- Three new Commissioners appointed to Tourism Western Australia Board - Maryna Fewster, Hannah Fitzhardinge, and John Lee
- Jason Waters named as new Board Deputy Chair
- New Commissioners to drive WA Government's economic diversification strategy and bring extensive experience in tourism, transport, media, government, and sport
The State Government has today appointed three new Commissioners to the Tourism Western Australia Board and named a new Deputy Chair.
Seven West Media chief executive officer Maryna Fewster, former City of Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge, and global tourism heavyweight John Lee will join the Tourism WA Board effective today, with Perth Airport CEO Jason Waters also named as the State Tourism Organisation's new Deputy Chair.
Mr Waters appointment supports succession planning for outgoing Deputy Chair Manny Papadoulis, whose term as Commissioner expires on 30 June 2027 after a maximum 10-year tenure. Mr Papadoulis will continue to serve as a Board Commissioner until that time.
Current Chair Di Bain will continue as Board Chair until 2028, while former Australian cricketer and WA Cricket CEO Christina Matthews has also been reappointed for an additional three-year term.
The three new Commissioners have each been appointed for three-year terms and bring the Board to 10 Commissioners total, with roles including:
- Maryna Fewster leads Seven West Media's WA operations as chief executive officer, following various senior roles at the media organisation and after more than two decades in executive positions in the telecommunications industry;
- former City of Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge is an experienced company director who has held board director roles with ARTRAGE and the Rottnest Island Authority; and
- John Lee is director of John Lee Consulting, providing strategic advice to ASX companies, government departments, and major sporting bodies. Mr Lee is Chair of SportsGrid, is on the Australian Olympic Committee, and is a former CEO of the Tourism and Transport Forum, and of NRL teams including the Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs, as well as a former director of the North Queensland Cowboys. He has had a distinguished career as a public servant having served as Director General of Queensland's Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport, and of the Department of Premier and Cabinet in New South Wales.
The changes to the Tourism WA Board composition will ensure the Board's collective capability aligns with the State's ambitious growth agenda in aviation connectivity, premium events, brand reputation, and international markets, as the State Government continues to implement the State's 10-year tourism strategy, to grow the sector to $25 billion in visitor by 2033 and diversify the WA economy.
Learn more about the Board at tourism.wa.gov.au
As stated by Tourism Minister Reece Whitby:
"The WA Government welcomes the addition of Maryna Fewster, Hannah Fitzhardinge, and John Lee as Tourism Western Australia Board Commissioners, adding to the Board's existing wealth of knowledge and building on our government's economic diversification strategy and creating jobs across the State through tourism.
"We are pleased to reappoint Commissioner Christina Matthews, and to welcome Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters as the new Tourism WA Board Deputy Chair, to support succession planning as current Deputy Chair Manny Papadoulis approaches the end of this 10-year tenure of leading the WA tourism sector.
"Mr Papadoulis has been a stalwart of the sector for more than a decade and on behalf of the WA Government, I thank Manny for his tireless dedication, advocacy, and strategic contribution to the State's tourism industry.
"It is an incredibly exciting time for the sector as Tourism WA continues to deliver record results, with a historic one million international visitors travelling to Western Australia in the 12 months to October 2025.
"We look forward to these three new leaders from across the media, local government, and global sport sectors adding further insights to the existing expertise on the agency's Board of Commissioners, to push this growth even further."
