Our Board

Bob Annells

Bob Annells has held a number of senior positions in Tasmania including Director General of the Lands Department and Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. He has held senior positions in the tourism industry including Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria, Chairman of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, Chair of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, Chairman of the Australian Standing Committee on Tourism (twice), and Board Member of the former Australian Tourist Commission.

Bob brings marketing, events, public and private sector tourism experience at the highest level, as well as issues and strategic management. He was awarded the Public Service Medal in 2001 and a Centenary of Federation Medal. He was inducted into the National Tourism Hall of Fame in 2004 and awarded the ‘Outstanding Contribution by an Individual’ award at the 2005 Victorian Tourism Awards.

Felicia Mariani

Felicia Mariani is CEO of Tourism Tasmania and her experience in the public and private sectors spans everything from family businesses to multi-national corporations. Felicia has spent the past 15 years working in key marketing and communications roles in the tourism, leisure and entertainment industries.

She introduced ground-breaking campaigns in Sydney and regional New South Wales, and orchestrated the establishment of the Olympic Media Servicing Unit in the leadup to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Her earlier background includes major branding, marketing and public relations roles with Connex Group Australia and orchestrating senior marketing and communications projects for major Australian domestic tourism initiatives.

Mark Kelleher

Mark Kelleher is Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, and Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Development Board.

Mark's previous position was Managing Director of Roaring 40s, a leading Australian-based renewable energy company developing and operating wind farms in Australia, China and India.

Mark has also held the positions of General Manager Business Development with Hydro Tasmania and before that, Tasmanian Financial

Controller with Telstra. While with Hydro Tasmania he also took lead roles in major projects including industry restructure, Basslink and entry into the National Electricity Market.

Mark has a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Tasmania), and is a Certified Practising Accountant, and a Fellow of the Institute of Company Directors. He is also a graduate of the senior executive program at London Business School.

Simon Currant

Simon Currant is Chairman of the Tourism Industry Council Tasmania, a Director of TT-Line, and leading developer and operator of tourism infrastructure. His past and present developments - among them Cradle Mountain Lodge, Franklin Manor, Strahan Village, Peppermint Bay and Hobart Cruises - have won 11 State and nine national tourism awards. In addition to his current ventures of Peppermint Bay and Hobart Cruises, he is developing the World Heritage Area site of Pumphouse Point, at Lake St Clair.

He also runs a tourism consultancy specialising in remote and natural area tourism. Simon has won national and state Best Small Business awards, a Churchill Fellowship, was state winner and national finalist in the 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year, and was the 2004 Tasmanian of the Year. In 2006 Simon was honoured with a Member of the Order of Australia Award, for service to the community and the Tasmanian tourism industry.

Kimberly Seagram

Kimberly Seagram is co-owner and co-developer of the award-winning Stillwater River Café, Restaurant and Wine Bar in Launceston. She is currently Deputy Chair of Brand Tasmania, Chair of the Launceston, Tamar and the North Zone Marketing Group, and an Executive Committee member of the Launceston Chamber of Commerce. Prior to Stillwater, Kim and her husband owned and operated Lalla Gully Vineyard and Ripples Café in the Pipers River region of north-east Tasmania.

In 1997, Kim was elected to the Vineyards Association of Tasmania Committee of Management and she continues a high level of involvement with the wine industry, where she has made a significant contribution to strategy and marketing development. Prior to living in Tasmania, Kim held a number of positions in the Canadian tourism industry in sales and promotion.

Alison Stubbs

Alison Stubbs is co-founder and General Manager of the award-winning Freycinet Adventures with business partner and husband, Simon. They have established Freycinet Adventures with a passion for delivering exceptional service and their achievements have been recognised with two Telstra Tasmanian Small Business Awards and six Tasmanian Tourism Awards (including the induction into the Awards Hall of Fame in 2004 for Adventure Tourism).

Alison was awarded the 2005 Minister’s Young Achiever Award at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards and the Tasmanian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year in 2003.

Wayne Kirkpatrick

Wayne Kirkpatrick has extensive business, financial, marketing, sales, tourism, resort management and property development experience and as Managing Director / CEO has successfully led some of Australia’s most significant resorts over the past 25 years, among them Thredbo Alpine Resort, the two Mirage Resorts in Qld, Ayers Rock Resort and Hamilton Island.

He has been a Commissioner of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, a Director of the Central Australian Tourist Industry Association and past Chairman of Tourism Whitsundays. He was a Director of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (Great Barrier Reef), a member of the Tourism Recreation and Reef Advisory Committee and the National Oceans Advisory Group.

He has served as Chairman of Tourism Council Australia, a Director of Tourism Task Force and Tourism Australia. In 2003, the Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) recognised Wayne’s contribution to the Australian tourism industry with an award, namely Outstanding Contribution to the Industry by an Individual, for Excellence in Exporting the Australian Tourism Experience to the World. Tourism Whitsundays also recognised his work in growing the success of Hamilton Island and the Whitsundays generally, with a similar Outstanding Contribution by an Individual Award.

Wayne is Chairman of Tourism Tasmania’s Audit, Finance and Risk Committee.

Juanita von Stieglitz

Juanita von Stieglitz has over 25 years experience in Travel Agency Distribution and Travel Products Marketing.

She started her working career in the travel agency sector in Tasmania, and more recently has held Senior Regional Positions for American Express with responsibility for the managing travel and lifestyle agencies across many markets: Japan, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

Key responsibilities during this time were negotiation, development and sales and marketing of specialist premium travel products, and full Profit and Loss responsibilities of all travel and lifestyle businesses for American Express Premium Card members.

She is a past Board Member of American Express Wholesale Currency Business and a past Chairman of Tourism Tasmania Audit Committee. She has also been a member of the Tourism Council of Australia, and a judge of the National Tourism Awards.

She is currently a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and also a member of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee for the Tourism Tasmania Board.