The ANW Board

Australia's North West Tourism Board

Australia’s North West (ANW) is overseen by an Executive Board of Directors and managed by its CEO and staff.

The CEO of ANW reports to the Board of ANW who have been chosen for their expertise, skills and representation within the North West tourism industry. Together with the CEO they are responsible for the overall strategic direction of the organisation.

The ANW Board consists of up to 9 members comprising of 5 elected Board Members and up to 4 co-opted, skills-based positions, as identified by the Board. The Board is overseen by an independent Chair.

KYM FRANCESCONI

BOARD CHAIR

Kym is the Group Stakeholder and Industry Engagement Manager for Aviair Pty Ltd. She previously worked for Tourism Western Australia as Senior Manager WA Partnerships and Industry, which involved the relationships and contracts with the five Regional Tourism Organisations (RTO), the Perth Convention Bureau, WA Visitor Centre, Tourism Council WA, Tourism Australia Signature Experiences Program and other related projects.

Kym's background reflects all things tourism and marketing from being a qualified Dive Master, Business Owner and Communications Manager to a Tourism Consultant specialised in marketing strategy development.

DREW NORRISH

DEPUTY CHAIR

As CEO of Mackerel Islands Pty Ltd, Drew oversees three very unique properties in the Pilbara region including the Onslow Beach Resort and offshore Mackerel Islands (Thevenard and Direction Islands). He also oversees the management of the iconic Karijini Eco Retreat in nearby Karijini National Park on behalf of the traditional owners.

Working his way from Island Manager to CEO, he has 14 years experience both operationally and at an executive level in the ANW region. He also has experience in the management of a well established marine tourism business in Europe. Drew holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management, is a board member of the Pilbara Tourism Association and is an active participant in the tourism and hospitality industry in Perth and the North West.

Term expires: 2023

IAN GAY

Ian’s career has been in aviation, recently retiring from Qantas after 45 years. Ian moved to WA in 2000 as the Regional General Manager for the state, overseeing a period of significant growth in route capacity to both the Pilbara and the Kimberley in support of the tourism, resources and community sectors. Prior to 2000, Ian worked in Sydney, New Zealand and South-East Asia in a range of senior commercial roles including sales, marketing, route planning and alliances. Ian is also the Vice Chair of the Perth Convention Bureau.

SIMONE KAPITEYN

Simone owns and operates Adventure Wild Kimberley Tours, which offers 12- day extended tours throughout the Kimberley region. Simone has lived in and worked from Broome since 2001, travelling the region extensively, building and maintaining strong relationships.

Working cohesively with accommodation, tour operators, retail and small business, Simone promotes tourism throughout the region. With 23 years policing experience, including 10 years at Broome Police Station, Simone offers an independent, objective understanding of the complexities and diversities of Australia’s North West.

Term expires: 2024

NARELLE BROOK

Narelle has been in Kununurra since 1995, dedicating 22 years to senior tourism roles, covering aviation, touring, visitor servicing and accommodation. She's operated a small business since 2013, assisting clients with sales and marketing. For a decade, Narelle hosted travel famils for Tourism WA and has been involved in the Ord Valley Muster since its 2001 inception. In 2020, she became a Life Member of Ord Valley Events. Narelle is a co-founder of the East Kimberley Marketing Group and was elected as a Councillor for Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in 2017. Narelle is currently General Manager of The Cambridge which is undergoing a $15M renovation.

Term expires: 2024

JESSIE HORNBLOW

Jessie is the Executive Manager for Pearls of Australia. Her experience in tourism spans over 13 years in managerial positions across the Pilbara and West Kimberley. She spent six years at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula working across pearling, marine & indigenous tourism, eco-accommodation, retail and hospitality. She is now based in Broome with a focus on marketing, trade and strategic business development across Pearls of Australia’s operations in both Cygnet Bay, WA and Broken Bay, NSW.

Jessie holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance & Marketing, is a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course.

Term expires: 2024

DARREN BANFIELD

Darren Banfield has been a pillar of the tourism industry for the past 30 years, representing Broome as a destination, while creating employment and pathways for Broome locals. Darren actively delivers the North West message to the world, serving on boards including Broome Visitor Centre, Cruise Broome and Australia’s North West Tourism as well as through personal ambassadorship, including participating at five international SKAL congresses.

Darren’s association with Willie Creek Pearls has spanned more than 30 years in roles from cleaning toilets to managing staff and more. Darren’s collaborative and approachable nature, combined with business acumen and a passion for tourism in the North West sets him apart as a highly regarded role model in the Broome community. This culminated in Darren being awarded Business Person of the Year at the 2020 Broome Business Excellence Awards.

Darren has always supported the Tourism industry, including serving on the Broome Visitor Centre Board for 11 years (including 3 as Chairman) and a committee member of SKAL International Broome for 8 years and a member for 22 years (including 2 as President).

Term expires: 2023

CRAIG SHAW

As the CEO of Broome International Airport, I believe that my involvement in the Board can assist in the leadership of tourism development in the Kimberly and Pilbara Regions. I am very familiar with the contribution that tourism bodies make to the development of their respective destinations, particularly in regional areas. I gained this understanding through working in airports in tourism dependant settings including Longreach, Townsville and the Gold Coast.

As the leader of an airport, we understand very well the importance of the destination we serve, including its attractiveness to visitors. As such I am highly motivated to support tourism development endeavours for our region. Through my previous roles I have been involved with supporting many key events and ongoing sponsorships, ranging from the Queensland Tourism Awards, through to operators like the Outback Age of Dinosaurs.

I believe that this exposure is highly relevant in the context of this role and could bring some new perspective to the Board from another tourism focussed State of Australia. Beyond this, my Wife and I are new to the community, and I would appreciate the opportunity to make a contribution through one of the key bodies influencing the future of the town and region in which we live.

BART PIGRAM

I am the owner/operator of Narlijia Experiences in Broome and have been operating for 6 years whilst advocating on many levels for Indigenous Tourism in the Northwest and the rest of the state My passion and endeavour to engage and support Indigenous people in the tourism industry is evident throughout the past several years as the West Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council – Australia’s North West representative and attending/presenting at many tourism forums.

Within the last 6 years I have personally and collaboratively developed several cultural Broome experiences with well-established operators including Broome Whale Watching, Kimberley Air Services, Broome Transit and the onshore cruise market and Cygnet Bay Pearls. These collaborations have given me the confidence to act as a conduit between our Northwest Indigenous communities and our very prosperous tourism industry which I feel will increase in the coming years.

With my background in cultural development, curatorship and as a former Yawuru PBC Director, I am very well informed of the challenges and opportunities that Northwest tourism has faced and will encounter in the coming years. I am very proud to be also accepted on to the Intrepid Travel – Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee offering my insights to help their operations adopt culturally sensitive and meaningful industry relationships with Indigenous Australians around the country. I hope that I can add value and vibrancy to the board backed by my passion for tourism in the Northwest

CJ Maddock

Our Team

Based at the Australia’s North West office in Broome, ANW’s staff is a dedicated team of marketing professionals working with vision and purpose for our…