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Manchester airport appoints Mandarin speaker to run its Chinese social media

Manchester airport has appointed a Mandarin-speaking marketing manager to run its Chinese social media and support Hainan Airlines’ operations from the airport.

Dr Charlotte Shi has joined the UK’s third busiest airport from Nottingham Trent University, where she was a senior lecturer in fashion marketing and branding.

She holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and is fluent in both English and Mandarin and has worked as a project consultant for Unibail-Rodamco in Paris.

Her appointment in the marketing team follows the airport’s launch of The China Dividend: Two Years In, a report that examines the economic and social impact on the North of England since Hainan Airlines’ direct service from Manchester to Beijing launched in 2016.

Di Shi will also head up Manchester airport’s brand management and work with its Runway Visitor Park on event and visitor marketing.

She joins during the airport’s £1bn transformation and ahead of two long-haul route launches; a new Jet Airways route to Mumbai from November and Ethiopian Airlines’ new route to Addis Ababa from December.

Dr Shi said: “I’m excited to jump in and manage the airport’s marketing. There is so much happening at Manchester and I’m looking forward to using my previous experience and knowledge of marketing to promote all that the airport has to offer.”

Patrick Alexander, head of marketing at MAnchester airport, meanwhile, has joined the board of the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) as a trustee, taking up his position with immediate effect.

CFCCA, based in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, aims to make Chinese contemporary art and visual culture accessible to everyone through exhibitions, events, shop, artist residencies, festivals, engagement programmes and research forums.

Alexander said: “The airport continues to grow its relationships with China through our route development, activity with the Chinese diaspora and reaching out through (Chinese apps) Weibo and WeChat. I look forward to enhancing these relationships further through working with the team at CFCCA.”

On Dr Shi’s appointment, he added: “I am delighted to have Charlotte join us at what is a very busy and exciting time at the airport. The success of Hainan Airlines’ direct flights from Manchester to Beijing is evident in our recently launched China Dividend Report so Charlotte’s work with marketing and Chinese social media is incredibly important.”

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