Southern Travel Holdings Appoints Two New Directors to Its Board

Southern Travel Holdings, the parent company of The Walshe Group and Southern Travelnet, is pleased to announce the appointment of two highly experienced directors to its board: Ed Sims and Frances-Anne Keeler. They will join David Simmons, a non-executive director, and Jacqui Walshe, the current Executive Chair. 

In conjunction with these appointments, Southern Travel Holdings announces the departure of Mark Taylor as a non-executive director after nine years of service. Earlier this year, Michael Hall also stepped down from his role as executive director.

Both Mr. Sims and Ms. Keeler bring extensive experience in the tourism and aviation sectors and have enjoyed distinguished careers as senior executives before transitioning into governance roles.

Ed Sims has held prominent leadership positions, including Group President and CEO, WestJet Airline Group in Canada; CEO, Airways New Zealand and Group General Manager, Air New Zealand. He is currently a non-executive director at Christchurch International Airport, Ngati Whatua Orakei Whai Rawa, and serves as a board safety advisor for Virgin Australia.

Frances-Anne Keeler has a wealth of experience in the tourism sector, having served as Deputy CEO of Tourism Australia and Executive Director for VisitBritain in Europe. She currently holds several board roles, including chair of Australian Tourism Data Warehouse and Chocolateria San Churro, and non-executive director of Snap Print Solutions.

Jacqui Walshe, Executive Chair of Southern Travel Holdings, commented, “We are extremely honoured to welcome Ed and Frances-Anne to our board. Their wealth of industry experience and strong governance expertise will be invaluable as we work towards our strategic growth objectives and explore new initiatives. We look forward to their insights and contributions. On behalf of the board and executive team, I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Mark Taylor for the outstanding contribution he has made over the past nine years, especially during the challenges of the pandemic. We also acknowledge the valuable contribution Michael Hall made during his tenure as both a senior executive and board director.”

About The Walshe Group:

With offices in Australia and New Zealand, The Walshe Group has provided dedicated airline and destination services to some of the world’s most trusted travel brands for nearly 50 years. With unwavering commitment to excellence and decades of experience, they continue to set the standard for industry expertise and client satisfaction. For more information visit walshegroup.com