Julie-May Ellingson has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and will succeed outgoing chief executive officer, Rashid Toefy.
“Ms Ellingson is exactly the calibre of leader we were hoping to appoint to take the CTICC into the future, with knowledge in every area that she would be required to work in as CEO. She has extensive experience in construction, a thorough understanding of the complexities of municipal government legislation, and a proven track record when it comes to the organising and hosting of major international events and conferences,” said CTICC chairperson, Gary Fisher.
Ellingson, who holds a Master’s Degree in Town and Regional Planning from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Bachelor of Development Administration Degree majoring in economics, has fulfilled the role of CEO of the Durban International Convention Centre (DICC) for the past three years, where she was instrumental in transforming the Centre into a profitable business entity.
In the period before her appointment as CEO in 2011, she was seconded as the acting CEO of the Durban ICC and was responsible for the development and implementation of a turn-around strategy for the Centre. During her term, she also oversaw major capital works in preparation of Durban hosting the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in 2011.
Ellingson joined the Durban ICC from the eThekwini Municipality’s strategic projects unit. As head of strategic projects unit, Ellingson was responsible for driving Durban’s 2010 and beyond programme and delivering on the city’s 2010 FIFA World Cup responsibilities.
Under Ellingson’s leadership more than R6-billion was invested in projects across the city. The most notable include the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium, upgrade of Durban’s central beachfront, development of Sports Hubs (Umlazi, Clermont and KwaMashu), city beautification, people mover bus service and phase 1 of the Victoria Embankment Yacht Mole.
Ellingson, who also serves as the chairperson of the Global Alliance of Congress Centres, is a well-respected conference and event professional, who has played a key role in the successful bidding of local and international conferences such as the 123rd Session of the International Olympic Organising Committee, the FIFA Beach Soccer Africa Championships, Top Gear Festival and the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, to name a few.
Ellingson is expected to step into her new role in the next few months.
