Hon. Bruce Baird AM

Chairman | Tourism & Transport Forum

Bruce Baird’s professional career has spanned the Australian Trade Commission service and the NSW and Federal Parliaments. He was a Federal member for Cook for nine years and during that time he was Chairman of both the Trade Committee and the House Standing Committee on Economics. He previously held roles as NSW Minister for Transport, Tourism, Roads and Minister for Sydney’s Olympic Bid. Prior to this he was Australia’s Assistant Trade Commissioner in Germany and Trade Commissioner in New York. Prior Board positions include Chair of the National Rail Corporation, Chair of the Tourism and Transport Forum, Chair of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Board Member of Sydney Theatre Company.

Bruce is currently Chair of BE Sydney, Trustee of Sydney Opera House, Chair of Advisory Board of Screen Producers Australia, Chair of Kamay Project, Heart Research Institute Board and Member of International Advisory Board of Cubic Transportation Systems.

Matt Bekier

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director | The Star Entertainment Group Limited

Matt Bekier is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of The Star Entertainment Group Limited, one of Australia’s leading integrated resort and entertainment groups. The Star Entertainment Group (formerly Echo Entertainment Group) owns and manages casino, hotel and resort destinations in Sydney, at the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.

Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in April 2014, Matt held the position of Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of the company.

Until June 2011, Echo Entertainment Group was part of Tabcorp Holdings, Australia’s premier diversified gaming company. In November 2015, the company changed its name to The Star Entertainment Group.

Matt joined Tabcorp in early 2006 as Chief Financial Officer after holding various roles with McKinsey & Company for 14 years, where he focused on building a substantial practice in both post-merger management and financial services, working across four continents.

Matt holds a degree in Economics and Commerce as well as a PhD in Finance from St Gallen University in Switzerland. He is an honorary adjunct professor at Macquarie University.

Ryan Both

Executive General Manager - Aviation | Brisbane Airport Corporation

Ryan Both is the  Executive General Manager of Aviation for Brisbane Airport.

Most recently Ryan has been working in zero-emission aviation as the Asia Pacific Region Lead for Embraer’s spin-off company EVE Air Mobility.

Ryan was the former CEO of Cobham Australia – contract aviation group with 50 aircraft, 1300 staff in 14 locations. He previously led aviation growth and forecasting at Melbourne Airport, worked for Virgin Australia and managed Qantas B717 fleet operations.

Ryan held the position of Deputy State Controller leading the restructure of hotel quarantine operations in Victoria during the pandemic.

Ryan has a passion for digital transformation, leveraging real-time data, automation and AI to make better operational and investment decisions

Samantha Bricker

Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer | Los Angeles World Airports

Samantha Bricker was named the Chief Sustainability and Revenue Management Officer for Los
Angeles World Airports (LAWA) in September 2020. She is responsible for overseeing Commercial
Development, Mobility Strategy and Parking, Sustainability and Environmental Programs, as well as
the Procurement Department. The Commercial Development Division contains all key revenue generating
activities, including real estate development, leases and concessions. The Mobility Unit
includes Rideshare, management of Non-Exclusive License Agreements, or NELAs, ground
transportation, parking and the implementation of new mobility initiatives and strategies. Ms. Bricker
also manages the Procurement Division and the Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Division,
which includes overseeing the implementation of LAWA’s Sustainability Action Plan as well as all
regulatory compliance and noise initiatives.

Ms. Bricker was named Chief Environmental and Sustainability Officer in August 2019 with
responsibility for overseeing environmental and sustainability programs for LAWA including air quality
and conservation initiatives, noise programs, environmental planning, regulatory compliance as well
as transportation and mobility strategy. In addition, Ms. Bricker managed third party coordination
with external agencies and stakeholders in support of LAWA’s Landside Access Modernization
Program (LAMP) and Capital Improvement Program. Ms. Bricker joined LAWA in July 2016 as Deputy
Executive Director for Project Management and Coordination and in November 2016 was named
Deputy Executive Director for the Environmental Programs Group.

Prior to joining LAWA, she was the Chief Operating Officer of the Exposition Metro Line Construction
Authority. In that role, she coordinated the design and construction of Metro’s Expo rail line, where
she managed a budget of $2.5 billion and directed the Authority’s environmental planning, third party
and external agency coordination, procurement, contract compliance, real estate program, as well as
community and government relations.

Before her position with the Expo Construction Authority, Bricker served as a senior legislative deputy to
former Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky from 1994 to 2006. In this role, she developed
policy and worked on environmental and transportation projects including the Orange Line busway in
the San Fernando Valley and the Red Line subway to Hollywood and North Hollywood.

Bricker earned a Master of Arts in Political Science from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
from Northwestern University.

