Our TEAM
here to help you succeed
Johnny Weiss
Founder and Managing Director
As a Kiwi and living in Australia for half his life, Johnny celebrates the best of both countries. Born and educated in Wellington (Wellington College and Victoria University of Wellington), Johnny commenced his career in industrial relations for Governments in New Zealand and New South Wales. The customary OE followed including Israel, Europe and meeting his wide Thea in London before moving to Sydney. He became the first Executive Director of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and also the inaugural National Executive Director for 15 years. Along with a dedicated team Johnny built the Chamber as a major business organisation with regular trade missions to Israel and an active business networking programme. In 1993, Johnny established the Trans – Tasman Business Circle to provide a forum for Australian and New Zealand business and government leaders. The Circle’s focus is on developing trusted relationships and collegial dialogue across both private and public sectors, extended the programme to include Singapore with an active Singapore Business Circle. When he isn’t working Johnny enjoys cycling, music, travel and renovating houses.
Tanya Oziel
Chief Executive
Tanya Oziel is Chief Executive of the Trans-Tasman Business Circle, the Singapore Business Circle and the Founder & Managing Director of SportsConnect. With over 25 years’ experience working with the public and private sector at the highest level, including a 10-year tenure as CEO of the Australia – Israel Chamber of Commerce, Tanya has built influential and diverse business and personal networks. In 2008, Tanya made Australian sporting history when she founded the first ever (AFL) Peace Team bringing 13 Palestinian and 13 Israelis together as teammates to play a game she knew and loved – Australian Rules Football (AFL). Against all odds, she bridged the political, historic, geographic and cultural divide among this inspirational group of men, making the impossible, possible and created a miracle in only 9 short months. The Peace Team became the subject of the multi-award winning documentary – Tackling Peace. So successful was 2008, that in 2011 Tanya created Peace Team 2. Tanya has featured as a speaker at the Global Parliaments of the World Interfaith Conference, and was named 2009 Football Woman of the Year, and awarded a special honour by the AFL for her Outstanding Contribution to the Game through the Peace Team project. She is an annual motivational speaker at the award winning Health Retreat – Rancho Le Puerta in Mexico and was featured as the Keynote Speaker for the Australian National Student Leadership Conference. The UN is closely aware of her story and it has been presented on many occasions as an example of what is possible. In 2012, Tanya founded SportsConnect designed to bring together business and sports people in a thought-leadership platform dedicated to advancing best practice and knowledge transfer between business and sport. With reach into both industries, SportsConnect bridges the gap by creating, facilitating and providing high-level briefings, relationship building initiatives and opportunities for its partners. Tanya was the Executive Director Australia of The Peres Centre for Peace from 2007-2011, which is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, non-government organisation founded in 1996 by then President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the late Mr Shimon Peres, with the aim of furthering his vision in which people of the Middle East region work together to build peace through socio-economic cooperation and development, and people-to-people interaction.
Sharron Lloyd
Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand
Sharron is a results driven, business leader in relationship management and stakeholder engagement. With extensive experience working with the public and private sector at the highest level Sharron has a strong network of well-respected business and Government leaders. As Chief Executive Officer for The Circle in New Zealand, Sharron uses her ideas, skills and strategic insight to connect people, and strives to build innovative and value-enhancing stakeholder engagement for the leaders, innovators and change makers of New Zealand. Sharron’s professional career spans over 15 years of experience across events, sales, marketing, operations and business development. In 2018 Sharron was appointed as a trustee for the Board of Osteoporosis New Zealand (ONZ).
Thea Weiss
Creative Director
Creative Director Thea Weiss has been with the Circle since inception and has helped to build the business over the last 30 years. Thea has been the creative mind behind the design and marketing of the Circle, and is married to the Circle’s Founder & Managing Director Johnny Weiss. With a variety of qualifications in design, Thea contributes to making the Circle events as well as the Circle brand, looking visually appealing and current.
Tracy Jennings
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer for the Trans – Tasman Business Circle and associated brands Singapore Business Circle and SportsConnect, Tracy is responsible for the development, design and implementation of policies for the Circle, along with maintaining its unique culture. With over 27 years’ experience in management of events, hospitality and management Tracy leads the Circle’s team to create and deliver content, opportunities, delegations and events in multiple countries. Tracy’s previous roles include Manager at Imax Theatre, Location Manager at Hoyts Cinema Broadway and Functions Director at The York Conference & Function Centre. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sydney University with a triple major in Government & Political Economy, English and Performance Studies. She is a Wesley College alumni, a supporter of The Fred Hollows Foundation and a sponsor for World Vision Australia. A native of the alpine region of Jindabyne, Tracy enjoys skiing, horse riding, waterskiing and a good Wildbrumby Schnapps.
