There’s a new head cheese at Queenstown’s indoor skydiving business.
Allen Sparks, iFLY’s former ops manager/lead instructor, has taken over as GM from Matt Wong, who bought the business along with his wife, Amy, 18 months ago.
Like Wong, Sparks joined the business before it opened in late 2018.
Unlike Wong, he’d had a lot of experience with iFLY.
Sparks first joined the international company in a customer service role in Austin, Texas, in the United States, about 10 years ago — he’s originally from nearby Florida.
He graduated to ops and training roles and oversaw the opening of iFLY tunnels in the US and China.
He also worked on a cruise ship wind tunnel, where he met the original Queenstown directors Emma and Gary Beyer.
Accepting their invite to join the Queenstown operation, he was quickly smitten with the resort – “I realised this is where the grass is greener”.
Wong, who won kudos for keeping his staff on over Covid, says he had no hesitation promoting Sparks.
‘‘He knows the operation a lot better than I do, and we’re on exactly the same page when it comes to people leadership.
‘‘It’s also really important we have that career development.”
Wong will now focus at a more strategic level, and have more time for non-business roles which, if he’s successful this coming Saturday, will include serving on Queenstown’s council.
