BOARD of DIRECTORS

Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia's Board is comprised of highly experienced individuals who share a passion for Australia's food and wine offering and for the role experiences can play in people's lives. The Board includes both winery directors and tourism directors, bringing together diverse perspectives from across the wine and visitor economy.

Director & Chair - Matthew Cameron-Smith

After three years as a Director on the UWEA board, Matthew was appointed as Chair and Director, succeeding Nick Baker. With over 30 years in the tourism industry, he continues to lead as the CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, a position he assumed in July 2020. During his distinguished career, Matthew spent seven years at The Travel Corporation as Managing Director, significantly contributing to the development of strategic vision, values, and corporate objectives, across multiple brands including AAT Kings, Trafalgar, and Costsaver Australia. His extensive background also encompasses influential roles with Tourism Australia and a seven-year tenure at Rydges Hotel and Resorts, where he played vital roles in business development and global leisure sales.

Director & Executive Officer - Sarah Myers

Sarah is a strategic marketing professional with over 20 years of experience across the food, wine, and visitor economy sectors. Known for her strategic thinking, commercial acumen, and collaborative leadership style, Sarah has worked with wineries, consumer goods, destinations and regional communities to drive innovation, build strong brands, and deliver measurable growth. Sarah has served as CEO of Ballarat Regional Tourism and Marketing Manager of Grampians Tourism, as well as running her own consultancy firm. Her work has included launching award-winning destination marketing campaigns, developing regional tourism strategies, and curating experience-led initiatives across south-eastern Australia. Sarah brings deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, product development, and industry capacity-building - and is passionate about growing the liveability and economic strength of regional Australia.

Director - Heidi Williams

Heidi’s role in the family business started when she was at university studying law. Planting olive trees and lifting wires in the vineyard on her summer holidays. Fast forward a few years and she left her law career in Melbourne and moved to the beautiful Mornington Peninsula to help open Montalto. What started as a small family business grew quickly over the years, and Heidi’s involvement has grown over time, spanning all commercial aspects of the business over the years, interspersed with raising a family. After a couple of years as CEO, Heidi now sits on the board of Montalto and works with the family and the team to guide this very special business.

Director - Andrew McDowell

Andrew is currently the Head of Brand Homes at Vinarchy, and with over three decades of leadership, Andrew's career reflects a deep commitment to elevating customer experience and driving business success. Most recently as Head of Brand Homes ANZ at Accolade Wines and now at Vinarchy, he has led some of Australia & New Zealand’s most recognised wine destinations, delivering immersive brand experiences that blend world-class wine with tourism excellence. Earlier, Andrew made his mark as the transformative General Manager and Company Secretary of the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, plus over a decade of shaping the future of hospitality as a Lecturer in Wine and Hospitality at the International College of Hotel Management, Le Cordon Bleu and TAFE in Adelaide, mentoring the next generation of industry leaders. His experience also includes owning and managing landmark hotels across Adelaide and Byron Bay, to running his own consultancy.

Director - Emily Swift

Emily is the Owner and Head of Marketing at Printhie Wines in Orange, NSW, a family-owned winery known for its premium wines, immersive experiences, and hatted restaurant, Printhie Dining. With a background in global advertising and over 15 years in corporate brand management, she brings a strong mix of strategic communications, brand development, and tourism expertise. Since joining the family business in 2019, Emily has led the creation of Printhie’s beyond-the-cellar-door experiences — from fly fishing and kitchen gardens to chef’s table dining — all designed to deepen visitor connection and drive regional growth. She is passionate about small and emerging wine regions and brings a collaborative, experience-led mindset to her role on the Board.

Director - Elaine Ratcliffe

Elaine is the Head of Tourism at Seppeltsfield in the Barossa Valley, one of South Australia’s most visited wine destinations. With more than two decades of experience across key regions including McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and the Limestone Coast, Elaine has led the development of premium visitor experiences and managed strategic tourism partnerships that showcase the best of wine, food, and culture. Her leadership extends across the industry — as former Deputy Chair of the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia, and a judge for the South Australian Tourism and Food Awards. An active contributor to the Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collective, Elaine brings a collaborative, place-based approach to wine tourism and a strong foundation in governance, trade engagement and destination marketing.

Director - Amanda Behre

Amanda is an experienced executive marketing and commercial partnerships leader with almost 20 years’ experience specialising in travel and tourism, ecommerce and digital marketplaces. Amanda holds a decade of international experience leading marketing and product development in North America for Stella Travel Services, including Qantas Vacations, with previous roles including marketing and partnerships leader at Wotif, lastminute.com.au and Qantas Holidays in Sydney. For the past three years, Amanda was CMO of Gumtree, managing consumer and B2B marketing, communications, growth marketing, CRM, marketing automation and technology, managing a database of over 7 million consumers. She has led teams spanning Australia, Europe and North America. Amanda is a seasoned speaker, panellist and judge across marketing, tourism and customer experience publications including B&T and Mumbrella. 

Director - Dana Ronan

Dana is a seasoned strategic advisor and board member with a diverse work history spanning tourism/hospitality, manufacturing, and healthcare. She is skilled in leadership, marketing, marketing & business strategy, digital transformation, customer/patient experience and value-based healthcare. Dana is a strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Business (Economics & Marketing), further qualifications in direct and data driven marketing, customer experience, Indigenous cultural awareness, partnerships and social value creation.  Dana is a design thinking facilitator, lives in regional Victoria and loves sparkling wine and a good Chardonnay.