Boasting over 35 years of experience in hospitality and asset management, David joined Quest as the Chief Operations Officer in July 2019 before being promoted to Managing Director of The Ascott Limited for Australia and New Zealand in February 2021.

David is responsible for overseeing Ascott’s managed operations throughout Australia and New Zealand, in addition to ongoing global leadership of business format franchise brand, Quest Apartment Hotels, which has over 170+ hotels throughout Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

The Ascott Limited (Ascott) is a Singapore company that has grown to be one of the leading international lodging owner-operators. Ascott's portfolio spans over 200 cities across over 30 countries in Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA.

Ascott has more than 90,000 operating units and over 65,000 units under development, making a total of more than 150,000 units in over 900 properties.

The company’s serviced apartment, coliving and hotel brands include Ascott The Residence, The Crest Collection, Somerset, Quest, Citadines, lyf, Préférence, Vertu, Harris, Citadines Connect, Fox, Yello, Fox Lite and POP!. 

Previously, David worked in senior corporate and strategic management positions in various locations across Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific. He held senior leadership roles with InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt International, where he gained extensive experience in hotel and resort operations.

• These roles provided David with a broad range of experiences, and today his expertise spans operational capability and excellence, asset management, wealth creation, strategic alignment, concept development and cultural change.

David graduated from the University of Newcastle, Australia, with an MBA and is certified in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management from Cornell University and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

He is currently the Chair for Accommodation Australia and an Advisory Board member for the Tourism and Transport Forum (Australia).

Awards

• Australasian Hotelier of the Year, HM awards - Hotel and Accommodation Excellence 2022
• Datoship awarded by the HRH Sultan of the State of Pahang, Malaysia, 2010
• Multiple Hyatt property awards for performance, service, and industrial accolades

Industry Associations and Boards

• Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) – Victoria
• Accommodation Australia
• Tourism and Transport Forum - Australia

Emma Hynes is Director of Operations – Australasia & Pacific for IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Appointed in 2022, Emma is responsible for the performance of IHG’s 30+ premium and essentials branded hotels across Australasia & Pacific, including the Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, voco, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

Emma has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, building a reputation for driving outcomes for key stakeholders as a strategically driven, financially focused, genuine people leader who believes in building authentic relationships to empower, entrust, and encourage leaders and colleagues.

Prior to her role with IHG Emma spent 10 years at TFE Hotels as the Regional General Manager, overseeing 30 properties across 6 brands throughout NSW & ACT.

Prior to being appointed to the National board, Emma has sat on the NSW State Advisory committee for the past 4 years. She has completed education in Strategic thinking, Hotel Real Estate and Asset Management and is a qualified project manager.
 

CEO of 1834 Hotels Andrew delivers business management experience in the tourism sector specifically hotels, motels & resorts. 1834 Hotels provides a 'white label' management offering which works closely with a number of franchise parties. As a 3rd party management offering, 1834 is uniquely positioned to work closely with owners & stakeholders to maximize their hospitality assets. Through 1834 Andrew has demonstrated track record of maximizing revenue and increasing profit within highly competitive markets. He has been instrumental in acquisitions, growth management, operational goals and personnel relations.

Andrew is a motivated leader with proven ability to manage operations, analyse financial statements and devise key business strategies to stimulate revenue growth.

Andrew also holds a number of industry roles with the broader hospitality and tourism field including Former Chair of the South Australian Tourism Commission, Chair of the Accommodation Association SA, and council member of AHA SA

Andrew Cairns is the Executive General Manager – Crown Hotels Perth and has been in this role since June 2015. He made the transition to Perth from Melbourne, where he held the role of General Manager – Crown Towers Melbourne for the prior seven years.

As part of the Executive team for Crown Perth, he has responsibility for the operational and strategic planning of the Crown Perth Hotels portfolio, comprising Crown Towers Perth, Crown Metropol Perth and Crown Promenade, as well as collaborating across the Crown Resorts national hospitality structure.

Andrew has over twenty-five years’ experience, both domestically and internationally, with a lifelong passion for the tourism and hospitality industry.

Throughout his career, he has gained an extensive knowledge of operational, personnel and marketing strategies to ensure the success and effectiveness of various business entities. In his executive capacity, he has worked collaboratively to develop company brand values to enhance the guest and employee experience and drive positive business returns.

Andrew holds the board position of Accommodation Division President for the AHA WA, as well as Board Director for Business Events Perth.

