Karen Jones today commenced as Acting CEO of Destination NSW, taking the reins for an interim period of approximately six months. During this time, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport will recruit for a permanent CEO.

Ms Jones brings over 27 years of leadership experience in state and local government. Most recently, she served as CEO of the Office of Sport, where she led initiatives such as the ‘10 World Cups in 10 Years’ campaign, the Office of Sport’s Strategic Plan, and the Play Her Way Strategy. She has also worked closely with Destination NSW on several high-profile event projects, demonstrating her ability to drive collaboration and results.

Destination NSW Chairman Sally Loane said: “Karen is a proven leader with exceptional skills in forging partnerships and achieving results. Her extensive experience across government and her strategic acumen position her well to lead Destination NSW during this transitional phase.

“Under Karen’s leadership, Destination NSW will continue to attract record-numbers of visitors and deliver iconic events like Australia Day and Vivid Sydney. This is an exciting new chapter for the organisation, with a sharper focus on experience-led tourism and a new Visitor Economy Strategy in development.”

Karen Jones said: “I am honoured to lead the dedicated team at Destination NSW as we champion the state’s world-class visitor experiences. Together, we will continue delivering the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy to ensure NSW remains Australia’s top destination and events capital.

“Destination NSW has a remarkable legacy of showcasing our state to the world. I look forward to working with our industry partners to achieve the NSW Government’s goal of $91 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2035.”

Stephen Mahoney, who has been Acting CEO since Steve Cox’s departure in late November, will return to his substantive role as General Manager, Policy, Product, and Engagement as of this date.

Ms Loane said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Stephen Mahoney for his leadership over the past two months. His expertise and commitment have been instrumental during this period.”