheen joined Illusions as our highly valued and ever-smiling Business Development Manager. When she’s not in our office, she’s cooking, which she finds hugely therapeutic, delving into puzzles and hanging with her husband and two children.

Mini Nimkar
Mini by name, huge job responsibilities by nature! With over 28 years of leadership and experience in operations, Mini joined Illusions in May 2008 as Training Manager, and is now responsible for business development in the GCC, the Indian Subcontinent, the Indian Ocean and Africa. Phew. Luckily, she still has time for her dog, Bandit, who’s the main joy in her life here in Dubai.

Mini’s diverse background includes a wealth of experience in Tour operations, HR, Administration and educational institutions. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Tourism from the University of Bombay, so comes to Illusions well accustomed to life in another culture and the demands of the global travel industry.

When Mimi’s not hard at work at the wheel of Illusions, she can often be found snuggling up with a book, or busying herself with her vast collection of coins and jewelry

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