Cerise Devaux
Chief Customer Officer
An experienced and engaging executive, Cerise is passionate about helping clients reach their goals and connect to stakeholders through tailored events, customised engagement programs and strategies. With more than 10 years’ experience in local and international markets as a director, partnerships manager and logistics co-ordinator, Cerise is known for her communication skills, obsessive attention to detail and love of customer service – a happy customer makes her week! She is highly skilled at leadership, team building, relationship management and client retention and renewal, as well as lead gen and business development.
Cerise is proud to be on the leadership team at the Trans – Tasman Business Circle, the most prominent business organisation in the region that acts as a strategic partner to multi-nationals, business, government, academic and sporting leaders to help them meet their business objectives.
As Chief Customer Officer, she also ensures our influential clients have a seamless experience when they engage with us and is proud when they provide feedback with words like ‘transformational”, “inspirational” “best experience” and “exceeded expectations”.
Cerise MC’s events and moderate panels for private and public sector clients, and enjoys connecting people.
She is passionate about learning and education for all. Cerise is a life long learner through reading, travel and listening to people’s insights and experience.
Originally from Belgium, she loves hosting, feeding people and exploring new cuisines.
Cerise is proud to be on the leadership team at the Trans – Tasman Business Circle, the most prominent business organisation in the region that acts as a strategic partner to multi-nationals, business, government, academic and sporting leaders to help them meet their business objectives.
As Chief Customer Officer, she also ensures our influential clients have a seamless experience when they engage with us and is proud when they provide feedback with words like ‘transformational”, “inspirational” “best experience” and “exceeded expectations”.
Cerise MC’s events and moderate panels for private and public sector clients, and enjoys connecting people.
She is passionate about learning and education for all. Cerise is a life long learner through reading, travel and listening to people’s insights and experience.
Originally from Belgium, she loves hosting, feeding people and exploring new cuisines.
Le-Vondri Tolken CA
Finance Manager
Le-Vondri is an experienced and engaging Finance Manager, with more than 10 year’s experience in accounting and audit. She is passionate about continuous improvement and seeing how small changes can have positive financial & operational impacts. Le-Vondri is proud to be on the leadership team at the Trans-Tasman Business Circle, the most prominent business organization in the region that acts as a strategic partner to multi-nationals, business, government, academic and sporting leaders to help them meet their business objectives. She is passionate about learning and education for all and a life long learner through reading travel and listening to people’s insights and experience and a a volunteer in the Aged Care and Animal Welfare sectors. Originally from South Africa, Le-Vondri has a big love for animals and the outdoors. Outside of work you will find her curled up with a good book or outside on an adventure.
Dora Beara
Partnerships & Relationships Manager
Dora is a business development professional with deep experience in partnering with clients and building deep relationships to help them achieve objectives. She is excited to be playing a leading role at the Trans – Tasman Business Circle as Partnerships and Relationships Manager, helping the Circle provide opportunities to help organisations and leaders grow profile, insights and thought leadership through a highly customised program for stakeholder engagement. Prior, as Manager of Marketing and Insights, she led the Circle’s digital transformation working with service providers to enhance our CX. She has a highly influential network across New Zealand and Australia and enjoys being the connector through our briefings, international and domestic delegations and sharing insights. Outside work, she is always active, traveling, enjoying beautiful walks NZ has to offer and trying out new cuisines.
Maddison Holland
Partnerships & Relationships Manager
Maddison is a business development professional with experience in working with clients to build strong relationships and help them create a strategic engagement plan, driving them closer to reach their goals and purpose.
Maddison is excited to be apart of the Trans – Tasman Business Circle team as a Partnerships & Relationships Manager, helping the Circle provide opportunities to encourage organisations and leaders grow their profile, insights and business knowledge, through an individually customised program for stakeholder engagement.
She loves working alongside the team to ensure the needs & objectives of each client are met and their expectations of working with the Circle are exceeded. She is passionate about people and loves that a huge part of her role in the Circle involves connecting with so many people across a wide range of industries.
Outside work, Maddison loves fitness, being outdoors adventuring with friends and will find any spare moment to pop down to the beach.
Maddison is excited to be apart of the Trans – Tasman Business Circle team as a Partnerships & Relationships Manager, helping the Circle provide opportunities to encourage organisations and leaders grow their profile, insights and business knowledge, through an individually customised program for stakeholder engagement.
She loves working alongside the team to ensure the needs & objectives of each client are met and their expectations of working with the Circle are exceeded. She is passionate about people and loves that a huge part of her role in the Circle involves connecting with so many people across a wide range of industries.
Outside work, Maddison loves fitness, being outdoors adventuring with friends and will find any spare moment to pop down to the beach.