Matt Cameron-Smith

Chief Executive Officer | Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia

Matthew Cameron-Smith commenced as CEO of Voyages in August 2020. Matthew has an extensive and highly successful background in national and international tourism, joining Voyages from The Travel Corporation, where he spent almost 10 years leading the Trafalgar Guided Holidays brand as well as his most recent position as Global CEO of AAT Kings.

His prior experience has included roles with Tourism Australia – promoting the country in the UK and Europe markets, global roles with Rydges Hotels & Resorts, South Bank Parklands and Dreamworld.

Matthew is a director of Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia, the Anangu Community Foundation and was recently appointed to the Torrens University of Australia Hospitality Industry Advisory Board comprising both Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School and William Blue College of Hospitality Management.  He was previously a director of the Council of Australian Tour Operators.

Matthew holds an Associate Diploma in Human Resource Development and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management.

Ian Christensen

Managing Director | iMove

Ian is the Managing Director of iMOVE, the Co-operative Research Centre focussed on transport and mobility. iMOVE undertakes industry-led research to help organisations in the transport sector solve problems and secure opportunities.

He is excited by the opportunities that new technology is creating in the transport sector. He is particularly keen to realise the promise of easier travel, improved network performance and greater sustainability. He and his team are working with many partners in the Australian transport sector to help them realise benefits from digitisation and alternative energy sources.

Segolene Deeley

Director Future Mobility and Corporate Affairs | Keolis Downer

Segolene is a strategic customer and stakeholder specialist with 20 years’ experience leading public relations, communications, innovation and project management in international business environments. Her career has spanned Europe, the UK and the US, and she joined Keolis Downer in 2017. Segolene has been with Keolis since 2011, and previously worked in the software and IT sector for 10 years.

Segolene oversees Keolis Downer’s future mobility projects that include automated vehicles, on demand transport, digital services and supports the development of energy transition projects.

She is passionate about delivering mobility services that are innovative, inclusive and sustainable. Her experience working on projects around the world has given her a deep understanding of the diversity of mobility challenges and the importance of having a local and collaborative approach to deliver social and economic outcomes.

Sarah Derry

Chief Executive Officer | Accor Pacific

Sarah Derry is the CEO of Accor Pacific. She joined Accor in April 2017 to lead Talent and Culture, before her appointment to CEO in February 2022.
Sarah has over 30 years’ experience in hospitality, working for international hotel companies and excelling in her early career in operations. Sarah has an entrepreneurial background, having owned and operated her own successful business for over 10 years before joining Accor.

As Senior Vice President of Talent and Culture, Sarah was responsible for transforming Accor’s people and culture strategies, successfully integrating Accor’s HEARTIST values and culture into operations and guest service across Australia and New Zealand.

Sarah has completed post-graduate studies in Human Resource Management, Training, Executive Coaching and Organisational Development. Sarah is an active Director in companies in Australia and New Zealand.

Sarah is committed to causes and organisations that make a difference to the broader community and tries to find innovative ways to drive positive change in the world, especially in education, wellbeing and social impact. Sarah is an advisor to Two Good Co who support women in crisis through catering, employment and training pathways. Sarah is also an advisor to founder of BETTER Timor who are committed to empowering East Timor through Education.

Sarah is a respected speaker and expert in the areas of strategic business management, organisational behaviour, leadership development, culture transformation and executive coaching.

Marguerite Fitzgerald

President | Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia

Marguerite Fitzgerald now leads Australia’s largest cruise organisation after beginning her new role on January 10, 2022, as President of Carnival Australia and P&O Cruises Australia, which, as the world’s only cruise line with its operational team in Australia, is renowned as the home-grown cruise line having operated from Australia for nearly 90 years.

An Australian citizen, Marguerite was previously at Boston Consulting Group in Melbourne, before moving to Miami for 11 years, where she led BCG’s global lodging and leisure practice, as well as its global strategy business.

She brings an overall two decades of strategy and operational experience in leisure travel across airlines, cruise lines, theme parks, hotels and resorts. In this position, Marguerite worked closely with Carnival Corporation and its signature brands, and her knowledge and expertise of the cruise industry encompasses key facets including commercial, hotel and marine operations.

Prior to joining BCG, Marguerite served for several years in the Australian power industry. She has an MBA from the leading INSEAD international business school and a BA/BE with first class honours in linguistics and electrical engineering.

During her career, Marguerite has conducted market assessments and developed market entry and growth strategies for cruise lines, including developing the Australian market entry strategy for a global cruise line, undertaken studies of port operations in multiple countries and reorganised maritime operations of a US-based cruise line, to improve reliability and crew productivity.

Marguerite’s combination of experience is now being applied in leading Carnival Australia with its seven world leading cruise lines that normally have ships based in Australia year-round, home ported here on a seasonal basis or visiting Australian ports on extended international voyages.

