The Moodie Davitt Report may bear the names of its Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie and long-time President (and since 2015 Co-Owner) Dermot Davitt, but there is a lot more to the company than its two leaders.
Our diverse and inclusive, multi-talented, multi-cultural 24-member team (including regular freelancers and consultants) is based across numerous locations, including Hong Kong, Hainan, Ireland, Rhodes (Greece), Wales, England and the Philippines.
They speak eight languages between them and collectively represent the leading travel retail B2B publisher and events company with distinction across administration & finance, editorial, events, film, research, sales and technology.
We are pleased to introduce the team in this regular column. Please meet our US-born, Wales-based Administration and Events Support Manager Kristyn Branisel.
Tell us a little about yourself
I was born in California and lived in Hollywood for the first few years of my life.
Byron (John), my father, was just 20 when he moved to Hollywood from Prince George in Canada looking to become a rock star. My mother Cheryl also moved there from Massachusetts in the ’80s. She was looking for a better life and, as good fate would have it, found my father.
My parents were regulars of the then well-known LA clubs, like The Troubadour, The Roxy and Whisky-A-Go-Go. Who knows what kind of person I would have become if I had stayed in Hollywood? Perhaps a famous actress or musician? The world will never know as my family moved to Webster, Massachusetts, when I was around four years old as my mom wanted to be closer to my grandmother, who was ill.
Webster is a relatively small town which boasts a wonderful lake that I had the privilege to be raised on. Not surprisingly, Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg has the longest place name in the USA. It’s beautiful; the gem of the town. I swam there every day in the summer and ice skated in the winter with my younger sister Megan and the kids from our neighbourhood.
Mom was a Graphic Arts high school teacher and, even though my dad didn’t crack the music industry (sigh), both my parents loved music. Naturally I became obsessed with music; it changed the course of my life in many ways.
Initially, I wanted to be a teacher. I double majored in English and Spanish at Worcester State University, with both departments wanting me to carry the flag at the graduation ceremony (apparently a first). I chose to carry the English flag.
It was during college that I discovered the last.fm app, which would announce to the world your favourite artists, albums and songs of the week. Whenever I am studying or working – or doing anything actually – I have to have music playing so it was an accurate portrayal of my taste in music. Among others who stumbled upon my profile was my future husband, Matt.
He said I had “nice” taste in music. We both loved bands of the garage rock revival scene like The White Stripes and The Strokes, but we also had a deep appreciation for The Beatles.
Matt lived in Wales, in the UK. We ended up talking every day and eventually decided to meet up in New York City around New Year’s Eve 2009. Two years later, we got married in ‘Sin City’, Las Vegas. It was quite a wedding, with friends and family from the USA, Canada, England and Wales. After that big day – just like my parents – I decided it was time for me to move from Massachusetts and start a new life thousands of miles away in a new country. I moved to Pontardawe in Wales and I obtained my Postgraduate Certificate of Education in Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in 2013.
When did you join The Moodie Davitt Report?
I joined the first week of January 2022. Sinead Moodie, the Chief Administrative Officer of The Moodie Davitt Report, is one of my closest friends and her husband and Matt have been friends since school. Sinead was at my wedding in 2011 and I went to her wedding in Scotland in 2018.
When I was out shopping one day she messaged to say there was an administration job opening at The Moodie Davitt Report. I decided to take a chance and had a job interview with Martin Moodie shortly after. The rest is history, but I made one of the best decisions of my life. Thanks, Sinead, for believing I could do a good job.
What is your role?
My role is Administration and Events Support Manager. I have many responsibilities, but top is ensuring we receive ad copy from our valued clients.
I also support my colleague Vincci Chung with the administration work involving our events and awards. We’re working together now to make sure the next FAB and The Trinity Forum are both successful. Like all my colleagues, Vincci is a pleasure to work with and one of the hardest workers I know.
One or more highlight(s) of your time with The Moodie Davitt Report?
There are many and they all revolve around the people I work with.
I remember being nervous about going to London to meet my Moodie Davitt Report colleagues for the first time in 2022. However, those nerves weren’t warranted. I had a fantastic time and instantly clicked with everyone. I felt like I belonged in the company.
A couple of months later, I went on my first work trip to Singapore for The Trinity Forum in 2022. I couldn’t believe where I was and the people I was with. Once again, my colleagues were very supportive and I had a great time meeting new people.
A highlight of that event was – quite by chance – sitting with one of our partners, Lina Lim from Treasury Wine Estates, on a bus to the Gala Dinner at Changi Airport. We knew each other through emails regarding advertising and started talking about life and music. Somehow, I mentioned the song I had played at my high school talent show: Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. She said that was one of her favourites and I convinced her to see Jack White – one of my favourite artists – who was playing in Singapore a couple of days later.
