21 February 2008: BUSINESS LEADERS APPOINTED TO KEY MARKETING ORGANISATION

BUSINESS LEADERS APPOINTED TO KEY MARKETING ORGANISATION

 

 The Adelaide Convention Tourism Authority (ACTA) has announced the appointment of three new directors to its board.

Joining the Authority are Douglas Gautier - Chief Executive of the Adelaide Festival Centre, Chris Ehmann - General Manager of the Hilton Adelaide, and Stephen Yarwood, Adelaide City Councillor and Principal Town Planner at the City of Playford.

In making the announcement, ACTA Chairman and Adelaide Airport CEO Phil Baker said the new directors each bring valuable knowledge that will add substantially to existing expertise around the table.

“We are very fortunate to be gaining Douglas’ and Chris’ global industry knowledge, both of whom have come directly to Adelaide from international appointments” he said.

“Stephen’s close involvement with Local Government, both as a planner and Councillor, provides a unique insight into the workings of one of our major stakeholders”, he added.

The new directors join Richard Green (Vice Chairman - Manager SA Malaysia Airlines); Adam Myott (General Manager Hyatt Regency Adelaide); Michael Sfera (General Manager Sfera’s Park Suites & Convention Centre); and Alec Gilbert (Chief Executive Adelaide Convention Centre).

  • Mr Gautier was appointed CEO & Artistic Director of The Adelaide Festival Centre after leading one of the world’s great Arts festivals in Hong Kong and with relevant international experience in media, tourism and the corporate sector. He has remained closely connected and interested in South Australia’s cultural development while developing extensive international connections and experience, especially in the Asian region.

  • Mr Ehmann has been with Hilton Hotels since 1999, previously holding the role of Director of Operations with four Hilton properties, including Bucharest, Jeddah, Dubai and most recently Cairo. Since taking the helm of the iconic Hilton Adelaide in February 2007 Chris has steered the hotel through its 25th birthday celebrations, with heavy involvement in the city’s major events including the Tour Down Under, Classic Adelaide, The Festival of Arts, WOMAD and the inaugural Rugby Sevens tournament, not to mention an ongoing extensive refurbishment program.

  • Councillor Yarwood is a member of the Planning Institute of Australia with a Bachelor of Arts (Planning) and Graduate Diploma (Regional and Urban Planning), he has extensive experience in strategic and policy planning and administration and is currently the Principal Town Planner at the City of Playford. He has worked in state and local government and as a Parliamentary Researcher where he authored enquiries on various topics, including Eco-tourism in South Australia. He has studied future cities in Tsukuba, Japan's technology city, and researched and lectured in Australia, New Zealand, India, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand on environment and development planning and management.

    • For more information, please contact: Martin Winter, Chief Executive Officer 0402 313 224 www.acta.com.au