One of Australia’s leading tourism chiefs has been elected President of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australia’s leading business representative organisation.
Mr Jeremy Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Hill in Victoria since 2002, was elected President at the Australian Chamber Annual General Meeting in Canberra today.
Sovereign Hill, a living outdoor museum of Ballarat’s gold rush days, has been crowned Australia’s Major Tourist Attraction four times, including in 2016 and 2015.
Mr Johnson received the 2012 Victorian Tourism Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual.
Tourism is one of Australia’s most important industries. In 2014/15, it contributed $47.5 billion to the national economy.
Mr Johnson also has extensive experience as a local government chief executive officer and business representative. He was President of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2008 to 2010 and first appointed to the Australian Chamber Board in 2007.
On accepting the Presidency, Mr Johnson said: “Our mission is a simple one. We must work tirelessly to make Australia the best place in the world to do business so Australians have the jobs, living standards and opportunities to which they aspire.”
Mr Johnson and the Australian Chamber General Council acknowledged the outstanding work and achievements of outgoing President Mr Terry Wetherall.
“We thank Terry for his outstanding leadership of the Chamber movement in Australia and internationally over the past two years,” Mr Johnson said.
The Australian Chamber is the nation’s largest business representative organisation, its membership comprising the eight State and Territory Chambers of Commerce and more than 70 national industry associations, a combined Chamber movement of more than 300,000 businesses employing four million Australians.