Pole favoured for tourism’s top job
BEN Pole is in pole position to beat two strong female candidates to Gold Coast Tourism’s top job.
The tourism body launched an international search for a successor to longtime CEO Martin Winter after he notified the board he planned to resign following the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
GCT was flooded with almost 200 applications for the coveted role from industry professionals around the world, including a strong field of leading local tourism figures.
The applicants were whittled down to 30 before an impressive shortlist of 10 candidates was compiled for a final round of interviews.
The shortlist included three well-known locals widely considered the frontrunners to succeed Mr Winter — Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre boss Adrienne Readings and Ardent Leisure chief executive of theme parks Craig Davidson, both of who currently serve on the GCT board, and former GCT staffer Ben Pole.
GCT director of corporate affairs and strategy Dean Gould is also believed to have made the top 10.
The Bulletin understands two more strong local candidates are now in the mix after impressive interviews — Optus executive Sam Kennedy and GCT senior marketer Jan Hutton.
An advocate of sustainable tourism practices, Ms Hutton was chief marketing officer of South African Tourism before she moved to the Coast and joined GCT in 2016.
Ms Kennedy, the director for strategy and innovation at Optus, oversaw the rollout of the company’s new highspeed infrastructure and managed services network to support more than 11,000 users across the Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville and Brisbane in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games.
A baton bearer on the Warwick leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay, Ms Kennedy travelled to Singapore with State Government and Gold Coast City Council representatives on a trade investment mission as part of the relay event.
Despite the women’s strong pitches, Mr Pole — a former GCT director of strategy, marketing and communications — remains frontrunner to fill Mr Winter’s shoes.
Mr Pole has served as CEO of economic development and marketing at Ipswich City Council since he left GCT in December 2014.
GCT promotes the city as a leisure and business event destination and manages two accredited local Visitor Information Centres.
The organisation represents more than 500 accommodation venues, theme parks and attractions, tour operators, restaurants and cafes, entertainment venues, transport providers and professional support services.
Partly funded by a tourism levy on almost 27,000 commercial businesses, GCT promotes the Coast nationally and internationally as a leisure and business events destination.
GCT chairman Paul Donovan is expected to announce the new CEO in June.