Respected Aboriginal business leader Kia Dowell has been appointed as a new Commissioner on the board of Tourism Western Australia.
Ms Dowell is the head of Strategy and Innovation at Indigenous Business Australia, and is responsible for the delivery of a five-year national strategy for the organisation which is the lead Commonwealth agency for Aboriginal economic development.
Tourism Minister Paul Papalia welcomed Ms Dowell to the board acknowledging her career achievements, as well as her service to other boards including Aboriginal consulting firm Codeswitch, which she co-founded; Macquarie Groups’ First Australians Employee Engagement Group; and as Chairperson of the Gelganyem Trust board linked to Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine.
Ms Dowell will replace Elizabeth Gaines who resigned from the Tourism WA board after her appointment as Chief Executive of Fortescue Metals Group – the first woman to head a major Australian mining company.
Collectively, Tourism WA Commissioners have extensive experience and diverse skills across a range of fields including finance, law, governance, aviation, tourism and hospitality, events, product development, travel wholesaling, and regional and economic development.
Profiles of the board members are available at http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au
Photo: Perth City. Credit: City of Perth