Board

Tourism Queensland's board of directors was established under the Tourism Queensland Act 1979. The board of directors is a statutory body under the Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982 and the Financial Administration and Audit Act 1977.

The board of directors is comprised of nine industry representatives from around the State. The Chairman and board members are appointed by, and responsible to, the Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry, the Honourable Desley Boyle MP.

About Our Board Members

Tourism Queensland's board members come from a range of backgrounds, equipping them to provide expert guidance to Queensland's tourism industry.

Mr Don Morris AO Chairman Don has spent his career in advertising and communications. As Managing Director of D'arcy MacManus & Masius Advertising he joined Mojo Australia in 1979 as one of three founding principals and shareholders. Don later chaired the company until his retirement in 1995. In 1989, he was appointed inaugural Deputy Chairman of The Tourism Taskforce. He joined the board of directors of the Australian Tourist Commission in 1993 and served two terms as Chairman. In 2002, he was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia for services to tourism.
Ms Julie McGlone Deputy Chairman Julie has been involved in tourism marketing since the mid '80s when she joined the Australian Tourist Commission as Manager of International Publications and Films. Her work won several PATA awards. Julie has worked as travel editor for the Australian Women's Weekly and as editor of the Rural Press lifestyle title, Friday Magazine. She is a past member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Society of Travel Writers and winner of the Peregrine Responsible Tourism Travel Writing Award. Julie currently runs her own media and marketing communications consultancy.
Mr Chris White Audit Committee Chairman Chris is the Managing Director of the sports management company International Quarterback. He has expertise in corporate management specialising in sponsorship leveraging and consulting, sponsorship sales and athlete management. Chris has a background in law.
Ms Sarina Russo Sarina Russo is the majority controlling shareholder, founder and Managing Director of the Sarina Russo Group of Companies, with over 800 employees (Sarina Russo Job Access, Sarina Russo Schools Australia, Sarina Russo Apprenticeship Services, James Cook University Brisbane and Russo Recruitment). Sarina is one of Queensland's leading entrepreneurs with one of Australia’s first jointly operated Universities; James Cook University Brisbane. She is Chairman of Trustees of the Jupiter's Casino Community Benefit Fund, a member of the Lord Mayor's Community Trust and the former Council for Multicultural Australia and a member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F Kennedy School of Government as well as a member of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World.
Ms Kayleen Collins Kayleen is currently Executive General Manager of Cairns International Airport where she oversees a team responsible for all airport commercial and operational tasks. Cairns airport is an important piece of infrastructure to facilitate entry/exit of visitors to Tropical North Queensland and plays an important role in securing tourism growth for the region. Over the past 12 years, Kayleen has worked in senior commercial management positions at Sydney, Canberra and Townsville International Airports. Prior to commencing her career in airport management, Kayleen created a strong track record in both the private and public sectors working for companies such as Smorgon and Ernst and Young.
Mr Shane O'Reilly Shane is the Managing Director of National Park Pty Ltd the company that owns and operates O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Mountain Villas and Lost World Spa as well as Canungra Valley Vineyards. He has extensively studied the theory and principles behind successful multi-generational family-owned businesses and over the past decade has led O'Reilly's through significant change and growth. Shane’s formal tertiary studies have been in business, human resource management and company directorship and he has worked in the hospitality industry in management in both Australia and South Africa. Shane is involved in a number of local tourism bodies within the Scenic Rim as well as being the Queensland Tourism Director on the federally appointed Gondwana World Heritage Committee that oversees the World Heritage Parks between Barrington Tops and Lamington.
Ms Lyn Gregson Lyn is the Director of Adelyn Retail which company owns and operates a collection of retail outlets in the Whitsundays and Townsville. Lyn has been involved in retail for over 32 years, 15 of which have been spent involved with Island Resort Retail. Lyn is also involved in the community; currently Chairman of Tourism Whitsundays, Chairman of ETAG (advisory committee to TAFE), a Director of the Whitsunday Development Corporation board and formerly President of the Whitsunday Chamber Of Commerce, Events Co-ordinator and Chairman of the inaugural Whitsunday Reef Festival.
Mr Grant Cassidy Grant is a leading tourism and hospitality owner/operator in Central Queensland specialising in accommodation and food and beverage. Grant has a strong media and marketing background having had a 15 year commercial radio career, working in Brisbane, Central Queensland, Mackay, the Whitsundays and Cairns. Grant is Chairman of Capricorn Tourism, Deputy Chairman of Rockhampton Girls Grammar School and is a member of the Council of Central Queensland University.
Mr Bob McCarthy Bob McCarthy is Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry.

Board Responsibilities

Working with senior management, the board of directors is responsible for Tourism Queensland's overall performance. It approves goals and directions, strategic plans and performance targets. The board of directors ensures appropriate policies, procedures and systems are in place to optimise performance, maintain high standards of ethical behaviour and provide leadership to Queensland's tourism industry.

Board Performance

As part of its ongoing commitment to achieving best practice corporate governance, Tourism Queensland is developing a formal and transparent process for assessing and evaluating the performance of Tourism Queensland's board of directors, including individual directors.

Between board meetings, there is continuing contact between the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer to discuss major policy and operational matters, especially when such matters are the subject of board interest, or are likely to become so. The Chairman also meets with senior management to discuss strategy and operational issues.

Regular board papers inform board members of current and forthcoming strategic issues relevant to Tourism Queensland's operations and performance. These papers contain the year-to-date financial performance of all departments and include updates and/or strategic issues relevant to all divisions of the organisation.

Audit Committee

The primary role of the Audit Committee is to provide assistance to the board of directors in fulfilling its corporate governance and oversight responsibilities in relation to Tourism Queensland's financial reporting, internal control structure, risk management systems and the internal and external audit functions. The Committee regularly reports to the board of directors on its activities and recommendations. Its key responsibilities include to:

• Maintain free and open communication between the Committee, external auditors, internal auditors and management of Tourism Queensland.
• Understand the organisation's structure, controls and types of transactions in order to adequately assess the significant risks it faces.
• Oversee the financial reporting process on behalf of the board of directors.
• Assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the accounting and financial controls, including the policies and procedures to assess, monitor and manage business risk and legal and ethical compliance programs.
• Make recommendations to the board of directors on the appointment, reappointment or replacement, remuneration, monitoring of the effectiveness and independence of the internal auditors.
• Consult with the external and internal auditors regarding the scope of plans of audit.
• Review the auditors' recommendations and monitor their implementation.

The board members on the Audit Committee are Mr Chris White and Ms Kayleen Collins. The non-board member on the Audit Committee is Mr Laurie Longland, Deputy Director-General with the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry. Management representatives who attend in an observer capacity include the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director Corporate Services and the Director Finance.

The organisation's internal auditors, Ernst & Young and the Queensland Audit Office, are also represented at the meetings. The Committee holds four meetings each year with full minutes being kept and full reports made to the board of directors.