Joanna is a visionary, high calibre, hands on and energetic Hotel General Manager with a career hallmarked by over 33 years of international experience spanning across Australia and Europe. After 14 years in London in a variety of roles including Sales & Marketing and General Manager appointments, Joanna returned to her home town of Sydney, Australia in 2016.

Currently Joanna is Area General Manager NSW for EVT Hotels & Resorts and the General Manager at Rydges Sydney Airport, Australia’s most booked hotel where she has held this role for the last 8 years.  

EVT Entertainment, Ventures, Travel is an ASX Top 200 company with over 9000 employees catering to all segments from luxury to budget, throughout a portfolio of over 85+ owned and managed hotels throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Fiji. Hotel brands include QT Hotels & Resorts, Rydges Hotels & Resorts, Independent Collection, Atura Hotels and LyLo. 

Joanna is a member of Accommodation Australia, SKAL Sydney South and SALA.

Her industry recognition has included:
Winner: 2024 AHA National Awards for Excellence- Employee Excellence in Service Accommodation Division
Winner: 2024 AA NSW Awards for Excellence - Executive of the Year
Highly Commended 2003 NSW Accommodation Awards- Hotel Executive of the Year
Nominee: UK Qantas Australian Business Woman of the Year 2008
Multiple EVT Hotel Property Awards for performance and service

Paul Hutton is Asia Pacific Area Vice President and Head of Australasia at Hilton. Based in Sydney, he oversees a diverse portfolio of 29 hotels with 16 hotels in the pipeline across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

As part of Hilton’s Asia Pacific Executive Committee, Paul leads Hilton’s expansion plans that focus on strategic and organic growth to place the right brands in the right locations with the right partners.

This marks a return to the Australasia region for Paul which he led from 2015 to 2017, before relocating to Singapore to take on the role of Head of Southeast Asia for Hilton, which he held for four years. During this time Paul oversaw 48 hotels across nine markets, with 41 hotels in the pipeline. He launched Hilton’s luxury Waldorf Astoria brand with its first hotel in Thailand and brought the focused service Hilton Garden Inn brand into Malaysia.

Paul is a seasoned industry veteran and has a long and illustrious history with Hilton. His 40-year career with the company started in Switzerland and since then he has worked across Eastern and Western Europe, Middle East, North Africa, UAE, China, South East Asia, and Australasia.

Born in Switzerland, Paul holds a Dip. Hotel Administration & Management from The GLION Institute & Hotel School, Switzerland. He is married with three daughters, is an active runner and hiker and enjoys quality family time as well as planning for the next holiday.

Jason Nuell is the Regional Vice President, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific for Marriott International. He leads the area’s porftfolio of 46 hotels and resorts, with more than 20 properties in the pipeline.

Prior to this role, Nuell was the Global Senior Vice President of Premium Brands at Marriott International where he lead Marriott Hotels, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Autograph Collection Hotels, Tribute Portfolio and Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy™. There Jason was instrumental in the development of new brands such as Moxy and AC Hotels, we well as the global transformation of the Sheraton brand.

With an impressive career in Marriott International spanning over more than 20 years, Nuell also served as Area Vice President, US Eastern Region, Select Brands for the managed portfolio, which represents a significant portion of the company’s sales and profit.

Throughout his career, Jason has worked across 21 hotel brands and spearheaded a wide variety of complex, brand and organization-wide initiatives and strategies, including the post-Starwood merger revitalization of Element Hotels and Aloft Hotels. Through this experience, Jason has developed a deep passion for developing a wide range of guest experiences.

A natural leader, Jason has played a key role in developing new operating standards, ensuring food and beverage excellence, and strengthening overall brand performance. Additionally, during his tenure at Marriott International, Jason also held the role of Vice President of Brand Operations, Design & Development, Distinctive Brands across the premium and select segment.

Born in Sydney, Australia Nuell started out in Marriott International’s Queensland properties in Food and Beverage roles and GM roles before moving around the globe taking up leadership positions in India, China, and Europe, with a decade long tenure at Marriott headquarters in Bethesda. After many years abroad, Nuell now resides back in his home country of Australia with his wife and children.

