Team TCA

Danial Rochford - Chief Executive Officer          Email Danial

Danial is the CEO of Tourism Central Australia, the peak regional tourism authority for Central Australia. He is a former CEO of Whitsundays Marketing and Development Ltd as well as CEO of Gladstone Area Promotion and Development Ltd as well as Director of Tourism for one of Australia's leading World Heritage listed tourism attractions, the Port Arthur Historic Site.

He has also held various roles in regional economic and social development organisations including CEO of Rural Alive and Well in rural Tasmania, Manager of Economic Development for the Roma Town Council, and early in his career, a Regional Business Advisor in rural and remote Queensland.

He is a graduate of the University of Tasmania and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Emma Ahmed - Finance Manager          Email Emma

Originally from Queensland, Emma relocated to Alice Springs in March 2025, trading coastal beaches for the iconic red desert landscape. A Chartered Accountant with over a decade of experience in Financial Management and Taxation, she has worked across a diverse range of industries. Since settling into her new home, Emma has embraced the unique lifestyle of Central Australia, developing a passion for outdoor walks and hiking in the region’s stunning natural surroundings. She is enthusiastic about joining the team at Tourism Central Australia and looks forward to contributing positively to its continued success.

Emma Wilmot - Marketing Manager          Email Emma

Emma grew up in Alice Springs and has recently returned to the Northern Territory with her family, after living in various locations around the world including Kenya, Kathmandu, Malta, Las Vegas, and Sydney – where she spent most of her adult life. Emma holds Master’s in Digital Communications and Marketing awarded with Distinction as well as Bachelor's in Business with major in Event Management. Emma joins us from SeaLink Marine and Tourism and is passionate about the vibrant community of Alice, its stunning landscape, and certain freedom a life in Alice offers to her and her young family.

Flo Sitkowska - Marketing Specialist           Email Flo

Flo graduated with a Marketing degree from Nottingham University in England. She has a passion for outdoors, culture, tourism, and natural beauty of the world. Travel has been a big part of Flo’s life ever since she was a child - her mum was a travel agent and would often take Flo with her when travelling. She has visited countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and she is now here in Australia. Having fallen in love with Alice Springs, she enjoys the rawness of the desert habitat and the country lifestyle and feels passionate about sharing the love with visitors.

Phillip Winther - Marketing Specialist            Email Phillip

Originally from Denmark, Phillip brings a diverse background in international sales, marketing, and content creation to the team. He joined Tourism Central Australia from his role as Station Manager at Europcar Alice Springs, following a career that’s taken him from frontline operations to head office marketing at Europcar’s Asia-Pacific headquarters in Melbourne. Passionate about visual storytelling, Phillip enjoys using photography and videography to connect people with the incredible experiences Central Australia has to offer. Now based in Alice Springs, he’s excited to help showcase the region’s landscapes, stories, and growing tourism industry.

Ian Bowhay - Membership and Industry Development          Email Ian

After relocating to the Red Centre from Sydney, Ian never looked back and is excited to return to the tourism industry after spending recent years in the education sector. His career in hospitality and tourism has focused on developing new opportunities and enhancing existing visitor experiences. Outside of work, Ian enjoys spending his weekends exploring the region’s parks with friends and experiencing the rich cultural and culinary diversity of the Red Centre and its community.

Susan Silvester - Manager (Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre)          Email Susan

Susan is a serial busybody, which makes her a perfect fit for tourism as she is legitimately interested in her clients. For more years than she cares to admit she has worked in the local and international tourism industry. Originally from Melbourne she has lived and worked in the NT for 40 years, the last twelve with Tourism Central Australia. She lived in Yulara, Darwin and Alice Springs - she possesses an excellent knowledge of the Territory as a whole. She speaks fluent Italian and loves Italian food but prefers to explore that passion at the dining table rather than the kitchen. Winner of the Skal Tourism Industry Employee Award at the 2022 Brolga NT Tourism Awards.

Kylie Payne - Assistant Manager, Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre         Email Kylie

Kylie spent the first 31 years of her career working in retail for Wesfarmers where she has held various management roles across Coles and Bunnings. She moved to Alice for a two-year contract in 2016 – five years later and a career change into our Visitor Information Centre Kylie is still enjoying her time here in Alice. Kylie loves travelling and has visited many places around the world; her favourite international destination is Africa with the beautiful people and animals. 