Peter Gash

Managing Director | Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort & Seair Pacific

Peter Gash is the Managing Director of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and Seair Pacific.
Lady Elliot is a coral cay island located 80 kms north-east of Bundaberg, on the
southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. In his early twenties, Peter discovered the
island and its amazing beauty, both above and below the water. Coincidentally, that’s
where he and his now wife, Julie, became close friends and both shared passion for
the natural environment and the fragile eco-system of the island.

Peter is a licenced Pilot and has been flying tourists to the Great Barrier Reef for over
25 years. He started out operating regular scenic daytrips by seaplane from the Gold
Coast to Lady Musgrave Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef. In the mid 90’s,
Peter took the floats off the plane and began flying guests to nearby Lady Elliot Island.
Lady Elliot Island is the only coral cay island on the Great Barrier Reef with an airstrip.
Peter, his family and two business partners took over the lease of the island in 2005
and has been operating the 43 room eco resort since that time.

Peter’s main motivation is Education and the Environment – Lady Elliot Island Eco
Resort operates on a ‘Four E’s’ Philosophy: To look after our Environment we need to
be Efficient, Economically Sustainable and able to Educate Effectively.

Brett Godfrey

Founder and Managing Director | TB2 Capital

Brett’s 25-year career in the aviation industry started with senior finance positions in small airlines, moving to flag carriers and culminating in conceptualising, establishing and leading Virgin Australia for its first 10 years.

Brett is the Founder and Managing Director of TB2 Capital, which owns and manages a portfolio of tourism assets including Noosa’s Makepeace Island and a portfolio of hotels, lodges and historic properties in Tasmania and Victoria.

Brett has been awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for his service to tourism and aviation; recognised as the Australian Chief Executive of the Year and the Outstanding Chartered Accountant in Business.

Ryan Hanly

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder | Travello

Ryan Hanly is the CEO and co-founder of one of Australia’s fastest growing travel technology companies – Travello.

Travello is a social network for travellers used in over 180 countries. Within this community, Travello aggregates the best tours and activities into one place for a seamless booking experience. Travello also own and operates Backpacker Deals – Australia’s leading online seller of Tours, activities and attractions. Together these brands form Australia’s largest youth travel company.

Travello and Backpacker Deals sell tours and activities in over 30 countries and are rapidly expanding into the US and Europe. The underlying technology is used by partners like Flight Centre, News.com and Scape to sell tours and activities to their customers.

Travello is at the forefront of travel-technology in Australia and globally – capitalising on the incredible wave of online bookings within the tourism vertical.

Simon Hickey

Chief Executive Officer | Western Sydney Airport

A senior executive of more than 30 years across aviation, construction and retail, Simon leads the team developing the business and infrastructure for Sydney’s new airport. A globally experience CEO and CFO, as former chief executive of Qantas International and Freight, Simon led the return to profitability of the nation’s flagship carrier, establishing new network alliances, improving aircraft utilisation and increasing customer advocacy. A pioneering architect of merging customer experience and data analytics to drive strategies based on human and data centric insights, Simon’s leadership transformed Qantas’ loyalty program from its origins of 20 people in direct marketing to a separate, independent business that is now valued at over $3 billion. Simon is motivated by Western Sydney Airport’s unique opportunity to drive meaningful socioeconomic change across Western Sydney, while setting a new benchmark for passengers, airlines and air cargo operators.

Laura Houldsworth

Managing Director & Vice President, Asia Pacific | Booking.com

As Managing Director & Vice President of Asia Pacific, Laura Houldsworth leads and oversees
business growth, operations and strategy for one of Booking.com’s most vibrant and diverse
regions globally.

Laura joined Booking.com in June 2021, following 10 successful years at SAP Concur where
she last served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, Japan and
Greater China. Laura has previously held regional roles in BCD Travel and ABN Amro Private
Banking; and is a commercial leader with more than 15 years of experience managing
successful, multi-cultural teams.

Laura has lived and worked in Singapore for more than 15 years and holds a Bachelor’s degree
in International Marketing Management from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.
Besides being an avid traveller and runner, she enjoys a good game of chess.

Stewart Moore

Founder and Chief Executive Officer | EarthCheck

Stewart Moore is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EarthCheck and the Executive Director of the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism. EarthCheck is a global business advisory group which specializes in destination management and sustainable tourism. EarthCheck is based in Brisbane and operates in over 70 countries across 32 industry sectors in six languages.

Stewart is a fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and the Australian Tourism Research Institute and has over 30 years of experience in tourism operations and consulting to both the private and public sector in the Asia Pacific region.

He served on the Tourism Forecasting Council of Australia for ten years and
was Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association in Queensland for eight years.

