Jana Apih began her career at the Slovenian Tourist Board and later co-founded the GoodPlace Institute, helping develop and implement Slovenia’s Green Scheme for sustainable tourism. She has advised destinations internationally, co-authored Slovenia’s tourism strategy and in 2024 became Executive Director of the Green Destinations Foundation.

Timothy Teo leads Borneo Eco Tours and its sister lodges Sukau Rainforest Lodge and Utan Rainforest Lodge in Borneo. A former civil engineer with an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, he has spent over 15 years advancing sustainable wildlife tourism and pioneering award-winning rainforest lodge experiences in Malaysia.

Amy Gash, Executive General Manager of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, grew up on the Great Barrier Reef. With a tourism degree and hands-on experience across island operations, she champions sustainable tourism, industry leadership, and storytelling while inspiring future generations and promoting reef conservation across Australia.

Daniel Walsh is the co-founder of Reforest, a restoration-focused technology platform that helps destinations, travel businesses and visitors contribute to high-quality ecosystem restoration. A former management consultant turned social entrepreneur, Daniel founded Reforest after his own travels left him with a growing conviction that giving back to the places we visit shouldn’t feel like an obligation; it should feel meaningful. Today, Reforest works with leading destinations, travel companies and event organisers, funds over 50+ projects around the world and has planted over 8 million trees.

David Young is the Director of Sustainability at Accor, where he leads sustainability strategy across 400+ hotels in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. A globally experienced ESG and commercial sustainability executive, David has held senior roles at Qantas, Air New Zealand and the Oneworld Alliance, and serves on boards including YHA Australia and the IATA Sustainability Council. David brings deep expertise in embedding ESG at scale, building commercial partnerships and driving programs that deliver environmental, social and business impact across aviation and hospitality sectors.

Elissa has extensive executive experience across tourism, aviation, government and peak bodies, including roles with Queensland Airports Limited, Airservices Australia, Virgin Australia, the REIQ and Surf Life Saving. She is a Board Director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and a former Director of Reef Check Australia, supporting marine conservation through citizen science. Elissa has contributed widely to the industry as a judge for multiple tourism awards and is a strong advocate for women in leadership, with extensive governance experience and advanced qualifications in business and company directorship.

Fraser hails from Masig Island in the Kulkalgal Nations of people in the Central Torres Strait Islands. Fraser’s is an outlier whose mantra for life is Courageous, Visionary, Leadership. Fraser’s only purpose in life is to solve for humanity. Before co-founding “Strait Experience” the only DMC in the Torres Strait, Fraser previously served on the following sectors:  a local government councillor on Torres Strait Island Regional Council, a board member on Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, a Advisory council member to both Prime Minister’s Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison, board member on Community Enterprise Queensland and current board member of Queensland First Nation Tourism Council.

Jason Lyddieth is the Campaign Manager for the National 30by30 Campaign with The Pew Charitable Trusts. Previously he has worked for the Australian Conservation Foundation, Solar Citizens and Greenpeace Australia Pacific.

Kristy Malapa is General Manager of Untamed Escapes, an Australian tour operator delivering nature, wildlife and cultural experiences across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. With two decades in tourism, including Tourism Australia, she champions regenerative tourism that protects ecosystems, supports communities and strengthens Indigenous partnerships. Kristy is passionate about using tourism as a force for good and believes the future of travel lies in experiences that give back more than they take. 

Louise and her partner David are environmentalists and food lovers turned farmers, blending award-winning lamb production with habitat protection and eco-agritourism in the Riverina Highlands of New South Wales. Their farm prioritises biodiversity and ecosystem health, while their acclaimed Kestrel Nest EcoHut reinvests 20% of guest fees into conservation and environmental restoration.

Nadine provides strategic and operational leadership across Ecotourism Australia’s certification programs, standards, compliance, and organisational operations. She ensures the integrity and growth of certification frameworks, aligning them with international best practice, evolving global standards, and ESG principles. With expertise in sustainable and regenerative tourism, Nadine is committed to strengthening Australia’s position as a leading sustainable tourism destination. She also contributes to global industry advancement through her involvement in international sustainable tourism and certification panels and committees.

Paul was appointed CEO of YHA Australia in 2020, leading a comprehensive transformation during the pandemic. He modernised operations, rebranded the organisation, upgraded infrastructure, expanded food and beverage offerings and launched the Travel to Learn Foundation. With deep marketing expertise and a reputation for strategic leadership developed across several roles, Paul has operated at a senior leadership level for some of Australia’s leading travel companies, gaining a thorough understanding of the airline, hotel, travel and tourism sectors. 

Phil commenced at Paralympics Australia in 2024, having worked across the sport, major events and tourism sectors in local and state government over the past 20 years. As the peak body for Para sport and the National Paralympic Committee responsible for the Australian Paralympic Team, Phil is heavily engaged in planning for Brisbane 2032. He works with key stakeholders to embed Universal Design principles in all elements of Games planning and advocates for Para sport, inclusion and accessibility legacy outcomes.

Sonia is a mountain mover with a colourful background in non-profit, private, and corporate sectors in the States. After an adventure in Australia, she co-founded an ecotourism company, Live Ningaloo, in Exmouth, WA. Sonia interested in bringing people to the table who would normally not dine together and believes in strengthening communication between like minds and opposing views, then finding a way to work together to achieve something tangible.

Tai Lennon is a sustainability and tourism leader with over a decade of executive experience. Previously with the Morris Group, Tai has led Ecotourism and Climate Action Certifications across multiple premium tourism properties and developed the group’s first sustainability strategy and Modern Slavery Statement. Tai now works with tourism and hospitality operators to transform sustainability data into operational and commercial advantage.