CAIRNS, September 1, 2022 – Advance Cairns, the leading independent, non-government advocacy and economic development organisation for Tropical North Queensland, today announced the appointment of Jacinta Reddan to lead the organisation.

Ms Reddan will take on the CEO role at Advance Cairns next month following a long and successful career in communications, marketing, government relations and public affairs, much of it in the Asia Pacific region.

Ms Reddan is currently based in Hong Kong where she has spent more than 20 years in senior roles, including:

  • CEO of the 1400-member Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham), Australia’s largest international chamber of commerce.
  • Head of Asia Pacific communications & marketing at two global financial services corporations.
  • Asia PR and marketing manager for Tourism Australia during the opening of the China leisure market and the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics.
  • Deputy managing director Hong Kong at global public relations firm Golin.
  • Advisory board member, Australia-based cybersecurity company Sapien Cyber.
  • And most, recently, providing senior level branding and communications advice to a range of clients across APAC including a global bank, a US-based biotech firm and a global recruitment firm.

Prior to moving to Hong Kong, Ms Reddan worked within government in her home state of Victoria as manager of corporate communications, government relations and media for Visit Victoria. She has strong ties to regional Australia, having grown up in Warrnambool in Victoria’s south-west, where she began her career as a journalist at the Warrnambool Standard.

Advance Cairns executive chairman Nick Trompf said: “It is a coup for Advance Cairns to secure Jacinta to lead our Forging a Brighter Future agenda for tropical north Queensland.

“She has a deep understanding of a host of industries – including tourism – in Cairns’ most significant export region, the Asia Pacific. She is well respected in the Hong Kong business community through her various senior roles, particularly in successfully leading the transformation of AustCham.

“The complexity of leading AustCham during the recent disruptions, which included months of unrest and protests, the introduction of the National Security Law, and the ongoing impact of COVID-19, cannot be underestimated.”

Ms Reddan said: “I am delighted to bring my international perspective to Cairns, which demographer Bernard Salt aptly describes as ‘Australia’s most global regional city.’  I hope to have a significant role in influencing and advancing tropical north Queensland’s future by capitalising on my business and advocacy experience to work with corporate leaders, government, and other stakeholders.

“I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a career across a range of sectors including tourism, financial services, government and public affairs, which will all be relevant to my new role. This is a particularly exciting time for Advance Cairns, as we seize new opportunities while countries begin to reconnect with each other as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Ms Reddan starts at Advance Cairns from Tuesday October 4, 2022.