The inaugural Chair of Invest Gold Coast, Will brings deep government, diplomatic, and domestic and international business experience to the Board. Will served as Premier of Tasmania from 2014-2020, when under his government Tasmania's economy went from the worst performing in the country to the best. He was also Attorney General, and Minister for Tourism, Trade, Hospitality and Events, Sport and Recreation, and the Arts. After leaving Parliament at a time of his own choosing he was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Australian Business Growth Fund, launching a $540 million fund backed by the Commonwealth Government and Australia’s major banks to provide equity funding for SMEs. In 2020 Will was appointed as Australia’s top diplomat to Singapore at the height of the global pandemic, leading a team that strengthened trade, the green and digital economies, defence and public health care. He is a lawyer and practiced for seven years in Australia and the United Kingdom in civil and commercial litigation, criminal law and prosecuting cases of child abuse. Will and his wife Nicky now reside on the Gold Coast. Will also sits on the board of Experience Gold Coast.

Experienced chair, non-executive director, and senior executive with over 20 years’ legal advisory and finance experience advising the private sector and government bodies.

As the CEO of Harvey Norman, Katie has driven business growth to its operations in eight countries. With deep links to the Gold Coast, Katie has built Magic Millions into a world-class thoroughbred sales company that has significantly boosted Gold Coast tourism. She is also a former Tourism Australia board member.

Karen brings significant financial experience across global markets in equities and risk management. She is a commentator for Sky Business, ABC Business, AFR and The Australian. She is Managing Director, Head of Equities Australia for RBC Capital Markets and Chair of RBC Securities Australia Board.

Chair of Coast Entertainment Holdings Limited and Cromwell Property Group, Executive Director of Ariadne Australia Limited, Deputy Chair and Lead Independent Director of Myer Holdings Ltd, non-executive director of Hearts and Minds Investments Ltd, Thorney Opportunities Ltd, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and The Centre for Independent Studies. Commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission.

Former founder and Chairman of Sunland Group. After its delisting in late 2023, Soheil established a private development company, Abedian & Co, as the family continues its pursuit of developing excellence in residential projects. Under the banner of Sunland, the Group produced over 45,000 products throughout Australia and United Arab Emirates. A high priority is Soheil’s philanthropic involvement with the community. The Abedian Foundation supports a range of educational scholarships and initiatives, including Griffith University, Bond University and The Abedian School of Architecture. Over 540 students have graduated and 100 scholarships are awarded each year. The Foundation is also involved with research and social action endeavours to make a lasting contribution to the wellbeing of our communities. In 2002 Soheil was awarded Centenary Medal of Australia for services to the property and business sector. In 2018 Soheil was awarded QCF Philanthropist of the Year for Higher Education. He has also been a recipient of the Certificate for Citizen of Humanity (awarded by National Committee of Human Rights). In 2019 he was awarded ‘Keys to the City’ by the Mayor of the City of Gold Coast. In 2021, Soheil was named a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honors list for “significant service to the community, and to the property development sector”. He is also a committee member of the London-based Global Peace and Prosperity forum, a non-profit organization committed to creating a better world.

Elected Mayor of the City of Gold Coast, Australia’s 6th largest city, in April 2012 and re-elected in 2016, 2020 and 2024. Mayor Tate is a civil engineer by trade, having graduated from the University of NSW in the early 1980s. He started his career in the construction industry and later moved into the tourism and hospitality industry. With a strong business background, Mayor Tate has spent his time in office ensuring everyone knows that the Gold Coast is ‘open for business’. This has seen certainty return to the city, which in turn has boosted confidence and created significant investment across the Gold Coast. Mayor Tate is leading a city that is embracing change and dreaming big. While building on the legacy of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Mayor Tate is looking towards the future and opportunities that will come from the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games. Continuing to focus on the key areas of transport and digital infrastructure; health, education, and knowledge; sports and events; culture and business investment, Mayor Tate is committed to ensuring a future for the Gold Coast that includes a stronger economy, more jobs and protecting the city’s enviable lifestyle. Mayor Tate is dedicated to reducing the cost of living pressures facing residents, reforming Council and cutting waste. He is most passionate about broadening the Gold Coast’s economic base beyond its cornerstones of tourism and construction. Mayor Tate and his wife Ruth have four children and two grandchildren. The multicultural Mayor was born in Asia and is fluent in three languages.

Tim commenced as the CEO of the City of Gold Coast in February 2022. He has communicated a clear mandate to transform the City Administration into a high performing, customer focused organisation which delivers value for money services to the community. Tim has a track record of successful organisational change, delivering a transformational change agenda as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas). Tim renewed the Department’s business model, improving organisational culture to maximise value to the Tasmanian community in this role. Tim’s contemporary approach to managing performance through the introduction of a new high-performance framework at NRE Tas has received positive acclaim in the Australian Journal of Public Administration. Tim has a demonstrated ability to achieve results, delivering numerous key government initiatives for NRE Tas. These include the opening of national parks and reserves for tourism, the creation of a strategic salmon industry plan and overseeing the implementation of Tasmania’s border entry conditions in response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. An excellent negotiator, one of Tim’s proudest achievements was his initiative to amend the Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage Act, which was passed in both houses of Parliament unopposed with the support of all Tasmanian First Nations groups and non-Indigenous stakeholders. In his role as Secretary of NRE Tas, Tim held several statutory positions including the Director-General of Lands and the Director of National Parks and Wildlife. Tim also chaired the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture Advisory Board and represented the State of Tasmania on several boards and committees, including Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd and the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. Tim was also the state representative on several national bodies including the Agricultural Senior Officials Working Group and the Agricultural Ministers’ and Environment Ministers’ Forums. Tim holds a Bachelor of Information Systems (University of Tasmania) and has completed an Executive Program in Leadership from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Tim is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.