Our journalists and editors have spent weeks debating who qualifies among the Gold Coast’s most powerful 100 people — and now it’s your turn to read, argue, ponder and share the next instalment.

Yesterday we revealed numbers 60 to 41 on our list.

Today we count down from 40 to 21.

40. PAUL DONOVAN

TOURISM

THE Queensland Airports Ltd executive is a 40-year veteran of the tourism and aviation industries, using his experience in senior roles at Ansett, Air New Zealand and Qantas to help establish increased internationals flights to and from the Gold Coast. Mr Donovan was on the board of Tourism and Events Queensland until he was replaced in August, but remains chairman of Gold Coast Tourism.

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39. RANDALL DEER

TOURISM

THE founder and managing director of Ignite Travel Group is fast becoming one of the city’s most successful businessmen. Mr Deer has been named Gold Coast Young Entrepreneur of the Year and continues to be recognised for his progressive business models in travel and marketing. Ignite Travel’s businesses, which include RewardsCorp, My Holiday Centre and Holiday Exclusives employs more than 170 staff on the Gold Coast.

38. JUSTIN FUNG

DEVELOPMENT

THE Australian boss of Aquis Group, which has studs in Queensland and NSW, plus naming rights at the Gold Coast Turf Club. The Aquis Farm racehorse stud has enjoyed growing success at the Magic Millions and the company has a six-star hotel, Pacific Point, under development at Surfers Paradise. The group also part owns a whole block in the same suburb at Cypress Ave, which they listed for, and then withdrew from, sale earlier this year.

37. SIMON GLOFTIS

HOSPITALITY

THIS popular restaurateur is a well-connected and savvy businessman with an instinct for customer service which has driven his success. This year he opened a Brisbane sister for his Nobby Beach restaurant icon Hellenika, as well as opening Nineteen at The Star with Billy and Jackie Cross. Nineteen’s restaurant is already renowned for its exquisite food and wine, with a growing list of VIP customers flocking to its tables.

36. GREG AND ANDREW BELL

PROPERTY

The Bell brothers, with Andrew at the helm for residential and Greg heading commercial and industrial, have spent almost three decades building the Coast’s most successful real estate empire. The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group was last year named the Gold Coast Business of the Year and is one of the city’s biggest private employers.

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35. GARTH BRENNAN

SPORT

THE second-year Gold Coast Titans coach is under pressure to lift the side after another year of disappointment on the field. While the team’s off-field prospects have stabilised since it secured new private ownership, the coach needs to ensure his approach is effective going into the new season. Losing twice as many as you win is not a sustainable situation. The Titans bosses believe he is up to the task, this month signing him up for another two years, with an optional third.

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34. STUART DEW

SPORT

THE Suns coach is under increasing pressure to perform in 2019 after the team finished 17th with just four wins this year — albeit with major disruptions courtesy of the Commonwealth Games and the now-axed China expedition. Dew, who was the development and assistant coach with the Sydney Swans for the past eight seasons, was appointed late last year.

33. KAREN ANDREWS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

THE Member for McPherson was named Minister for Industry, Science and Technology in the Federal leadership debacle, and is one of few politicians whose formal qualifications are actually relevant to their portfolios. One of her first tasks in the role was to release a charter for the newly established Australian Space Agency.

32. WILLIAM O’DWYER

DEVELOPMENT

THE Ralan Group owner is the developer of the four-tower Ruby Collection, which launched earlier this month, and the proposed twin ­supertower Sapphire. Mr O’Dwyer is among Surfers Paradise’s biggest landowners, with six towers and nearly 3000 apartments planned at Budds Beach, and owns the Paradise Resort and the city-block-sized Ruby site immediately to the south.

31. GARY CARROLL

BUSINESS

THE CEO and Managing Director of Gold Coast-based G8, the country’s largest ASX-listed childcare operator and one of the city’s key private employers, has had a difficult year. The company’s underlying net profit fell 23.9 per cent to $25.6 million in the first half of this year, while its underlying pre-tax earnings dropped 21.2 per cent to $48.1 million. G8’s market capitalisation has plunged by hundreds of millions of dollars in the past 12 months.

