Mr Hounsell was appointed to the board on 4 October 2016.

Mr Hounsell has extensive Director experience on a wide range of highly successful Boards. He currently serves as Chairman of Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (since July 2021 and Director since 2016) and Chairman of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Ltd. He is also a Director of Treasury Wine Estates Limited (since 2012).

Previously, Mr Hounsell held several key roles, including Chairman and a Non-Executive Director of Hiro Brands Limited formerly known as Wellness and Beauty Solutions Limited, Chairman of Myer Holdings Limited (2017–2020), Chairman of Spotless Group Limited (Chairman 2017, Director 2014–2017), and Chairman of PanAust Limited (2008–2015). He also served as a Director of Findex Limites and Non-Executive Director at Qantas Airways Limited, Orica Limited and DuluxGroup Limited.

Earlier in his career, Mr Hounsell was the Senior Partner of Ernst & Young and Chief Executive Officer and Country Managing Partner of Arthur Andersen. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand.

Executive Director appointed to the Board on February 1 2016.

Mr Burnes is Helloworld Travel Limited’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Upon completing his studies in Law and Commerce at Melbourne University, Mr Burnes was employed by Blake Dawson Waldron where he completed his Articles and worked as a solicitor.

On 1st November, 1987 Mr Burnes founded The Australian Outback Travel Company (The AOT Group) at the age of 26. After the merger of AOT and Helloworld in January 2016, he was appointed CEO of Helloworld Travel Limited on 1st February, 2016.

Mr Burnes was appointed as the Honorary Federal Treasurer of the Liberal Party of Australia in July 2015. Prior to this appointment he was the State Treasurer of the Victorian Liberal Party from May 2009 to early 2011. He was appointed as a Director of Tourism Australia in July 2004 serving as Deputy Chairman from 2006 to 2009. Mr Burnes chaired the Audit and Finance Committee of Tourism Australia during this period, was a Trustee of the Travel Compensation Fund from 2005 to 2008 and a Board Member of the Australian Tourism Export Council (“ATEC”) from 1998 serving as the organisation’s National Chairman from 1999 – 2003.

On 7th June, 2020, Mr Burnes was named an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List. Mr Burnes received this recognition for his “distinguished service to business, particularly through a range of travel industries, to professional tourism organisations, and to the community”. 

Mr Burnes’ charitable involvements include being a key supporter or the School of St Jude in Arusha, Tanzania and served as a director of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation between 2008 and 2013.

Executive Director appointed to the Board on February 1 2016.

Ms Burnes brings extensive sector and management experience to the Board.

In 1982 she founded, and became Managing Director of the Australian Travel Bureau (ATB) prior to becoming a shareholder and Director of Caleidoscopio SRL, growing the business to become the 2nd largest wholesaler in Italy in 1989. She was also appointed Head of Travel, Italy Australia Association in 1983, just one year after joining the organisation.

From 1991 to 1998, Ms Burnes was General Manager of The Australian Outback Travel Company (AOT), founded by Andrew in 1987. She played a pivotal role over 26 years in growing AOT from a small regional safari operator into one of Australasia’s leading travel distribution businesses with 500 staff in 15 locations worldwide with annual revenues in excess of $350 million. The AOT Group was privately owned by Andrew and Cinzia Burnes until its merger with Helloworld Travel Limited in February 2016.

Ms Burnes served on the Board of Tourism Victoria as a Director from 2013 to 2015. She has also served as a Board Member of Health Services Australia (H.S.A) from 2006 to 2008 and as a Director of the Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) from 2000 to 2004. Ms Burnes was appointed a Director of the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) on 14 December 2022 (formally known as Australian Federation of Travel Agents – AFTA)

Ms Burnes holds qualifications in Tourism and Commerce from the Metastasio Institute of Commerce (Rome) in 1982 and is a graduate of the Mt. Eliza Executive Education Business School. Advanced Management Program (May 2011) and Senior Executive Program Modules 1 & 2 (November 2014).

Mr Dalton was appointed to the Board on 9 November 2021.

Mr Dalton’s career has spanned over 35 years where he was a Senior Assurance Partner at EY from 1995 to 2019 where he undertook many complex engagements for large Corporations in Australia and Overseas, as well as engagements involving transformational change.

Mr Dalton provided advice and assurance on mergers, acquisitions, and divestments as well as the implementation of Governance frameworks of organisations of all sizes in Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Consumer Products and Services.

Mr Dalton was also a part of the Voluntary Administration team that ran Ansett Airlines when it entered Voluntary Administration in 2001, which saw the Airline reinitiated after being shut down when experiencing financial separation from its parent entity.

Mr Dalton currently acts as a Director of both K&S Corporation Limited (since August 2021), a member of the Audit committee and Equity Trustee Holding Limited (since September 2023). He also Director of Kookaburra Sport Pty Ltd (since December 2021) and Blue Cross Community Care Services Pty Ltd (7 June 2022 – 30 June 2024). 

Mr Dalton held the role of Acting Chief Executive of Sports Australia and the Australian Sports Commission based in Canberra, where he oversaw 110 National Sporting Organisations providing funding to sports and activity providers to grow participation from Feb 2020 to April 2022. He also held the role of Finance Director for Richmond Football Club from 2004 – 2019.

Hon. Martin Pakula was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 30 November 2022.

Mr Pakula completed a Bachelor of Economics at Monash University in 1989 and an Honours Degree in Law in 1991. After leaving university Mr Pakula completed articles at Macpherson and Kelley and was admitted to practice in 1993.

Mr Pakula served as a Member of the Victorian Parliament for 16 years, from 2006 to 2022. In that time he held a range of ministerial portfolios including Minister for Industry, Minister for Trade, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Public Transport, Attorney General, Minister for Racing, Minister for Innovation, Minister for Jobs, Minister for Business Precincts and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events. He served a six and half year term as an MLC in the 2000’s and a ten-year term as an MLA from 2013 to 2022.

Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Pakula worked as a solicitor and as a senior trade union official. He worked as an official of the National Union of Workers where he served as Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Branch from 2000-2004 and as Victorian Branch Secretary and National Vice President from 2004-2006.

Mr Pakula also served as a Director of LUCRF Super from 2004-2006. In October of 2023 Mr Pakula was named chair of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation while also being an Independent Director of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (since March 2023).

Ms Coddington was appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 01 February 2023.

Ms Coddington has a deep level of broad industry experience in the tourism, events and hospitality sectors spanning more than 30 years. As CEO of Tourism and Events Queensland for nine years from 2013 to 2022, she lead the strategic positioning of Queensland’s tourism and events industry including marketing, global trade distribution, industry and aviation partnerships, event acquisition and experience development. Ms Coddington guided the State’s tourism and events industry through the COVID-19 pandemic ensuring it was well positioned as state and international borders reopened. Prior to that, she held senior executive roles with Tourism Queensland including Destination Partnerships, Strategy and Research and Human Resources. Her early career in hospitality management included senior executive roles with the Hyatt Hotel Group.

Ms Coddington has represented industry on the Australian Government’s Reimagining the Visitor Economy Expert Panel and is a non-executive Director of the Museum of Brisbane, Netball Queensland and Queensland Performing Arts Trust, as well as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland Business School, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a graduate with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).