Jacqui grew up in a tourism industry family, joining The Walshe Group in 1987 after graduating from university with a commerce degree and subsequent MBA. As second generation in the family business, Jacqui has had to deal with the highs and lows, global shocks and challenges which regularly beset the industry. Having successfully navigated and emerged strongly from the pandemic, Jacqui remains committed to the challenge. Her particular strengths lie in maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset and bringing ongoing energy and rigour to the business.
Jacqui has always enjoyed being involved in industry affairs and to keep educating herself, Her non-executive director credentials have enabled her to contribute at senior level within both the Australian and New Zealand tourism industry.
Travel and tourism has gone through the hardest of times in our lifetime, and our trade distribution partners and airline and destination clients have all battled for their corporate survival. Having successfully navigated and emerged strongly from the pandemic, Jacqui remains committed to the challenge. She has always enjoyed being involved in industry affairs, to keep educating herself and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. Recent times have been an opportunity to really test those skills, to overcome adversity, but to also use the reset as a means of reviewing what the companies and consumers of aviation and travel need to succeed in the years ahead.
Jacqui holds a Bachelors degree in Business, an MBA and is a qualified Company Director GAICD. In 2017 she became Chairman of The Walshe Group and its parent company Southern Travel Holdings. Following six years as Deputy Chairman of Australian Tourism Export Council, Jacqui was appointed to the Tourism Restart Taskforce set up by the Australian tourism sector in 2020 during the period of international border closures and was the tourism representative on the Ministerial Advisory Council to the Australian Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment 2020-2022.
Jacqui was appointed a Tourism New Zealand board director in August 2022.
