TRI-POD Series 3: Susan Gray, globetrotting airport concessions specialist and “accidental hotelier” : Moodie Davitt Report

At night I hear the rhythm of the ocean as it breaks on the shore
And I think about all the things that I am grateful for
And they say, hold on to the ones you love
Keep ’em close to you
And they say, hold on to this time we have
And let the light shine through – Blessings by Hollow Coves

This episode’s special guest on TRI-POD, The Moodie Davitt Report’s video podcast series in association with The SEVA Group, is Susan Gray, Managing Director of Concession Planning International (CPI) in New South Wales, Australia.

Susan, originally from the UK, is a popular and well-regarded figure in the travel retail and aviation worlds. She has worked in travel retail journalism; for SSP in communications and public affairs; and since July 2010 for the highly successful CPI business founded by her father Frank Gray.

CPI approaches terminal planning from a commercial and customer service perspective, proposing solutions to deliver the best possible revenue to the airport while supporting the airport’s passenger experience ambitions. She is also, as we discover in this engaging episode a highly successful, though “accidental” hotelier.

Susan grew up in the southeast of England, where her father worked at Gatwick Airport as one of its first commercial directors. Coming from an all-Scottish family, Susan says she is “at heart Scottish”.

Having studied international relations at Nottingham Trent University, she fell into the travel retail world by landing a part-time job at the Gatwick Airport duty free shop. There would be no turning back. Post-university she landed a job with Paul Hogan, Founder of PPS Publications and later worked as Deputy Editor to the redoubtable Doug Newhouse, Founder and Editor of Duty Free Business (now Travel Retail Business), the true pioneer of quality travel retail journalism.

Flashback to the first edition of The Moodie Report (as it was then called) Magazine, as two publishers went head to head

Having moved to Australia, she met and fell in love with another airport commercial revenues specialist, Jeremy Corfield (formerly Global Director, Commercial and Global Director at EYE Fly – and now a partner in CPI Australia). They have been together ever since, their partnership extending along the way to buying the historic Dromedary Hotel, a lovely country pub dating from 1895 located in National Trust village of Central Tilba, on New South Wales’ far south coast. Besides its heritage and diverse offer of wines, beers and food, the hotel is notable for a section called ‘Bullshit Corner’. Surely there are no travel retail candidates for a spot there.

As usual we fly our resident guest on TRI-POD Airlines to our resident duty free desert island. What music would Susan choose to listen to and what tipple might she enjoy at sundown? Let’s just say there’s a distinctly Australian flavour to both choices.

What reading would she seek in her quest for meaning in those reflective moments and what three guests, living or from history, would Susan invite to a private dinner?

You will have to watch the podcast to discover the answers but let’s just say one guest is likely to turn up in a coat of many colours; another will say (or sing) the Blessings before dinner; while their third of the trio can explain to his dinner companions exactly how the world works.

It’s a heck of an episode with a heck of a woman. Enjoy.

And they say, hold on to the ones you loveKeep ’em close to youAnd they say, hold on to this time we haveAnd let the light shine through ✈

Note: Would you like to appear with Roger and Martin on TRI-POD? Drop Martin Moodie a line at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com and we will be in touch.