"Tourism and attractions truly offers the opportunity to welcome people through your doors, and once you have them, it's about how you can deliver an unforgettable experience that builds brand loyalty and genuine love for what you have to offer"

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Question 1: Tell me about a defining moment or experience early in your career that set you on a path of becoming who you are today. In other words, how did you end up in this industry?
 

I started my career in FMCG marketing, I really loved working in those large organisations because they offered excellent training and resources. That foundation was key to becoming the leader and marketer I am today. I worked across a variety of categories, including grocery items for brands like Yoplait and Vitasoy, before moving to Heinz and eventually taking a global position at Treasury Wine Estates.

While working at Heinz, I realised how powerful brand love can be, however I also noticed that as much as consumers loved Heinz, when the other leading brand (Campbell’s) went on sale, many of our customers would switch because the quality was comparable. This was a pivotal moment for me, seeing how tenuous brand loyalty is, and when offered a comparable alternative on promotion, consumers would switch.

Then, when I moved into the wine category, I was fascinated by brand loyalty. A highly fragmented category (the market leader had less than 10% share points, loyalty was defined by the incremental activities wine lovers participated in winery tours, cellar door memberships, wine maker dinners. Loyalty went beyond the shelf,  people deeply connected with wine brands through experiences. This was where I started to realise the power of multi-touchpoint experiences in building brand loyalty.

Later, I joined Mattel and worked on the Thomas brand, and saw how Thomas wasn’t just a toy, it was a 360-degree brand. Kids loved Thomas so much that they wanted everything related to it: books, movies, bed linen, toys, you name it. That gave me a big insight into how immersive experiences could create deep brand connections.

At that point, I was faced with a tough decision. I was working at Mattel and whilst exploring the opportunity to join their global team, I saw a disconnect between the American strategy and the local Australian market. Feeling a little fatigued with Australian retailers and multinational matrix structures, I decided to jump into Tourism, connecting my passion for experiences with my marketing expertise, pursuing an environment which epitomised the 360 degree experience.  I decided to join False Creek Ski Lifts as Head of Marketing I was passionate about skiing and wanted to explore the adventure, so I made the jump into tourism.

What I loved about the ski industry was the way people were so passionate about it. Skiers and snowboarders weren’t just interested in the snow report, they wanted the whole experience, from the weather to the gear, to the lifts. This deep connection with the brand was something I had experienced with Thomas, and it clicked. I realised that working in tourism and attractions was a natural extension of what I had learned in FMCG and retail marketing. It was about creating experiences that truly connected with people’s passions and brands they loved. I lived in the Victorian high country, driving snowmobiles and snowboarding every day. It was a huge change for me, but it felt right. And that decision led to Peninsula Hot Springs and then to JKLP Group, as CMO I was  I was able to apply everything I had learned in FMCG, tourism, and luxury into a diverse mix of brands, including a hotel, a wine brand, a pastry business and even an immersive art experience.

Fully immersive, brand led, supported by consumer products, it was a dream position. The ah-ha from working on Thomas lead me here, harnessing the power of a 360-degree approach to marketing, where you’re constantly engaging with your consumers on multiple levels you can build real loyalty and love for your brand.