Another highlight was meeting Maitreyi Karanth, the Founder of the charity Koma Karanth, at The Trinity Forum 2023. We had started talking via email and LinkedIn and as soon as I landed in Hong Kong for the event, she and her friend took me and my husband Matt out for Indian food.
We hit the town and it all felt so surreal. We ended up in a random bar that played live music and I was singing my heart out to songs by The Killers and Taylor Swift with the other bar patrons. An unforgettable night. I could listen to Maitreyi talk all day as she has the most incredible story, not to mention she is a stand-up comedian and is hilarious.
During The Trinity Forum Gala Dinner, I sat next to our China Editor Penny Zhou and it turns out she once interviewed another of my favourite singers, Julian Casablancas the lead singer of The Strokes. I was in awe, and we hit it off instantly. She is one of the coolest people I have ever met.
I am lucky to genuinely love everyone I work with at The Moodie Davitt Report and that we work with so many great clients. Because of them, I have so many fond memories of events, get-togethers and even just random team messages. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and kinder bunch of people. I am very fortunate.
What is your approach to work, your business philosophy?
‘Work hard and say it’s easy’ [from The Strokes’ The Modern Age]. I believe in giving everything 100%. I have always been a hard, conscientious worker. I like to go the extra mile and help my colleagues and clients and I think it pays off.
What makes you tick? Your positive/negative traits?
‘There’s no one I disapprove of more or root for more than myself’ [The Strokes again and lyrics from Life is Simple in the Moonlight].
I am truly my biggest fan but also my biggest critic. I am hard on myself when I make a mistake at work, but I can also appreciate my successes. I am slowly learning to be kinder to myself.
The importance of leisure time and out of work interests?
Leisure time and out-of-work interests are vital to me, especially for my mental health. It’s important to work hard and play hard. Within reason of course.
Every day I spend time with Matt and my two loveable corgis, Jenny and Rooney. They’re excellent co-workers as I work from home, although have their moments when the postman is around or I am on Zoom meetings.
It will come as no surprise that my favourite hobbies are listening to music, attending concerts and – a more recent addition – collecting vinyl records. If I had a detached house or a garage, I would also definitely have a drum kit as I was a drummer throughout school and miss that.
My happy place is watching one of my favourite bands; in the front row, singing along to every song. I recently saw Keane, in Cardiff and Birmingham, and also my favourite Country singer, Kacey Musgraves, in Manchester. They were incredible gigs, and I am trying to convince my husband to take me to see Keane again soon, but I don’t think he is keen.
When I am not working or somewhere in the world for a concert, I am in the kitchen blasting music while cooking. That’s another passion of mine. Like my musical hero, Morrissey, I don’t eat meat so I enjoy taking all the meaty recipes that I loved as a kid and making them vegan/vegetarian friendly.
And a desert island choice of music?
That is a good question, and probably my favourite one! I still love the music that my parents exposed me to: The Beatles, Neil Young, Ramones, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones (although in the ’80s they were into glam metal, which I am not a fan of).
But I also love pop music – I am seeing Taylor Swift twice this summer. I also recently got into country music, which I never thought would happen.
However, my favourite genre has to be alternative/indie rock and roll. My favourite bands and artists are The White Stripes, The Smiths, The Strokes, Morrissey, The Killers, Keane, Interpol, Kate Bush, Kacey Musgraves, The Libertines and Trampolene. They mean the world to me!
But, if I had to pick one album if I was stranded on a desert, it would have to be The Queen is Dead by The Smiths. Regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and for good reason. I would be happy and sad at the same time!
Let’s finish with a travel retail-related question. A must-have in duty free?
Now that’s easy, perfume! Either a trusted favourite like Chanel’s Chance Eau Fraiche or Marc Jacobs’ Daisy, or a spur-of-the-moment one. I love sweet and fresh-smelling scents and I do believe that fragrances can bring back fond memories of places and people.
Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle reminds me of my mom and Christmas. She was so excited to buy it for me as a teenager and every time I spray it, it takes me back to that time. My mom recently passed away, but I know she was proud of the life I have made for myself in the United Kingdom. Wearing that particular perfume is always special. ✈
Previously on Meet The Moodie Davitt team
Introducing Associate Director Events Vincci Chung
Introducing Associate Editor Camille Bersola
Introducing Development and Systems Operations Director Matt Willey
Introducing Reporter Ameesha Raizada
Introducing China Chief Representative Zhang Yimei
Introducing Vice President Sales Sarah Genest