30. MARK EVANS

SPORT

THE Gold Coast Suns CEO is central to rebuilding the team from the ground up after successive dismal performances on the field. In his second year at the Suns, Mr Evans has empowered to right people in the organisation to make the bold decisions the side badly needed, hopefully setting it up for improvement in 2019. The early signs are promising, with many of 2018’s setbacks disappearing with the new year.

29. STEVEN CIOBO

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

THE Defence Industry Minister had a year to forget in what was a generally forgettable year for the Federal Government overall. Despite performing strongly as Trade Minister, signing off on a long-awaited trans-Pacific Partnership in March, Mr Ciobo was demoted from the role after backing failed Liberal leadership challenger Peter Dutton. At home, the Moncrieff MP engaged in a public slanging match with Mayor Tom Tate which did neither man any favours.

28. TRACEY VIEIRA

ENTERTAINMENT

THE CEO of Screen Queensland may live in Brisbane, but her power is growing exponentially as the Gold Coast grows its credibility as Australia’s top filming destination for movies and television. Ms Vieria is well respected within the industry and in wider business and political circles and is on the board of the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts.

27. JOHN WITHERIFF

TRANSPORT

THE chairman of the Coast’s light rail builder and operator GoldLinq stepped down as Toowoomba Range Crossing builder Nexus Infrastructure in the past year, but will have plenty to keep him busy. Planning for the third stage of the light rail is well under way and is not without its challenges, while Mr Witheriff is also chairman of Plenary Schools, which is building 10 state schools across Queensland, including one at Pimpama on the northern Gold Coast.

26. BILLY & JACKIE CROSS

ENTERTAINMENT

YEARS of planning and working and worrying all paid off in 2018 for these Gold Coast entertainment royals. Somehow balancing a packed calendar that included the Supercars Club 600, Schoolies, and a swag of other festivals, the pair co-launched Nineteen at The Star, with acclaimed restaurateur Simon Gloftis. The nightclub atop The Star at Broadbeach has become the place to be for celebrities and celebrity spotters, bringing the Coast’s night-life to a stylish new level.

25. DENNIS WATT

SPORT

THE executive chairman of the Gold Coast Titans stepped in at the end of last year and has also been its acting CEO since the poaching of Graham Annesley by the NRL’s head office last month. The former Brisbane Broncos chair has 30 years of rugby league experience, of which the Titans need every scrap.

24. PROF ALAN MACKAY-SIM

SCIENCE

THE 2003 and 2017 Australian of the Year is a national authority on the regeneration of the nervous system. The Griffith University Emeritus Professor is assisting pioneering research to cure paralysis, with clinical trials set to start in 2020. His research team are using stem cells from the nose to develop cellular models of diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and motor neurone disease and the work has already provided significant insight into how these diseases develop.

23. BOB ELL

DEVELOPMENT

MR Ell has spent 40 years in charge of the powerful Leda Development group with a portfolio of residential, commercial, retail and industrial developments completed and under way. The NSW Government has approved his 5500-homes development at Cobaki, southwest of the Gold Coast Airport, which he continues to push heavily as a site for the contentious new Tweed Hospital. Mr Ell holds sway with both sides of politics and is as frighteningly well-connected as any billionaire property developer in Australia.

22. STUART ROBERT

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

THE Member for Fadden was returned to the Ministry this year — one of few winners from the Federal Liberals self-sabotaging leadership spill. Long-time ally Scott Morrison appointed Mr Robert as Assistant Treasurer and, despite some questions over his conduct, including one where he slugged taxpayers $2800/month for his home internet, he remains an influential figure and key fundraiser for his party.

21. GERRY HARVEY AND KATIE PAGE-HARVEY

BUSINESS

THE owners of the Gold Coast’s fast-growing Magic Millions race day and sales are virtual royalty when their cavalcade rolls into town each January. Their listed retail giant Harvey Norman remains influential across and beyond Australia despite a challenging year. Ms Page-Harvey launched the inaugural Gold Coast Women of the Year Awards this month and her development at Main Beach was given a national architecture award.