Our Board

Michael Issenberg

Chair

Michael Issenberg is currently the Chairman of Tourism Australia, the Government agency responsible for promoting Australia as a business and leisure travel destination and a Director of the Star Entertainment Group, one of the leading Casino and Integrated Resort operators in Australia.

Michael is one of the most respected leaders in tourism and hospitality, with a reputation for operational excellence and the highest integrity. As the former Chairman & CEO for Accor Asia Pacific, he led the group to more than 1250 hotels over his 26-year tenure, building a $4 billion business over 23 countries that was number one in Australia,New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. With multi-national experience in the US, Australia and Asia, he is an expert in mergers and acquisitions, having led several integrations for the Group. He is known for building strong teams and inspiring them towards a shared vision and is a lifelong champion of diversity and inclusion. He has a deep understanding of Asian cultures and the Asian consumer.

Under his leadership, Accor Asia Pacific went from the smallest contributor of the Group’s performance to the fastest-growing region, representing over 50% of the global development pipeline.

Michael is a Lifetime Member of the Tourism and Transport Forum in Australia and the Cornell Hotel Society. He is a former member of the global Accor Executive Committee, and previous Chairman and Director of Reef Casino Trust and Director of A-HTrust, with a strong understanding of public company governance. An innovator at heart, he played a pivotal role in establishing Accor Vacation Club, the region’s first points-based timeshare business.

Michael has been recognised for his vast contribution to tourism many times including an esteemed Ordre National de la Legion d’honneur and Ordre National du Mérite from the French Government. He was named Hotelier of the Year 2012, 2015 and 2020 at the Hotel Management Awards and International Hotelier of the Year 2014 at the China Hotel Investment Conference. In 2020, he was presented the prestigious Golden Horse Award as the Annual Influential Figure of Global Cultural Tourism Industry in China.

Michael’s previous roles include Chief Executive Officer at Mirvac Hotels, Director at Horwath and Horwath and Director of Development at Merlin Properties.

Michael holds a degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

Jeffrey Ellison AM

Deputy Chair

Jeffrey Ellison AM is the Chairman of the Kelsian Group Limited. Prior to this (until January 2020) he was the CEO and MD of the SeaLink Travel Group (now part of the Kelsian Group), a position he held since early 1997. Jeff is a Chartered Accountant, joining SeaLink following eight years in private practice. Kelsian Group is ASX listed and operates in the tourism and transport industries. As of June 2021, Kelsian transports over 207 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 Deputy Chair of the Board and 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).

Annabel Dolphin 

Director 

Annabel Dolphin is currently Executive Director of the award-winning, regional travel agency Helloworld Mackay, Mt Pleasant and Townsville. She is an experienced non-executive director with over 20 years specialising in strategic human resources, organisational design and culture change across a diverse range of sectors, including travel and tourism. 

Annabel has a passion for non-for-profit and mutual sector and is currently President of the Saints Netball Club Mackay Inc, a Director on Mackay Hospital and Health Service as well as Director of RACQ Group Ltd including its subsidiaries.

Annabel is Executive Director of her own firm, Dolphin Ventures Pty Ltd, where she sits on several independent advisory boards within the mining, civil construction, manufacturing and professional services sector. Previously, Annabel has contributed as former chair of TAFE.

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

John Hart is currently a Director for National Resource Management and 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.  John 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.

John 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. John 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 Fowler is Chairman of the Herald & Weekly Times and News Corp Australia’s Community Ambassador.

Penny is Chairman of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, Chair of the National Portrait Gallery, Deputy Chair of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, and a Board member of Tourism Australia.

She is also on the Advisory Board of Visy/Pratt USA, is a board member of Tech Mahindra & the Bank of Melbourne (St. George) Foundation.

Penny is a member of Chief Executive Women & an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation & SecondBite.

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 Next25, 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.