Committee
WITH Tas would not exist without the ongoing volunteer work of our committee.
Their mission is to Connect. Support. Inspire. women working in the tourism and hospitality industry.
WITH Tas Committee 2024- 2025
The WITH Tas Committee once again includes women from an impressive range of backgrounds and businesses who have equally varied skills and experience. These women all have two things in common – a heartfelt commitment to tourism and hospitality on our beautiful island, and to supporting other women in our industry around the state.
President: Rita Warrener
Rita has been on the WITH Management Committee eight years, serving in various positions and was appointed President in September 2023.
After commencing work in corporate communications in local government in southern Tasmania, Rita spent a decade in Melbourne working in retail travel, sales & marketing and public relations, including working with retail and wholesale travel partners in Melbourne and regional Victoria to promote Tasmania as a holiday destination.
With over thirty years in varied roles across marketing and industry development, Rita is currently Project Manager T21 at Tourism Tasmania. As part of the Visitor Economy Strategy & Research team she works with government and industry partners to support delivery of Tasmania’s 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy
Rita is a strong advocate for the contribution and potential of the tourism industry to the Tasmanian community given the positive impact it makes socially and economically and its potential to be a global leader in responsible and sustainable tourism. She believes the important contribution that women make to our industry should be supported and celebrated and WITH provides a platform to do this.
Vice President: Daniela Ruiz G.
Daniela is the Tourism Sustainability Manager at Carbonhalo. She is currently helping tourism and hospitality businesses with developing emissions reduction plans that can be easily communicated with visitors and stakeholders.
Originally from Patagonia, Chile, she has been living in Australia since 2012. Daniela discovered her passion for travel and tourism on her first solo trip at 14 when she lived in Alaska for seven months. She believes that travel is the greatest form of education, and has made her career about encouraging others to travel meaningfully.
Daniela has a Master’s degree in International Sustainable Tourism Management from Monash University and holds a certificate in Sustainable Tourism from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. She moved to Tasmania in 2019 to work for Tourism Tasmania for almost four years in the industry and partnerships team. She then moved to the Department of State Growth as a Project Manager to support the Tourism and Hospitality unit.
She has worn many hats in the industry, including hospitality, customer service, operations, marketing and industry development roles and is also now on the Board of the Migrant Resource Centre, Tasmania.
Daniela loves the outdoors – especially waterfalls and sunsets – pasta and a good glass of vino (Tassie Pinot is always her first choice).
Secretary: Mette Dawe
Originally from Denmark, Mette has a background in Event Management organising events ranging from bespoke Tour de France VIP events to large corporate events and private functions.
Since first arriving in Tasmania in 2006, Mette has worked in hospitality, as a bushwalking guide, and as an Outdoor Instructor. This lead to her completing a MSc in Outdoor Environmental and Sustainability Education from Edinburgh University and working as an Outdoor Education Facilitator in both Tasmania and the Scottish Highlands.
In recent years Mette has worked within the Tasmanian tourism industry, spreading the word about the wonders of our island state through her work at the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, Tourism Tasmania and currently at Events Tasmania.
Treasurer: Carmen Bold
Carmen brings over 20 years of experience in the tourism and events industry across Australia and New Zealand. Originally from Adelaide, Carmen’s career began working in reservations and product development for SeaLink, relocating to New Zealand to setup a new SeaLink ferry operation. A three-month assignment in Auckland turned into a 7-year adventure working throughout NZ for iconic companies including AJ Hackett Bungy, Auckland Tourism for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and Kiwi Experience.
Since returning to Australia in 2012 (with a Kiwi man in tow) Carmen has worked for Tourism Holdings Ltd, and in more recent years ran a busy program of events for the Law Society of Tasmania. As a freelance event & project manager she has run complex entrepreneurship programs for Austrade, Study NSW and the City of Joondalup; she now works for Destination Southern Tasmania.
Carmen loves to travel with her husband and 9-year-old son, and believes travelling is a life changing opportunity that everyone deserves to experience. Carmen takes every chance to explore new places, most recently spending three months slow travelling through Malaysia and world schooling her son.
General Committee: Danielle Fontaine
Danielle’s involvement with the Tasmanian tourism industry spans over 30 years. During her 25 years working with Tourism Tasmania in various roles within industry development, strategic projects and international marketing, Danielle has built a wealth of knowledge and experience and contributed to significant and exciting projects both domestically and internationally in promoting the Tasmanian tourism industry.
With a love and curiosity of all things Tasmanian, Danielle enjoys the opportunity to work with like-minded businesses who share this passion, to contribute to the continuous growth of Tasmania as a unique visitor destination.
Currently, Danielle is focused on developing a small business, and continuing her tourism involvement in working with tourism-aligned businesses.
General Committee: Tania Thompson
Tania is an experienced chef and catering professional with food and design knowledge. She is constantly updating her knowledge and experience in the industry and enjoys networking.
She has worked for various organisations, mainly in the corporate scene, which has allowed Tania to cook for various executives, eg Prime Ministers, Bill Gates and Cate Blatchett to name a few. Her biggest event was the James Packer wedding to Jodie Meares.
Tania has a passion for all areas of the hospitality industry, loving the fact she can be innovative and creative and can constantly change her ideas and grow.
General Committee: Sherene Somerville
Sherene brings with her over 30 years of experience in tourism and hospitality.
Sherene Somerville has the enviable position of managing PR and Earned Media for a unique destination in the world – Tasmania.
Driven and motivated by the authenticity and charm of Tasmanian island lifestyle and the quality of its people and products, Sherene has spent more than two decades getting under the skin of Tasmania’s tourism products and offerings via retail, wholesale and marketing and communications.
She is a passionate advocate of Tasmania’s tourism industry and loves nothing more than shining a spotlight on the genuine, unfiltered experiences that make the destination unlike anywhere else.
General Committee: Natalie Ellis
Natalie is a very proud, born and bred Tasmanian.
Natalie began her career in the tourism industry over twelve years ago with Tourism Tasmania working across the agency in a variety of roles including within the Industry & Partnerships team and Corporate Communications.
Now working in the Trade & International Relations team at Department of State Growth as the International Missions Planner, Natalie’s passion and experience for showcasing and connecting Tasmanian businesses to the world is at the forefront, along with building the success of local businesses that contribute towards the benefit of the community
Natalie is very excited to continue her connection with the tourism industry.
Student Committee: Ngoc Nhat Vy Dinh
Ngoc Nhat Vy Dinh is a dedicated student and hospitality professional based in Hobart, Tasmania.
With over five years of experience in the hospitality industry, she is currently pursuing an Advanced Diploma of Travel and Tourism Management.
She has a strong foundation in Hospitality Management from TasTAFE and have gained experience through roles like Data Entry at Tourism Tasmania.
She is passionate about Tasmanian tourism and committed to supporting the growth of the local industry while inspiring future professionals.
Connect. Support. Inspire.
Women in Tourism and Hospitality Tasmania Inc.
info@withtas.com
We acknowledge the Tasmanian Aboriginal people and their enduring custodianship of lutruwita (Tasmania). We honour the uninterrupted care, protection and belonging to these islands, skies and waterways, before the invasion and colonisation of European settlement. We acknowledge the Aboriginal people who continue to care for this country today. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present. We honour their stories, songs, art, and culture, and their aspirations for the future of their people and these lands.