Board of Commissioners 

 

The Board of Tourism Western Australia consists of a Chairman and nine members. Responsible to the Minister for Tourism, the Honourable Sheila McHale MLA, the Board sets strategic direction, policy and administers the Western Australian Tourism Commission Act 1983.

Board Group Photo Aug 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Lamont

Kate Lamont (Chair)

Kate Lamont is an operating partner in the Lamont family business, which operates wine production and sales with restaurants in the Swan Valley, Margaret River and East Perth. Ms Lamont has more than two decades of experience in the food and wine industry and has served on the Australian Tourist Commission Board (now Tourism Australia). Ms Lamont also chaired the Swan Valley Planning Committee for seven years and sits on the Winemakers Federation of Australia's wine tourism alliance and research and development priority setting group, as well as the state government's Skills Formation Taskforce representing hospitality and tourism interests. Ms Lamont's term commenced 11 May 2004 and she became Chair from 1 September 2006.

Laurie O'Meara

Laurie O'Meara AM (Deputy Chair)

Laurie O'Meara is a past-president of the Tourism Council Western Australia and champion of the Tourism Accreditation program. Mr O'Meara is a driving force in this area and was the inaugural President of the Australian Tourism Accreditation Association. He is also the Chairman of the Rottnest Island Authority Board and a member of the Perth International Arts Festival Board. Mr O'Meara's extensive experience includes operation of the Emerald Hotel in Perth and Emerald Colonial Lodge in Margaret River. In the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours list Mr O'Meara was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to tourism accreditation, heritage and the arts. His term commenced 1 January 2002.

Rob Gurney

Rob Gurney

Rob Gurney joined Tourism WA's Board in September 2004. He has more than 20 years' experience in commercial aviation gained with two of the world's leading airlines, Qantas and British Airways. He is currently the Group General Manager Sales & Distribution for Qantas, a position he has held since October 2003. In this role, he is responsible for the airline's sales divisions worldwide. This covers all Australian and overseas regional sales offices, telephone sales, corporate travel (including Qantas Business Travel, which is one of Australia's largest corporate travel managers) and online sales through its web site. Key areas of responsibility include delivery of the airline's global revenue target, sales and distribution strategy and international marketing, as well as overall human resources accountability for the Sales and Distribution department of 3,300 staff.

Gail Reynolds-Adamson

Gail Reynolds-Adamson

Gail Reynolds-Adamson is a Director of Kepa Kurl Enterprises Pty Ltd, a locally-owned and private Aboriginal tourism company based in Esperance, which operates eco-cultural discovery tours, an Aboriginal art gallery and gift shop, as well as a consultancy service specialising in the delivery of Cross-Cultural Awareness Training Programs. Prior to this, Ms Reynolds-Adamson was the National Indigenous Relations Manager for Normandy Mining (subsequently known as Newmont Australia) and the National Manager of Telstra's Aboriginal & Islander Unit. She is currently on the Board of the Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Committee (WAITOC), the peak association representing Indigenous Tourism in WA, and the Board of Indigenous Business Australia, which plays an important role in creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities to build assets and wealth. It does so as an integral partner within the Australian Government's overarching Indigenous Economic Development Strategy. Ms Reynolds-Adamson is also on the Board of Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV), an independent, not-for-profit company, which offers support to Indigenous communities to pursue their community development goals. Ms Reynolds-Adamson's term commenced 1 July 2006.


Trish Ridsdale

Trish Ridsdale

Trish Ridsdale is the Principal of Board Business, a consultancy dedicated to providing advisory services to Boards and executive management teams in the areas of strategy, performance, governance and risk management. Ms Ridsdale holds company director positions in the travel and wine industries. She was appointed in 2005 as the first independent director of Travellers Choice Ltd, which is the fourth largest retail travel company in Australia where she is also chairman of the audit committee. In addition, Ms Ridsdale is director and chairman of Margaret River wine company, Chapman Grove Wines, which commenced operation in May 2006 and currently has markets in China, Singapore, Europe and throughout Australia. Since 1997, she has been a regular education presenter for the Australian Institute of Company Directors in the areas of Strategy, Risk Management and Corporate Governance. Ms Ridsdale's term commenced 3 July 2007.


Kim Bridge

Kim Bridge

Kim Bridge is the principal of Kim Bridge and Associates, a business-qualified Indigenous-owned entity that provides assistance with small business development (including tourism development), project management, personal and professional development, as well as Indigenous cross-cultural awareness facilitation. Mr Bridge was born and raised in the East Kimberley, holds a Bachelor of Business degree and a Certificate in Marketing from the Australian Institute of Management. He is a member of Tourism Western Australia's Nature Based Tourism Advisory Committee, Edith Cowan University's Indigenous Consultative Committee and Meerilinga Young Children's Foundation's Board of Governors. Mr Bridge's term commenced 1 July 2006.

Howard Cearns

Howard Cearns

Howard Cearns is the founder and Chairman of brainCELLS Creative Marketing, specialising in brand development and management. He is also a founder of Little Creatures Brewing Pty Ltd, which has since listed on the ASX as Little World Beverages where he sits as a Director and consults as a member of the Creative Development team. In 2004, Mr Cearns was commissioned to review the strategic direction and marketing structure of Tourism WA, afterwhich he also became a member of Tourism WA's Strategic Marketing Committee. Mr Cearns' term commenced 1 July 2006.


John Spence

John Spence

John Spence operates his group of companies, Royal Resorts, which develops and markets resorts in India, South West Asia and Australia. To date the company has developed or purchased 11 resorts in the region. In 2002 he formed KARMA Developments to develop freehold villa resorts. He is currently working on the development of KARMA Margaret River, a villa development that includes a private landing strip for aircraft, which is scheduled for completion in 2008. Prior to establishing his own business, Mr Spence worked for the Global Group of Companies, a holiday ownership and resort development company in Europe. Mr Spence's company is based in Bali, with the Western Australian office in Subiaco. He is a United Kingdom citizen with an Australian Business Visa. Mr Spence's term commenced 1 August 2006.


David Mazitelli

David Mazitelli

David Mazitelli is the former Chairman of the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), the peak industry body that represents the interests of over 1,150 tourism export companies throughout Australia. Prior to this role, he held senior positions within the Federal Government, including Deputy Secretary of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources with broad ranging responsibilities, including the oversight of the Department's tourism policy functions. Prior to this he was Executive Director of the Federal Department of Tourism. He was the alternate Government member on the Board of the Australian Tourist Commission (now Tourism Australia) and a member of the Tourism Forecasting Council. He has also been a Board member of Tourism Training Australia and See Australia Limited. Mr Mazitelli is currently a Director on the Board of the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. His term commenced 1 October 2006.

Mark Simpson

Mark Simpson

Mark Simpson has over 25 years experience in training, including teaching in Aboriginal communities. He was recently responsible for training at Rio Tinto's Pilbara Iron in Dampier, as well as Indigenous training and employment, and educational development within the Pilbara region. Mr Simpson is currently consulting in the training field to Rio Tinto and other industry, and holds a number of other positions, including Chair of Pilbara TAFE and is a member of the Training Accreditation Council. His term commenced 3 July 2007.

© Western Australia Tourism Commission 2007