Board of Directors
Tourism South East’s Board is a diverse mix of tourism leaders and stakeholders from across the South East.
Chairman
John Williams
John Williams joined Tourism South East as Chairman in April 2009.
John has a professional background in advertising, marketing and public relations, together with experience of chairing a diverse range of organisations and committees covering the public, private and not-for-profit sector. He is co-founder and former Chairman of Fishburn Hedges, one of the UK’s leading public relations agencies.
He is also Chair of Richmond Theatre Productions and a Board member of Business in the Community. He is a former charity commissioner and former Chairman of the think tank Tomorrow’s Company.
John is also Chairman of the Tourism Council and the Tourism South East Remuneration Panel.
Executive Directors
Peter Colling, Managing Director
Peter Colling has spent his career at regional tourist boards. He joined the Southern Tourist Board (STB) as Development Services Manager in 1998 where he introduced and developed research and training services – later adopted by all other regional boards. In 2010 he became Operations Director at Tourism South East, STB’s successor leading the organisation’s interventions in the fields of research, training, regeneration, sustainability, accessibility, visitor services and policy development.
He assumed the role of Managing Director in January 2012.
Peter is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Tourism Management Institute and a fellow of the Tourism Society.
John Atherton ACA, Interim Company Secretary
John previously worked for Tourism South East between 2002 and 2006 after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with local firm Burnett Swayne and has returned on an interim basis after serving five years as Director of Finance and HR at East of England Tourist Board.
Non-Executive Directors
Local Authority and Industry Representatives
Sandra Barnes-Keywood (Chapel Forge B & B)
Tourism Council Representative
Sandra is also a member the Tourism South East Remuneration Panel.
Viv Williams (Hollybank House)
Tourism Council Representative
Jan Halliday (Director of Marketing and Communications, BAA Southampton Airport)
Tourism Council Representative
Chairs for Area Tourism Partnerships
Lyn Bibbings (Oxford Brookes University)
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire
Lyn is also member of the Tourism South East Audit Panel.
Stephen Munn (National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
Hampshire
Stephen is also member of the Tourism South East Audit Panel.
Sandra Matthews-Marsh (Visit Kent)
Board Representative for Kent
Co-Optees
Ken Robinson, CBE (Leisure Recreation & Tourism Ltd), Independent Tourism Advisor
Ken is also member of the Tourism South East Audit Panel.
David Philip, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
David is also Chairman of the Tourism South East Audit Panel.
