Brendan McClements

CEO, Visit Victoria

Brendan McClements became Chief Executive Officer of Visit Victoria in December 2019. 

His appointment followed local and international leadership positions held with commercial organisations and government entities across a range of sectors, including sport, major events, financial services and food and beverage. 

Before joining Visit Victoria, Brendan was the Global Head of Events for TLA Worldwide (2016-2019) and the CEO of the Victorian Government’s Victorian Major Events Company (VMEC) for nine years from 2007. During Brendan’s VMEC tenure, Victoria acquired the 2015 Cricket World Cup, 2015 International Champions Cup (football) and Melbourne Winter Masterpieces Exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria, with each of these major events and attractions reinforcing Victoria’s acclaim as a global events and arts capital. Brendan also initiated and oversaw the creation of Victoria’s renowned White Night event. 

Brendan holds a Bachelor of Arts (Communication and Media Studies) from RMIT University.

Shae Keenan

Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Victoria

Shae Keenan was appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Victoria in 2021. 

Shae has an extensive marketing career spanning two decades at Visit Victoria and Tourism Victoria. She brings a deep understanding of the travel and tourism industries, government, marketing trends and the Victorian tourism landscape. 

Shae has held senior leadership positions at Visit Victoria including as acting CMO (2020-21) and Head of Marketing Communication and Customer Experience (2018-20). She initiated the development and delivery of the ‘Click for Vic’ and ‘Stay close, go further’ campaigns, encouraging Victorian to buy locally and travel within the state in response to challenges brought about by the 2019/20 summer bushfires in regional Victoria and the coronavirus pandemic. 

Shae holds a Bachelor of Business Marketing from Monash University and is a member of the Australian Marketing Institute.

Julian Major

Head of Research & Insights, Visit Victoria

Julian Major is the Head of Research & Insights at Visit Victoria. 

In this role, Julian leads the organisation’s comprehensive research program, including consumer research, visitation measurement and research data subscriptions. This research program provides key business intelligence and market research across Visit Victoria’s Destination Marketing and Major Events teams, supporting business strategy and consumer understanding throughout the organisation. 

Julian is a research and insights leader with experience across academic and commercial research. Previously, he worked for the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, the world’s largest centre for research into marketing, and GfK, a global market research firm. 

Julian has experience working across a range of sectors and major brands, including Medibank, SEEK, Colgate, Tourism Australia and Federal Government clients. Julian is passionate about marketing effectiveness and has presented at academic conferences and written for B&T magazine. 

Julian holds a Masters of Business (Research) and a Bachelor of Marketing and Communication from the University of South Australia.

Charles Deuchrass

Group Manager, Marketing & Programs, Visit Victoria

Charles has 20 years of experience in the tourism industry as a prominent marketer. He currently leads regional marketing for Visit Victoria, managing large-scale branding initiatives to enhance Victoria’s regional Visitor Economy. Recent campaigns include Every bit different, Stella the Stargazer, Stay close, go further, Click for Vic, and Your Happy Space.

Steve Dimopoulos

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events

Prior to entering Parliament, Steve had a diverse career background, running a local café, working as a public servant in the Department of Justice and the Victorian Multicultural Commission, serving as a councillor and Mayor in the City of Monash, and working for a Federal Member of Parliament.

Steve’s leadership in local community campaigns drew him into politics, where he believes government can make positive change to help people create better lives for themselves. Through his local activism, Steve knows the value that sport plays in bringing together vibrant and inclusive local communities, from the grassroots to the professional level.

Steve’s vision for Victoria is about promoting Melbourne’s globally renowned reputation as a thriving sporting, creative, major events, and tourism capital. This not only benefits our cultural prosperity but boosts our economy and underpins thousands of jobs.

In Parliament, Steve prioritises the improvement of public infrastructure and policy effectiveness in our education, health, housing, and transport systems to address disadvantage and ensure that everyone has the best chance in life. Areas of public policy that Steve has a significant commitment toward are legal and justice reform, climate action and environmental sustainability and enhancing access to mental health treatments.

Michael Shoory

Head of APAC Tourism Analysis: Tourism Economics – Oxford Economics

Michael is Oxford Economics’ Head of Tourism Analysis for Asia-Pacific (APAC), leading our analysis of trends and developments in the region and presenting our outlook for tourism activity at industry events. Having worked with Oxford Economics for seven years, Michael has also delivered a variety of projects for clients, including economic impact analysis for attractions, events and sub-sectors of the tourism industry, custom forecasts and scenarios, and the impact of policies on tourism demand. Prior to joining Oxford Economics, Michael worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia for seven years.

Rajan Kumar

Co-Founder - The Lumery - Managing Director - Accenture Song

Rajan Kumar is the Co-Founder & CEO of The Lumery, a marketing and technology consultancy now proudly part of Accenture Song. He led The Lumery from its start-up origins in 2017 to becoming one of Australia’s leading MarTech consultancies, culminating in its acquisition by Accenture in 2024.

With over 15 years of experience across marketing, digital, and SaaS, Rajan has helped leading brands drive commercial growth by transforming how they engage with their customers. Prior to founding The Lumery, he held senior roles in agency and software businesses, delivering measurable impact across sectors.

Named Start-up Executive of the Year at the 2018 CEO Magazine Executive of the Year Awards, Rajan is known for building high-performing teams grounded in trust, clarity, and a strong sense of purpose.

As Accenture Song’s ANZ lead for Marketing Advisory and Customer Technology, he partners with business leaders to evolve their strategies and operating models—with AI, automation, and customer intelligence at the centre.

He regularly contributes to conversations on the future of marketing, leadership, and the power of aligning people, platforms, and purpose.

Tourism Australia