Organisation - Management and Board

Board of Directors

A new Tourism Tasmania Board was appointed in 2006 commencing on the 14 February.

Tourism Tasmania Chairman Bob AnnellsBOB ANNELLS (Chairman from 1 March onwards) was born in Hobart and lived in Tasmania until 1992 when he moved to Victoria. He was the youngest Head of Agency ever appointed in Tasmania when, at the age of 35, he assumed the position of Director-General of Lands. He subsequently held a number of senior positions in Tasmania including the Head of the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation, where he first made his mark in the tourism arena.

He has since held senior positions including Chief Executive of Tourism Victoria, Chairman of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, Chair of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission, twice as the Chairman of the Australian Standing Committee on Tourism; as a Board Member of the former Australian Tourist Commission; as author of the joint industry/government National Domestic Tourism Initiative, and of the National Wine Tourism Strategy. Bob is the founder of Annells Consulting Pty Ltd, and also helped establish, the advertising agency Cummins & Partners Pty Ltd, who have amongst their client list Virgin Blue, General-Motors Holden and Nestle.

He brings significant strengths to the Tourism Tasmania Board, including marketing, events, public and private sector tourism experience at the highest level, and issues management. Bob was awarded the Public Service Medal in the 2001 Queens Honours List and a Centenary of Federation Medal, also in 2001. He was inducted into the National Tourism Hall of Fame in September 2004 and awarded the "Outstanding Contribution by an Individual" award at the 2005 Victorian Tourism Awards. He is currently Chairman of Connex Group Australia and of Connex Melbourne together with a number of other Connex companies.

Tourism Tasmania CEO Felicia MarianiFELICIA MARIANI (Chief Executive Tourism Tasmania) has spent the past 15 years working in key marketing and communications roles within the tourism, leisure and entertainment industries. This experience spans both public and private sectors and ranges from multi-national corporations to family run businesses. Felicia hails most recently from Tourism New South Wales where, during her time as a senior executive she was Director of Marketing performing several roles around the newly-formed destination marketing group Tourism Sydney, the introduction of ground-breaking campaigns in both Sydney and regional New South Wales, and overseeing the Olympic Media Servicing Unit to meet the demands presented by the 2000 games. Prior to this she played major branding, marketing and public relations roles with Connex Group Australia following the privatisation of Victoria's public transport system, managed the marketing efforts of a prestigious Melbourne theatre group, and orchestrated senior marketing and communications projects for major Australian domestic tourism initiatives.

Tourism Tasmania Board Member Simon CurrantSIMON CURRANT is a highly successful tourism investor, developer and operator, Chairman of the Tourism Council Tasmania (TCT) and a Director of the TT-Line, and is a leading developer and operator of tourism infrastructure. His past and present developments - among them Strahan Village, Cradle Mountain Lodge, Peppermint Bay and Hobart Cruises - have won eleven State and nine national tourism awards between them. His current ventures are the Peppermint Bay development at Woodbridge, and Hobart Cruises, based at Brooke Street Pier. He has a tourism consultancy specialising in remote and natural area tourism and ongoing development. Simon has won national and state Best Small Business awards and a Churchill Fellowship, and was the 2004 Tasmanian of the Year.

Tourism Tasmania Board Member Juanita von StieglitzJUANITA VON STIEGLITZ is the Regional Head of Membership Travel Services for American Express in Australia and New Zealand. This is a teamthat provides travel and lifestyle services to the premium PLatinum and Centurion card members. Juanita holds a position with American Express Wholesale Currency Services Pty LImited. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a former member of the CEO Institute, a and a Friend of the Rotary Club of Sydney CBD. She has also been a member of the Tourism Council of Australia and a judge of the National Tourism Awards. Juanita has been a Board Director of Tourism Tasmania since February 2003.

Tourism Tasmania Board Member Alison StubbsALISON STUBBS is co-founder and General Manager of the award-winning Freycinet Adventures. At the age of only 33yrs and with 10 years experience inthe adventure tourism industry,Alison has achieved considerable personal and business success. In 2005 she was awarded the Minister's Young Achiever Award at the Tasmanian Tourism Awards and the Tasmanian Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year in 2003. With business partner and husband, Simon they have established Freycinet & Strahan Adventures with a commitment for exceptional customer service and sustainable development, recognised by Tasmanian Telstra Small Business Awards in 1999 and 2002. Freycinet & Strahan Adventures was inducted into the Tasmanian Tourism Awards Hall of Fame in 2004 and won the Ecotourism award in 2005. Alison also participates on select advisory boards including the Federal Government's Small Business Council.

Tourism Tasmania Board Member Wayne KirkpatrickWAYNE KIRKPATRICK has extensive tourism, resort management, development, marketing and advertising experience and has successfully led some of Australia's most significant resorts over the past 25 years.He joined Hamilton Island Limited in 1996 and previously was Managing Director and CEO of Ayers Rock Resort. At this time he was also a Commissioner of the Northern Territory Tourist Commission and Director of the Central Australian Tourist Industry Association.He has held senior management positions at Mirage Port Douglas and Gold Coast Resorts, the Lend Lease owned Thredbo Alpine Resort (Snowy Mountains) and various Lend Lease Group Companies (incl. Country Comfort Motels, Lend Lease Leisure, Lend Lease Residential and Lend Lease Homes) and the Australian Ski Areas Association. He was also a founding Director of the Greater Union Group's Rydge's Hotels. He is a past Chairman of Tourism Whitsundays and the Whitsunday Tourism Strategy Implementation Group, and the Tourism Council Australia (the former peak tourism industry lobby group). He has had a long involvement with the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (lobby group representing Great Barrier Reef Marine Park businesses) and is a member of the Tourism Recreation and Reef Advisory Committee. He is on the Board of Directors of Tourism Australia, is a member of the National Oceans Advisory Group and he is a multiple award-winner.

Tourism Tasmania Board Member Kimberly SeagramKIMBERLY SEAGRAM was appointed to the Tourism Tasmania Board on 1 January 2007. She 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 the Board of Brand Tasmania, a committee member of the Launceston Tourism Reference Group and an executive committee member of the Launceston Chamber of Commerce. Kimberly was elected to the Vineyards Association of Tasmania Committee of Management in 1997, where she developed the Marketing and Communications function of the organisation. She was a consultant on the development of Tourism Tasmania’s Wine and Food Strategy, assisted in the development of the Wine Industry Strategy, and was a consultant for Tasmania on the Australian Wine Tourism Alliance. She is also a consultant for Wine Australia 2006. Originally from Canada, Kimberly has been living in Tasmania since 1992. With her business partner and husband, Rod Ascui, she initially owned and operated Lalla Gully Vineyard and Ripples Café, in the Pipers River region of north-east Tasmania. Subsequent sale of the vineyard in 1998 allowed the couple to purchase historic Ritchie’s Mill and develop and operate Stillwater River Café, Restaurant and Wine Bar. Prior to living in Tasmania, and following her graduation from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, in 1985, Kimberly held a number of positions in the Canadian tourism industry, including Front Office Manager and Supervisor at Chateau Lake Louise, and as Regional Sales and Promotions Manager at Banff Springs Hotel.