Joyee Lee
Partnerships & Relationships Manager
Joyee (pronounced Joey) is a business development professional known for digital and technical acumen, connecting people and ideas. Her expertise lie in project and event management, customer service, digital marketing, social media and stakeholder management and her purpose is to help others build a better future. As Manager of Profile and Relationships at The Circle, she deals with highly influential leaders and organisations in business, government and academia to help them meet their business objectives through bespoke events and programs. Working on strategic and bespoke engagements across public and private sectors across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, she builds trusted relationships, creates communities, facilitates knowledge transfer and drives positive change. Joyee also helps to lead digital marketing and social media initiatives for the Circle and is the go-to person on tech issues and education. Whilst studying event management at the ICMS, Joyee won the Erasmus scholarship to Germany to study for the international business certificate, which gave her experience in intercultural communications and doing business in a global environment. She is an advocate for diversity and always actively works to ensure we have equal representation across the company. She is a life-long learner and curious reader, always expanding her knowledge, testing ideas and sharing fun facts.
Jordyn Barakin
Partnerships & Relationships Assistant
Jordyn is a business professional with experience in customer service, business development, client relationships, research, analysis and data maintenance. She is motivated to work for organisations contributing to a better future and has worked across the education, events and hospitality industries.
As Partnership and Relationship Assistant, she enjoys helping the Trans-Tasman Business Circle partner with influential clients and organisations across the region to build strategic relationships, business insights and profiles through our customised programs and events. Jordyn enjoys building relationships with clients to help them meet their goals as well as developing networks, new business and using research and data skills to ensure the backend of the Circle runs smoothly. Jordyn is an advocate for diversity and actively works to ensure we have more equal representation at events. She is passionate about sustainability and improving the environment.
Jordyn is inspired by great speakers and in her downtime, you will find her glued to a motivational podcast or absorbed in a bibliography.
As Partnership and Relationship Assistant, she enjoys helping the Trans-Tasman Business Circle partner with influential clients and organisations across the region to build strategic relationships, business insights and profiles through our customised programs and events. Jordyn enjoys building relationships with clients to help them meet their goals as well as developing networks, new business and using research and data skills to ensure the backend of the Circle runs smoothly. Jordyn is an advocate for diversity and actively works to ensure we have more equal representation at events. She is passionate about sustainability and improving the environment.
Jordyn is inspired by great speakers and in her downtime, you will find her glued to a motivational podcast or absorbed in a bibliography.
Luke Henderson
Events Manager
Luke is the Circle Event Manager and plans logistics for events in the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore markets. Prior to joining Trans- Tasman Business Circle, Luke fulfilled roles at the Taste of Tasmania Festival, Sydney Film Festival and the Biennale of Sydney. As the Assistant Stallholder Curator at the Taste Festival, he oversaw the food, beverage and experiences program for the week-long event. Luke has a long background in the hospitality industry. His work including commercial and internal events at many establishments in Sydney and London. Luke is a graduate of the University of Sydney where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Outside of work, Luke is an avid reader, cinephile, a devotee of visual arts and lover of food.
Tamara Thomas
Events Manager
Tamara is a professional Events Manager, overseeing regionally significant events, attended by leading influencers in business, politics, academia, sports and philanthropy to help achieve their goals and companies and communities to thrive. Tamara works closely with key executives and leading speakers within the Private and Public sector to provide a successful and memorable presenting experience. With more than 12 years expertise in the hospitality industry and a Diploma in Event Management, Tamara has deep expertise in organisation, people and event management, negotiating, budgeting, strategy and creative skills.
As Event Manager at the Trans – Tasman Business Circle, she is passionate about delivering the highest level of service to the Circle’s members, guests and speakers to help them achieve their objectives and have a first rate experience.
Tamara is a big supporter of diversity and inclusion and is incredibly passionate about making everyday choices to improve and contribute to sustainable ethics and habits.
After hours, if she’s not at the beach, you’ll find her in the kitchen or shopping at the markets, sourcing organic and sustainable products and foods.
As Event Manager at the Trans – Tasman Business Circle, she is passionate about delivering the highest level of service to the Circle’s members, guests and speakers to help them achieve their objectives and have a first rate experience.
Tamara is a big supporter of diversity and inclusion and is incredibly passionate about making everyday choices to improve and contribute to sustainable ethics and habits.
After hours, if she’s not at the beach, you’ll find her in the kitchen or shopping at the markets, sourcing organic and sustainable products and foods.
Christina Lambdin
Events Assistant
With a background in hospitality management and a passion for people and professional relationships, Christina is well equipped to play a key supporting role to the Event Managers in the Circle; in all tasks big or small. Her strong communication skills and attention to detail are key factors in her ability to assist to the delivery of our international event program. Christina likes to make her mark by bringing a creative touch to all that she does.
