15 young Cairns professionals chosen for lucrative leadership program
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Leaders Program has chosen 15 young professionals to embark on 10 months of professional and personal development. Meet the young professionals here.
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Young business men and women with “passion, drive and community spirit” have been selected as part of a program developing the Far North’s leaders of the future.
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Program launched on Thursday morning, with 15 young leaders chosen to undertake the development program.
The ELP supports professionals from ages 18 to 40 to improve their leadership skills, networks, and understanding of key industries in Cairns to ultimately “develop globally relevant and locally connected leaders”.
The 15 delegates chosen for the 2025 program come from a range of local industries, including tourism, accounting, local government, hospitality and sport.
Over the next 10 months, delegates will participate in six industry-immersion days based on priority industries identified in the Council’s Economic Development Strategy, and will be mentored by a senior industry leader throughout the program.
The Chamber of Commerce said the program “is a succession plan for our region, ensuring the right skills, knowledge and expertise are retained and developed within our footprint”.
Program manager Alannah Giuffrida told the delegates they were chosen because had a shared “passion, drive and community spirit”.
“You wanted to create impact in our region,” Ms Giuffrida said.
The launch ceremony included addresses by Mayor Amy Eden, Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Patricia O’Neill, previous participants and other professionals.
“Young people are our future and that is really exciting,” Mayor Amy Eden said.
“The real strength of our region lies within our young people.”
The 2025 delegates are:
Adrian Nowak
Senior project manager and superintendent, APEC Projects
Adrian Nowak is a North Queensland local, having grown up on a sugar cane farm in the Ingham region and for the past 12 years has lived and worked in Cairns and the surrounding regions. As a senior project manager and superintendent at APEC Projects, a locally owned and operated firm, Adrian plays a key role and is passionate about delivering quality critical infrastructure across the region for the benefit of its residents.
Amy Patterson
Executive manager licensing and compliance, Cairns Regional Council
Having been born and raised in Cairns, Amy Patterson is deeply invested in creating safer, stronger, and more connected communities in our region. As the executive manager of licensing and compliance at Cairns Regional Council, she leads a team dedicated to protecting public health, safeguarding our vibrant natural environment, and ensuring fair and effective regulation for thousands of businesses and residents.
Barbara Vichova
Digital and media manager, The CaPTA Group
Barbara Vichova is the digital and media manager for the CaPTA Group, a leader in nature-based tourism and sustainability in the region. She holds a BSc in international political economy, which provided her with a strong analytical foundation and an understanding of global markets. While still at university, she began her career in education marketing with a private education group in London, managing international campaigns, student recruitment, and digital strategies.
Brad Channon
Football operations manager, AFL Cairns
Brad Channon is a passionate and relationship-driven professional who excels in dynamic and fast-paced environments. Born in South Australia, Brad dedicated a decade of his career to the education sector as a health and physical education teacher, also covering various other curriculum areas. During this time, he embraced numerous leadership roles, including school operations and wellbeing portfolios.
Bronte Phillips
Fundraising and communications officer, Access Community Housing
Bronte Phillips is a dynamic marketing and communications professional with a passion for community-driven initiatives. With over nine years of experience spanning marketing, communications, and fundraising, she specialises in strategic development, stakeholder engagement, and campaign management, bringing energy and purpose to everything she does.
Bryce Coe
Senior associate, private business tax and advisory, Grant Thornton Cairns
Bryce Coe is a chartered accountant and senior associate in the private business tax & advisory team at Grant Thornton Cairns. Born and bred in Cairns, Bryce is deeply committed to his local community and passionate about helping private businesses grow by providing valuable insights and strategic advice.
Caitlin Francis
Media and communications manager, North Queensland Airports
Caitlin Francis is media and communications manager for the North Queensland Airports Group, owner and operator of both Cairns Airport and Mackay Airport. Her role encompasses a broad range of skill sets, including media liaison, community and stakeholder engagement, corporate affairs, crisis communications, strategy development, submission writing and support for various internal initiatives.
Callum O’Brien
Assistant manager at Piccolo Cucina and owner of The Fun Aunty
Callum O’Brien is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 15 years in the field. Originally from London, he has proudly called Cairns home for the last 10 years. During that time, he has worked for some of Cairns finest dining establishments, including Caffiend, NOA, Palooka, and is currently part of the management team at Piccolo Cucina.
Dan Formby
Production manager and head of digital marketing, ADhesive Communication
Dan Formby is the production manager and head of digital marketing at ADhesive Communication. Dan is an expert in web development and devising and implementing complex digital marketing strategies for SMEs. With a Masters degree in creative writing, Dan excels at copywriting and enjoys experimenting with the form and function of the written word within marketing materials, and is also a published author of genre-fiction.
Daniel Ross
Senior manager, Grant Thornton Cairns
Daniel Ross is a chartered accountant and a senior manager in the audit and assurance team at Grant Thornton. Daniel specialises in providing a variety of assurance services to support clients navigate their complex financial reporting requirements. Daniel has assisted businesses in a wide variety of industries including local government, the public sector, airport operations, construction and not-for-profit organisations.
Dylan Thomas
Planning lead, Cairns Regional Council
Dylan Thomas is a planning lead within the development and planning branch of Cairns Regional Council. He has worked across both the private development industry and a variety of local governments across Far North Queensland over the past eight years. He has been instrumental in assessing and approving various development projects, ensuring they align with regulatory standards and community needs.
Gavin Singleton
Owner / director, Ngirri
Gavin Singleton is a passionate environmental, community and cultural practitioner with cultural connections to Yirrganydji/Djabugay Nation (Cairns-Port Douglas region) and Umpila (East Cape York region). Gavin has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) and Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and has worked in various roles in conservation and tourism. This includes thirteen years’ experience as land and sea manager of the Yirrganydji Land and Sea Ranger Program and leading conservation and restoration efforts in the Wet Tropics Rainforest and on the Great Barrier Reef.
Josh Geraghty
Business improvement and engagement officer, Cairns Regional Council
Josh Geraghty is the business improvement and engagement officer at Cairns Regional Council and a national director for Parks and Leisure Australia, the organisation which represents the “People behind the Places”. A proud Cairns local, Josh has spent his career developing community spaces for public enjoyment. Since joining Cairns Regional Council three years ago, he has taken on various roles within the lifestyle and community directorate, most recently serving as acting executive manager of Creative Life.
Renee Blackmore
Practice manager, Cairns Orthopaedic Clinic
Renee Blackmore is an accomplished practice manager at Cairns Orthopaedic Clinic, where she applies her extensive business and management skills to enhance clinic operations and performance. Holding a Bachelor of Business with a focus on management and finance from James Cook University, Renee has recently completed a Postgraduate degree in Business Honours, further expanding her expertise in business leadership and strategy.
Rowan Giddens
Senior project engineer, John Holland
Rowan Giddens is an experienced civil engineer with a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) from the University of Queensland.
Specialising in large-scale infrastructure projects, Rowan is currently a senior project engineer at John Holland, where he leads critical aspects of the Cairns Water Security Stage 1 (CWSS1) Project at the new Draper Water Treatment Plant.
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