Board

The Canberra Convention Bureau's board is made up of senior executives with a proven track record in the meetings, tourism and events business. Their combined experience and expertise across a range of public and private sector business enterprises provides a formidable force for securing and increasing business events to the ACT.

BOARD MEMBERS

Allan Williams, Regional General Manager ACT Qantas Airways Ltd (Chair)
Alan Thompson, Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Services (Deputy Chair)
Pat McKenna, General Manager, Hellenic Club of Canberra (Treasurer)
Mikael Svensson, General Manager, Hyatt Hotel Canberra
Professor Ian Young, Vice Chancellor, Australian National University
Jane Carter, Director, Conference Logistics
Mark Sproat, General Manager, The Brassey of Canberra
Barry Neame, Director, Consec Conference Management
David Dawes, Chief Executive, Economic Development Directorate
Robyn Hendry, Chief Executive, Canberra Convention Bureau

BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

Allan Williams, Regional General Manager ACT Qantas Airways Ltd (Chair)

Board member since 2006
Allan is currently the Regional General Manager ACT for Qantas Airways and has had an extensive career with Qantas and previously Australian Airlines. Allan’s career history with the airline and his previous representation on boards such as the Tasmanian Convention Bureau, Travel Industry Association of New Zealand, the Australian Tourism Marketing Council of North America and his current position on the Tourism Industry Council provide for sound industry knowledge and experience.

Alan Thompson, Secretary, Department of Parliamentary Services (Deputy Chair)
Board member since January 2009
Alan is the Chief Executive (or Secretary) of the Department of Parliamentary Services. Alan is based at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, which is one of Canberra's premier attractions for tourism, education and business-related events. Prior to joining Parliamentary Services, Alan held CEO roles for the Victorian Government, New Zealand Government and the ACT Government, including leadership of a team to assist Canberra to recover from the 2003 Bushfires. Alan has been actively involved with tourism and business tourism in his roles in Victoria, New Zealand and the ACT.

Patrick McKenna, General Manager, Hellenic Club of Canberra ltd (Treasurer)
Board member since 2009
Pat McKenna is the General Manager of the Hellenic Club of Canberra, operating one of the largest Conference and Event facilities in Canberra at its Woden venue, as well as two large conference rooms at Hellenic Club in the City and an outside catering arm, Hellenic Premium Catering. Pat has held senior executive positions in large conference hotels in Australia, UK and mainland Europe and has over 18 years industry experience with Rydges Hotels & Resorts, Millennium and Copthorne Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group. Pat has held board positions in a number of European companies including the Hofburg Congress Zentrum in Vienna, the former residence of the royal family, which now operates as a stunning convention centre.

Mikael Svensson, general manager, Hyatt Hotel Canberra
Board member since December 2010.
Mikael is the General Manager of Hyatt Hotel Canberra. Previously General Manager of Hyatt Regency Hua Hin in Thailand, his career in hospitality spans 20 years with a breadth of operational experience derived through working a wide range of management roles across several countries. The combination of long term Hyatt instilled standards with regard to quality of delivery and business practice and the benefit of being able to view the Canberra region with a newcomer’s perspective ensures Mikael’s valuable contribution to the board.

Professor Ian Young, Vice Chancellor, Australian National University
Board member since 2011
Professor Ian Young was appointed Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University in March 2011, having previously been Vice-Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology. He has been Chair of Education Australia Ltd and Director of IDP Education Pty Ltd, as well as a Member of the Australian Qualifications Framework Council.

Professor Young began his academic career at the Max Planck Institut fur Meteorologie, Hamburg Germany, ultimately becoming Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of New South Wales. His research interests are in Coastal and Ocean Engineering and Physical Oceanography, and he has published three books and more than 100 refereed papers.

He has been a consultant to the US Navy and the offshore oil and gas industry in Australia, Asia and North America and has won numerous awards including: The C.N Barton Medal and Lorenz G. Straub Medal. In 2003 he was awarded the Centenary Medal for services to Australian Society. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Jane Carter, director, Conference Logistics
Board member since 2004
Jane Carter is Director of Conference Logistics, an Accredited Meeting Manager and is the ACT Director of the Australasian Alliance of Meetings Managers (AAMM). She has over 15 years experience in conference management for national and international associations, Australian, state and local government as well as university and corporate clients.

Mark Sproat, general manager, The Brassey of Canberra
Board member since 2002
Mark has been involved with the Australian Hotels Association for the past 12 years as ACT Accommodation President and at a national level as National Accommodation Division Vice President. He is currently Chair of the Canberra Accommodation Association. Mark has held a variety of management positions in Western Australia, Papua New Guinea, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast. He moved to Canberra in 1993 to take up the role of General Manager of the Brassey Hotel.

Barry Neame, Director, Consec Conference Management
Board member since 2002
Barry is a working Director of Consec and has been a member of the CCB Board since 2002. In that time he has actively participated in the formulation of policies and strategic directions for the CCB and the Canberra Business Events Sector. Barry has extensive event management, marketing, public relations, media and sponsorship experience. He has undertaken management and organisational reviews, negotiated sponsorship contracts and devised marketing and public relations strategies. He project manages conferences and events for clients in all states of Australia. Barry was also a board member of Community Radio 2SSSFM for 15 years.

David Dawes, Chief Executive, Economic Development Directorate, ACT Government Nominee
Board member since 2011
David Dawes leads the Economic Development Directorate, which officially was created on 17 May 2011, replacing the Department of Land and Property Services. The Directorate remains responsible for implementing various major government initiatives such as the ACT Government's Land Release Programs and Affordable Housing Action Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for Australian Capital Tourism, Sports and Recreation Services and Territory Venues and Events.

David joined the ACT Public Service as the Deputy Chief Executive of the Business and Projects Division in the Chief Minister’s Department in April 2007. In December 2009, he was appointed acting Chief Executive (and later, Chief Executive) of the Department of Land and Property Services and became Director-General of the Directorate in May 2011.

Don Goode, General manager, Rydges Lakeside Canberra
Board member since 2011
Don Goode returns to Canberra as General Manager Rydges Lakeside, along with a support role in the capacity as Area General Manager A.C.T. and Southern N.S.W.

Don is also currant Vice President of the National Accommodation Board - of the Australian Hotel Association.

Recent appointments within Rydges Hotels include; Resorts General Manager Gold Coast International, General Manager Rydges South Bank Brisbane and Area General Manager Southern Queensland.

Robyn Hendry, Chief Executive, Canberra Convention Bureau
Chief Executive since 2005
Robyn Hendry has worked in the Australian and international meetings and tourism industry as a senior executive for 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and PNG. She has held senior management positions in multinational hotel companies in food and beverage, human resources, general management and strategic development. She was previously general manager of the National Convention Centre and also Director of CCB from 2001 to 2002.

Robyn is past president of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) and a former Director of the Business Event Council of Australia (BECA). She is currently co-chair of the Australian Associations Project representing all Australian Bureaux and Convention Centres on a joint industry Australian Government project. She represents BECA on the Tourism Visa Advisory Group (TVAG); and is a Director of Tourism Industry Council ACT and an ACT Government appointed Director of Exhibition Park Corporation. Robyn is a consultative committee member and task force member of the Canberra Business Council.

Robyn has a Bachelor of Management (Tourism) and Advanced Diploma in Hospitality. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). Her key objective is to increase Canberra's profile as a business events destination and by doing this ensure the city's national and international reputation continues to be enhanced.