Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall today announced a number of appointments to the Destination NSW Board, including new Chair John Warn, to help keep NSW the number one destination in Australia for domestic and international tourists.
13 April 2018Mr Marshall acknowledged the important contribution of retiring Chair John Hartigan, who held the position for the last four years.
“I thank John for his outstanding stewardship of Destination NSW and his extensive achievements for our State’s record-breaking visitor economy,” Mr Marshall said.
“John has played a critical role in the final period of his tenure in Chairing an independent Visitor Economy Taskforce, which has reviewed the Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan and provided recommendations to the NSW Government.
“These recommendations are currently being considered by the NSW Government, and will inform our future strategy to continue growing the number of tourists coming to NSW.”
Mr Marshall said he was pleased to welcome John Warn as the new Chair of the Destination NSW board.
“John brings a wealth of experience to this important role, ensuring Destination NSW continues on its path of achieving the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020,” he said.
“Coupled with his success as Chair of Cricket NSW, Mr Warn has worked in senior roles in corporate Australia including David Jones and presently Scentre Group.”
Mr Marshall also thanked Wendy Machin, who has taken the decision to stand down from the Board after seven years as a director.
“Wendy has been a long-serving Board member since first being appointed in 2011 and I’d like to thank her for her commitment and work in turning our State’s tourism sector around,” Mr Marshall said.
Mr Marshall also announced the appointment of two new board members, Sally Loane and George Souris AM.
“Sally comes with extensive experience across a range of sectors including the media, financial services, food and beverage manufacturing, professional sport, community organisations and corporate affairs,” Mr Marshall said.
“George has a career spanning 34 years in elected office, first in local government for 7 years and then 27 years in the NSW Parliament, where he occupied numerous portfolios including Minister for Tourism and Major Events.
“George will be a champion for rural and regional tourism and focus on driving visitation west of the divide.”
Russell Balding AO, David Baffsky AO and Margaret Jack have been reappointed to the Board for a further four years.
John Warn will join the Board in July. The current Deputy Chair Russell Balding has been appointed as Acting Chair until Mr Warn commences.
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