Our Board

Bob East

Chair

Bob East has more than 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry, most recently serving as the CEO of the Mantra Group for 12 years where he helped shape the Mantra Group into the largest Australian-based hotel company. He led the company to a successful ASX listing in June 2014 which culminated in its inclusion into the ASX 200 list in 2015 and managed Mantra Group’s $1.3B acquisition by AccorHotels, one of the world’s largest hotel operators in 2018. Mr East’s experience includes serving on the boards of the Gold Coast Tourism Corporation, Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Tourism Accommodation Australia, Tourism and Events Queensland and the Tourism and Transport Forum.

Mr East holds a Master of Business Administration and is Chair of Tourism Australia, Chair of the Australian Venue Company, Chair of Experience Co, Deputy Chair of the Gold Coast Suns Football Club and a Board member of Sydney Metro. He has extensive experience in the accommodation sector, previously holding senior management roles with the Mirvac portfolio and the Daikyo Group.

Jeffrey Ellison

Deputy Chair

Jeffrey Ellison is the Chairman of the SeaLink Travel Group Limited. Prior to this (until January 2020) he was the CEO and MD of the SeaLink Travel Group, a position he held since early 1997. Jeff is also a Chartered Accountant, joining SeaLink following eight years in private practice.  SeaLink Travel Group is ASX listed and operates in the tourism and transport industries. As of January 2020, SeaLink transports over 360 million customers per annum, with operations in all states of Australia, in Singapore and London.

Jeff is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has been awarded a Life Membership by TTF Australia.  In 2013, he won the SA Tourism Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual and was the 2014 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Central Region.  Jeff has also held appointments on the Adelaide Convention Centre Board, Tourism Australia International Industry Advisory Panel, TTF Australia,  SA Tourism Commission Board and the SA Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Board.  Jeff joined Tourism Australia’s Board in November 2018 and was appointed Chairman of the Audit and Finance Committee in July 2020.

Phillipa Harrison 

Managing Director

Phillipa Harrison joined Tourism Australia in February 2017 to head up the organisation’s international operations for Asia, the Americas, Europe and New Zealand as well as Global Distribution and Partnerships. In this role Phillipa oversees Tourism Australia’s network of international offices spanning 12 countries as well as managing airline relationships and distribution channels, working in partnership with the industry to grow the inbound market for Australian tourism.

Prior to her current role, Ms Harrison spent six years working for Hamilton Island Enterprises and before that held a variety of senior sales, marketing and product roles at Viator Systems (Sydney), Base Group (Sydney), STA Travel (London), Contiki Holidays (London), and Trailfinders (London).

Hayley Baillie

Director 

Hayley Baillie co-founded Baillie Lodges in 2003 with a vision to develop a premium boutique portfolio of contemporary Australian luxury lodge experiences. To date, Baillie Lodges operates three luxury lodges in standout locations of unique natural significance: Longitude 131° at Uluru–Kata Tjuta, Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island and Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Rainforest. All three properties appeal to the discerning global traveller and are recognised as setting new benchmarks for experiential travel.

In 2013, Hayley joined the Tourism Australia Food and Wine advisory board, which was instrumental in driving the Restaurant Australia marketing campaign. Hayley is a member of the Australian Ballet and Barker College Foundations and was appointed to Tourism Australia’s Board in November 2015 and remains a Director.

Bradley Woods

Director

For nearly 30 years Bradley Woods has been one of Australia’s leading advocates for the hotel, hospitality and tourism industry. Bradley has been the CEO of the WA Australian Hotels Association (WA) since 1998 and previously held the roles of CEO of the AHA Tasmania and AHA National Government Relations Manager.

Bradley has a degree in International Business Relations. He is a board member of Tourism Accommodation Australia, and is National Chair of the Commonwealth’s Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Industry Reference Committee, responsible for the industry’s vocational training packages. He is also Chair of Hospitality Group Training, which specialises in training and industry placement apprentice chefs, Chair of the Australia Day Council WA and a Board Member of Ronald McDonald House Perth and mental health charity, Healthy Mind Menu Inc.

