Meet our CEO

Patricia O'Callaghan

position: Chief Executive Officer

Patricia is an experienced Chief Executive Officer who has held significant senior executive positions over the past 15 years and has a passion for growing companies, communities and bettering the lives of people. More recently, Patricia was the Chief Executive Officer for Townsville Enterprise, a position she held for six years. With extensive experience in strategy development, advocacy, corporate communications, government, stakeholder and media relations and marketing, Patricia has a proven record of working with communities to convert strategy into tangible outcomes.

Adrienne Readings

position: Chairman

Adrienne Readings is the General Manager of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC). Focused on the emerging convention and incentive markets out of Europe and China, Adrienne is establishing networks within these countries to better facilitate business events requirements and identify opportunities.

Clark Kirby

position: Vice Chairman

Clark joined Village as Director of Strategy in 2009 and was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2012. He also holds title of Chairman of Village Cinemas Australia, Chairman of Village Roadshow Theme Parks Asia and Board ember of Golden Village Entertainment. In april 2017, Clark was appointed as Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Office of Village Roadshow Theme Parks Group.

John Punch

position: honorary secretary

John is an original member and founding director of Gold Coast Tourism. He has been a continuously serving member of its board since its formation and has previously served as deputy chair. He is currently the Honorary Secretary and a life member. Previously he was a president of the Surfers Paradise Chamber of Commerce. He also served as an appointed director of the Gold Coast Arts Centre for nine years. John moved to the Gold Coast in 1961 with his family and has resided here since, completing his schooling and University of Queensland study of law and being admitted as a solicitor in Queensland in 1969. He practises law as a solicitor with a major Gold Coast law firm, Short Punch and Greatorix, of which he is a founding partner. His special areas of practice are real estate development, management rights and tourism-based industries. In 1997, John was awarded an OAM for services to tourism, the real estate industry and assistance to Salvation Army charities. He also serves as a Director of Sustainable Development Gold Coast Inc. and assists Australian Resident Accommodation Managers Association, of which he a life member, and the Real Estate Institute of Queensland as an advisor.

Adam Rowe

position: Board Member

Adam joined QAL in 2017 as General Manager Business Development and Marketing, before moving into the role of Executive General Manager Business Development and Marketing in July 2018 and Chief Commercial Officer in August 2021. Adam is responsible for driving both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue, working with airline partners and tourism bodies to grow domestic and international capacity across QAL's ports and maximising non-aeronautical revenue with precinct partners including retail, food and beverage, parking and ground transport. Over the past 15 years, Adam has also held a number of senior management and executive roles within the airline industry, working for Virgin Australia and Tigerair.

Adam Twemlow

position: Board Director

Adam is a Partner at KPMG and has 15 years assurance and advisory experience. His experience also includes property and construction, financial services and mining industries. Adam has extensive professional experience locally on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane and internationally in the UK and USA.

Alfred Slogrove

position: Board Member

Alfred was instrumental in researching and negotiating TAFE Queensland’s Tier 1 Sponsorship for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games which included training the 15,000 volunteers for the 2018 Games. He was a member of the volunteer advisory committee and contributed across a range of fields to the Commonwealth Games and the community. More recently, Alfred secured additional funding to continue the legacy of the Games by supporting over 280 volunteers to gain recognition of their skills and attain a national qualification. Holding a Bachelor of Business Management and qualifications in education, Alfred’s leadership and entrepreneurial skills has allowed him to develop and implement a national ‘Payment Gateway’ to support a scholarship fund that has supported over 2,000 state wide scholarships to students. These scholarships are offered state-wide and have supported students from various backgrounds to start a new career path.

Amy Watts

position: Board Member

Amy Watts joined Accor in Sydney in early 2018 before being appointed as Vice President Talent and Culture, Accor Apartments and Realty based on the Gold Coast later that year. Amy oversees the people experience for over 130 hotels and over 5,000 team members across Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii; including 28 properties based on the Gold Coast. She has an extensive senior executive career in Hospitality, Hotel Food and Beverage, Hotel Operations and Human Resources across global operators including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott International. With over 25 years experience across the service deliver industry, predominantly in Hotels, Amy is excited to combine her people skills and hospitality and tourism knowledge to add value and benefit to the Gold Coast Community.

Hermann Vorster

position: Board Member

Councillor Hermann Vorster serves the people of Division 11. Cr Vorster was elected to the City of Gold Coast in 2016. He is the appointed Chair of the Lifestyle and Community Committee and also serves on the Economy, Planning and Environment, and Transport and Infrastructure Committees. Cr Vorster is a former Bond University Vice Chancellor’s Scholar with degree qualifications in Accounting, Corporate Strategy and Business Information Systems. He is presently service his second consecutive term on the council of the City of Gold Coast having increased his popular support from 59 per cent in 2016 to 73.5 per cent in 2020. He is the appointed chair of the Lifestyle and Community Committee and also serves on the Economy, Planning & Environment and Transport & Infrastructure Committees. He is dedicated to protecting the lifestyle locals expect – and deserve. Priorities are tackling traffic congestion, boosting community safety and looking after the environment. Cr Vorster lives locally and has had a number of leadership roles in community groups including: Gold Coast District Neighbourhood Watch Incorporated and the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland (CCIQ) Regional Policy Board.

Nick Scott

position: Board Director

Nick Scott has spent thirty seven (37) years working in senior roles within the media; much of this time being based on the Gold Coast. He has held the positions of Director, Group General Manager, General Manager and National Sales Director. Nick has recently retired from his full time position with Southern Cross Austereo; operators on the Gold Coast of television brands Southern Cross Ten, 11 and One as well as broadcasting stations 90.9 Sea FM and 92.5 Gold FM. His commitment to the industry has been evidenced by main board positions with commercial radio Australia and membership of national industry bodies overseeing regional Australia, research and sales, marketing, codes and branding.

Sarah Colgate

position: Board Director

Sarah Colgate is the General Manager and Managing Director of Aquaduck Gold Coast & Sunshine Coast, Southern Cross Tours and the Tours & Attractions Group. With more than 25 years’ experience in the travel and tourism industry, Sarah specialises in business growth and product development of experiences and operations. Sarah has a diverse industry experience having held senior roles at Accor and Rendezvous Hotels, followed by the successful development of iVenture Card in Queensland before bringing the iToursntix brand to the Gold Coast across six locations. Sarah is passionate about collaboration and representing micro, small and medium sized tourism operators on the Gold Coast.

Sarah Gardiner

position: Board Member

Sarah Gardiner has over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry and has a PhD in Marketing. She is the Acting Director of the Griffith Institute for Tourism and an Associate Professor in Tourism at Griffith University. She is an expert in travel consumer behaviour, travel trends, experience design and innovation. She regularly delivers presentations, consultancies and training for government and industry in these areas and has published in leading tourism journals. She often asked to provide expert comment to media on tourism issues and thought-leadership to government and industry.

Our Board

About Us

Meet our CEO

Patricia O'Callaghan

Meet our board

Adrienne Readings

Clark Kirby

John Punch

Adam Rowe

Adam Twemlow

Alfred Slogrove

Amy Watts

Hermann Vorster

Nick Scott

Sarah Colgate

Sarah Gardiner