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Destination NSW announces new marketing lead

Destination NSW has appointed PwC’s Kathryn Illy as general manager consumer marketing, effective 10 May.

Illy was most recently director of brand and marketing, responsible for leading PwC Australia’s national brand and marketing strategy.

She takes over from Shane McClelland who has been acting general manager since October 2020, when the peak tourism body for the state lost its general manager of marketing Jan Hutton to the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW).

Kathryn Illy

Prior to PwC, Illy led the development and delivery of brand and marketing programs for a number of financial services organisations including Macquarie Group, Kessler Financial Services Australia and CommSec.

Illy said: “I feel especially privileged to be joining the Destination NSW team at this critical time in the recovery of the state’s visitor economy and look forward to working with industry, government and marketing agency partners to accelerate the growth momentum.”

Destination NSW CEO, Steve Cox, commented: “We are delighted to have a marketing professional with Kathryn’s track record of excellence in brand strategy and customer experience delivery joining the Destination NSW team.

“As the custodian of new brands for Sydney and NSW, Kathryn will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the state’s visitor economy.

“In particular, her experience in consumer-centred campaign design and management and digital transformation programs will contribute greatly to NSW’s goal of becoming the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific.”

Cox was announced as CEO in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic closed down travel across the country and internationally. Cox was previously the managing director at Dymocks Retail.

Destination NSW announced a pitch for creative services in February. The pitch follows the launch of the Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 by the Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, at the start of the year. 

The strategy outlines NSW’s roadmap for the recovery of the visitor economy, and sets targets for NSW being the premier visitor economy for Asia Pacific and visitor expenditure of $65 billion by 2030.

Destination NSW has also recently had a new chair appointed. Christine McLoughlin as the new Chair of Destination NSW replacing John Warn.

McLoughlin’s other directorship experience includes current Chair at Suncorp Group, Director of Venues NSW, Director of Cochlear Limited, Chancellor of the University of Wollongong, Director of the McGrath Foundation and Chairman and Co Founder of the Minerva Network.

Warn stepped down from the board after two-and-a-half years as chair to take up a senior executive role at Accor.

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