Regarded as an industry expert in tourism, accommodation and hospitality, Bradley has led industry through major crises including the Tasmanian Tourism sector’s strategic response after the Port Arthur massacre, the collapse of Ansett, SARS, the WA hotel and hospitality sectors’ recovery from COVID-19 and responding to critical international incidents impacting on the reputation of the Australian tourism industry. Bradley joined Tourism Australia’s Board in August 2017.

John Hart

Director

Mr Hart is currently the Executive Chair for the Australian Chamber – Tourism and the Executive Director of Restaurant and Catering Industry Association Australia, the peak national industry association representing the interests of the restaurants, cafes and caterers in Australia.  Mr Hart has spent over 30 years working in the hospitality industry in operational, Human Resources and Industrial Relations roles, trained in food and beverage management at the École hôtelière de Lausanne, in Switzerland, holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Business Law and is currently undertaking a Masters of Business Law.

Mr Hart is a current Board Member for Australian Business Register, Western Sydney Unlimited Ltd, Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia, Food Standards Australian and New Zealand, and the National Tourism Industry Training Committee Ltd. Mr Hart will also be instrumental in developing Australia’s next long term tourism strategy, as a member of the Beyond Tourism 2020 Steering Committee. 

Penny Fowler

Director

Penny is Chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times & News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador. Penny is Chairman of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, a Board member of The Australian Ballet, Deputy Chairman of The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria and a Board Member of The National Portrait Gallery. She is also on the Advisory Board of Visy and the Advisory Board of the Bank of Melbourne.

A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Penny holds a Bachelor of Business degree with a major in Marketing from Monash (Chisholm) University and is a CEW member.

Alexandra Burt 

Director

With nearly 20 years experience in wine and tourism, Alexandra Burt is Co-Founder and Proprietor of The Landsmith Collection which owns and operates businesses that bring together luxury tourism, the natural world and agriculture in Western Australia and the Top End. These include Voyager Estate, a leading producer of organically-farmed wines in Margaret River, and one of Australia's most storied cattle stations, Bullo River Station, in the Northern Territory which, as well as a tourism offering, has a unique partnership with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Projects in development include a boutique accommodation experience at Wallcliffe House in Margaret River. 

Alex spent 11 years on regional, state, and national wine industry boards and committees. She is currently Chair of Australian Futures Project, a board member of the Australian String Quartet, and Patron of Private Giving for West Australian Ballet. 

Katie Page

Director

Katie Page is the Chief Executive Officer of Harvey Norman. Katie joined the company in 1983 when the retailer had only one retail complex in the Sydney suburb of Auburn. When Harvey Norman was publicly listed in 1987, Katie was appointed as Board Director. Katie was appointed to the role of CEO in February 1999. Katie’s role has been instrumental in the continued success of the international home and lifestyle retailer. As at 23 October, 2020 there are 292 Harvey Norman, Domayne, Joyce Mayne retail complexes throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Slovenia and Croatia. 

Katie is also on the Board of Pertama Holdings Pty Ltd and The Bradman Foundation and sits on the advisory council for The Business Council of Australia's BizRebuild fund, a five-year bushfire recovery and rebuilding fund run by business.  Katie has also held board positions at Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust, Place Management NSW Board and Museum of Contemporary Art in the past. In 2005 Page was appointed to the board of the National Rugby League. Her appointment made history as she was the first woman to become a member of a major sporting board in Australia.

Privately, Katie is co-owner of Australia’s leading bloodstock sales company, Magic Millions with her husband, Gerry Harvey. Magic Millions is the highest grossing yearling sale in the Southern Hemisphere and home to the third largest breeding stock auction in the world, with auctions and sales operations in Adelaide, Launceston and Perth. Magic Millions is world famous and the international market leader for the Magic Millions Carnival, Sale and Race day in January on the Gold Coast.