Glen Nelson - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Alice Springs)

Glen moved to Central Australia in the Year of the Outback in 2002. His first job found him visiting every community in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara APY lands located in the Northwest top of South Australia, helping community members access the internet for the first time. Since then, he has had jobs that took him to Indigenous communities from over the Western Australian border to as far north as Ali Curung near Tennant Creek. Glen has developed a passion for all things Central Australia, be it geology, botany, history or its people.  

Tash Furrows - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Alice Springs)

Originally from Southern Africa, Tash relocated to New Zealand in 2001 where she studied Outdoor Recreation, which led to working in Milford Sound as a sea kayak guide. Tash moved to the Red Centre in 2011 as a 4-wheel drive camping tour guide. She has many years of guiding experience across the region for various types of tours. Working in Zoology and Guiding at the Alice Spring Desert Park has sparked a passion for wildlife and conservation, a passion she thoroughly enjoys sharing with visitors. Driving for Centre Bush Bus gave Tash the opportunity to visit remote First Nations communities in Central Australia, leading to a deeper appreciation and understanding of the importance of connection to Country.

Sienna McGregor - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Alice Springs)

Sienna is currently completing a Bachelor of Business and Tourism and has a strong passion for travel. Before moving to the Red Centre, she worked as a guest agent at Sydney Airport, where she developed her skills in assisting travellers from around the world. She is excited to continue helping visitors make the most of their journeys and experience everything the region has to offer. In her spare time, Sienna enjoys exploring Alice Springs’ stunning natural landscapes. She has spent several years solo travelling around Australia, which she still considers the most beautiful place in the world—though Iceland comes a close second.

Kristine Markussen - Manager (Yulara Visitor Centre)          Email Kristine

Originally from Norway, Kristine has lived in Australia on and off since 2005. Her university background and majority of professional career are in psychology and criminology, but her true passion has always been travel and the outdoors. She has visited 50 countries, as well as every state and territory in Australia. After spending a whole season in El Questro in the Kimberleys, she fell in love with the Top End and decided to move to Darwin to continue exploring the outdoor lifestyle. She has since moved to Yulara and she is very excited about working with TCA, and deepening her knowledge about the area so she can spread her passion for the outdoorsy outback culture.

May Calvert - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Yulara)

May moved to Australia from New Zealand in 2000. Her career has always been customer focused, including working in Real Estate for 25 years. Having resided on the Gold Coast for 20 years, May and her husband sought a reverse 'sea change', spending a year in South Australia's Flinders Ranges before moving to the Red Centre. May has fallen in love with the Red Centre and enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge with visitors to the region.

Julie-Ann Ponce - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Yulara)

Originally from the Philippines, Julie holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management and brings a strong background in customer service. She relocated to Yulara in January 2020 for her husband’s work, where she developed a deep passion for the region’s local history. Julie enjoys sharing her knowledge with visitors and helping them connect with the unique stories of the area. Prior to her current role, Julie spent five years working in the Mutitjulu Community as a Senior Childcare Educator. This experience gave her the opportunity to learn more about Aṉangu culture and strengthen her connection to the local community.

Martijn Weezepoel - Manager (Tennant Creek Visitor Centre)

Martijn came to Australia from the Netherlands as a backpacker and loved Australia so much that he got his residency and then his citizenship. After a career of being a chef for over 20 years, he always loved sharing knowledge and liked interacting with people. While living in Tennant Creek for 16 years and being interested in its history, the jump from chef to tour guide was an easy one. He also found that talking to people who come to museums and the mine tour brings new knowledge and interesting facts to his attention, and he uses these to enhance his tours.

Orlando Southcott - Visitor Information Centre Officer (Tennant Creek)

Orlando has been passionate about Geology for most of his life. He had volunteered at the University of Adelaide’s Tate Museum prior to his geological studies at the same university. He moved up to Tennant Creek looking for experience within the mining industry and was able to find work at one of the original, but refurbished sites, Peko Iron. Despite the company going into voluntary administration, Orlando has been excited to stay in the Barkly Region, after being given the opportunity to help teach people about the historical significance of mining in the area.