He is on the Advisory Board for the Griffith University Institute for Tourism, is Deputy Chairman of the PATA Foundation in Thailand and Chairman of the National Centre for Studies in Travel and Tourism.

Stewart has a Masters of Regional Science specialising in tourism planning and sustainable development, a Bachelor of Regional and Town Planning (Honours) and has completed post graduate studies in Finance and Investment from the Financial and Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA); Conservation and Heritage from the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, University of York, U.K.

He has co-authored a wide range of books and publications in the areas of destination management, risk and crisis management, strategic and regional planning and product development.

Professor Ian O’Hara

Biofutures Industry Envoy & Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Engineering | Queensland University of Technology

Ian O’Hara is Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at QUT. Ian is widely recognised as a leading expert in policies, technologies and systems for developing the bioeconomy and producing bio-based products including biofuels, bioenergy and biomaterials. In addition to his academic role, Ian also represents the Queensland Government as the Biofutures Industry Envoy and acts as an ambassador for Queensland’s Biofutures industry and industrial biotechnology sector. As the Envoy, Ian provides strategic advice to government and assists in securing domestic and international investment to grow the Biofutures sector. Ian is on the International Advisory Committee of the Global Bioeconomy Summit and is a Senior Editor of EFB Bioeconomy Journal.

Paul Hutton

Area Vice President & Head of Australasia | Hilton

Paul Hutton is Area Vice President and Head of Australasia at Hilton. Based in Sydney, he oversees a diverse portfolio of 28 hotels with 12 hotels in the pipeline across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

As part of Hilton’s Asia Pacific Executive Committee, Paul leads Hilton’s ambitious growth plans to double the region’s footprint within the next five years, with a focus on launching new brands and entering new markets.

This marks a return to the Australasia region for Paul which he led from 2015 to 2017, before relocating to Singapore to take on the role of Head of Southeast Asia for Hilton, which he held for four years. During this time Paul oversaw 48 hotels across nine markets, with 41 hotels in the pipeline. He launched Hilton’s luxury Waldorf Astoria brand with its first hotel in Thailand and brought the focused service Hilton Garden Inn brand into Malaysia.

Paul is a seasoned industry veteran and has a long and illustrious history with Hilton. His 37-year career with the company started in Switzerland before he moved to Melbourne in 1986. Just five years later, he was promoted to Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at Hilton Sydney before he relocated to the Middle East as Food & Beverage Director with Hilton Abu Dhabi. He then went on to hold leadership roles in Hilton hotels across Dubai and Egypt before he took on the General Manager position at a number of Hilton properties including Athenee Palace Hilton Bucharest, Hilton Kuwait, Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Hilton Sydney in 2008. In 2011 Paul moved to China as Regional General Manager – South China, based in Shen Zhen.

Born in Switzerland, Paul holds a Dip. Hotel Administration & Management from The GLION Institute & Hotel School, Switzerland. He is married with three daughters, is an active runner and hiker and enjoys quality family time as well as planning for the next holiday.

Margy Osmond

Chief Executive Officer | Tourism & Transport Forum

Margy Osmond is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism & Transport Forum, assuming the role on 1 October 2014. Margy has extensive experience in policy development and advocacy, politics, membership organisations, management, media and public relations.

Before joining TTF, Margy was the inaugural CEO of ANRA which was established in 2006 as a lobby and research organisation to be the voice of the large national retailers in Australia. Prior to this, Margy was the CEO of the State and Sydney Chambers of Commerce in NSW for five years.

Margy has a wide range of Board experience having been Chair of the NSW TAFE Commission Board and Chair of the Australian Sports Foundation, Deputy Chair of Tourism NSW, and served on the boards of the Australian Sports Commission, Bell Shakespeare, the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust, NSW Major Events, the NSW Police Minister’s Advisory Board and NSW State Transit Authority. Margy also chaired the bid and official Organising Committee for the largest non-elite sporting event in the world, the International World Masters Games, held in Sydney in 2009

Andrew Parker

Chief Sustainability Officer | QANTAS

Andrew Parker was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in August 2021 to drive the Group’s sustainability and ESG (environment, social and governance) strategy and commitments.

This includes the Group’s 2050 net zero emission plan – one of the first of any airline worldwide – and our program for waste and plastic eradication. He also manages the integration of ESG in to all aspects of the business.

Prior to this role, Andrew was Group Executive – Government, Industry, International and Sustainability from 2013 to August 2021, having led the Group’s Sustainability efforts since 2017.

Before Qantas, Andrew was Senior Vice President – Public, International, Industry, Environment Affairs at Emirates, based in Dubai and was a key architect in the Qantas Emirates alliance that launched in 2013.

Andrew previously worked in public affairs, government and journalism.

He is the Chair of the Australia Day Council of NSW.