Nuell will lead Marriott International in ANZP in delivering the company’s ‘People First’ culture across their teams, the owner community, and stakeholders. “We want our people to be inspired by what’s possible and discover their own future, and there’s no better example of this than my own personal journey with Marriott” says Jason Nuell.  “My career with Marriott over 20 years has seen me grow my skills and venture into new disciplines. I’ve moved around the world, learning and carving out a career path that has now led me back home to Australia”, says Jason Nuell.

Barry Robinson is the President and Managing Director, International Operations for Wyndham Destinations, a division of Travel + Leisure Co. In his role, he oversees the largest timeshare development operation outside of North America. Based in Singapore, Barry leads the company’s operations across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, China, Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines.

Barry is a driving force behind the international growth of Club Wyndham South Pacific and Club Wyndham Asia. His leadership was instrumental in the acquisition of Resort Frontier Co. Ltd, which has 16 properties in Japan. Under his stewardship, the asset portfolio of Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific has exceeded AU$1 billion, with approximately 70 hotel and vacation club properties and some 3,000 employees. Additionally, Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific serves as a preferred hotel management partner for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in the Asia Pacific region.

He is President of the Asia Pacific Resort Development Organisation (APRDO), where he advocates for the timeshare industry in the region. He also serves as Vice President of the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC).

Barry was recognised as Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2022 GNEX Vacation Industry Awards and Asia Pacific Hotelier of the Year award at the 2022 HM Awards.

Shelley is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 30 Years of experience in the accommodation sector, both in Australia and overseas.  Shelley brings a wealth of operational experience, team leadership and a deep commitment to excellence in guest experience.

Her longstanding dedication to the industry is reflected in her 11-year tenure on the board of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, where she has been a strong advocate for the accommodation sector.  Recently elected as the Accommodation Division President.

Starting his hotel career in Canada at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Adrian has 30 years’ experience in hotel operations including 25 years with Accor.

Adrian has held various Senior Leadership positions within Accor. In 2018, he led the integration of Accor’s acquisition of the Mantra Group, bringing more than 140 hotels and 6,500 team members to the group.

As Chief Operating Officer - Pacific, he now head’s Accor’s operations across the Pacific region with almost 400 hotels and ancillary businesses with 21,000 team members in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hawaii.

Adrian holds a B.Bus in Catering and Hotel Management and a Masters of Marketing from VU. He is a Board Member of the Australian Accommodation Association, and a long standing board member of the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
 

Geoff is a career hotelier.  In mid-2017 he was a founding member of Crystalbrook Collection Hotels & Resorts, a multi award-winning hotel development and management company, with Australia's newest portfolio of distinctive upscale & sustainability focussed hotels.  Geoff was initially engaged as Group Director-Hotels before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in early 2019.

Originally from Melbourne, where he completed a Degree in Bachelor of Business majoring in Catering & Hotel Management, Geoff plays a key role driving the development of the Crystalbrook Collection.  There are now seven Crystalbrook hotels to date, close to 900 team members and a billion dollars of assets.  He is also responsible for future acquisitions, (a second Sydney hotel was announced in December 2022), the strategic growth plan and direction of the Group, as well as elevating Crystalbrook’s dedication to sustainability, under the ethos of Responsible Luxury.

Prior to Crystalbrook Collection, Geoff held key leadership positions in General Manager, Regional and corporate roles throughout Asia Pacific, originally with the Southern Pacific group and then Accor, Hilton International and Event Hospitality & Entertainment.  In 2012 he was recognised at the HM Awards for Excellence as General Manager of the Year Australia.

During his 38 year career he has held various hospitality related board positions and continues to be an advocate for the industry in its post COVID recovery.

A dynamic and strategic leader with experience as an Executive and Non-Executive Director. A skilled communicator with a background in media, communications, government relations, public policy and corporate affairs. A history of working in the transport, infrastructure, tourism, travel, aviation, automotive and education sectors.

James joined Accommodation Australia as their new CEO in September 2024 and looks forward to nurturing and building on the strong relationships already created with key stakeholders, both in government and accommodation industry leaders. 

Prior to his role with the AA, Mr Goodwin was the CEO of the Australian Airports Association (AAA) for more than four years and before that was Chief Executive of Australia’s leading vehicle safety advocate, the ANCAP Safety from 2015 to 2020.  James has held senior government relations, communications and stakeholder relations roles at industry associations and government agencies following a career as a journalist, including in the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery.

He has served on a number of Boards and is currently Chair of St John Ambulance ACT and a Board Director with the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Solutions.