Discovery Parks adds international tourism executive to its team

Former international airlines executive Darren Peisley will join Discovery Parks to help drive the next phase of its expansion into loyalty and new products.

Peisley, with over 20 years’ experience in delivering growth strategies in loyalty, lravel and turism, will lead the marketing team as Chief Commercial Officer of the Adelaide-based holiday parks company, which is majority owned by Sunsuper.

This follows Chief Marketing Officer Dana Ronan’s decision to step down and relocate to Ballarat with her family.

Discovery Parks Chief Executive Grant Wilckens said the appointment represented an exciting stage in the growth of Discovery Parks and would be pivotal in driving the next stage of its evolution into loyalty, eco-tourism and licensed service provision.

Wilckens advises “we are very excited to have attracted Darren to the position as we believe we can learn so much from his experience – particularly in developing Etihad Loyalty, but also in commercial and finance positions with Qantas.

“We will obviously miss Dana who has helped drive digital transformation strategy to get us where we are today, and we are delighted that she will remain connected to the business as an adviser to the board, and she will continue to work on special projects such as the Discovery Eco-Village, Rottnest Island.”

Wilckens said Peisley had a strong track record in creating growth and leveraging customer insights and would bring a strong understanding of segmentation, data analytics and partnership development.

He added “I’m very excited about what Darren’s appointment will mean for the further development of our G’day Rewards loyalty program, which I foresee will be a significant part of our future, in addition to our holiday park revenue streams.”

As Chief Executive of Etihad Loyalty, Peisley created an integrated loyalty business, bringing together loyalty programs from four airlines, growing membership by 50% and significantly improving member engagement.

Peisley (pictured) also brings experience in corporate finance, and in senior leadership positions at Qantas Airways where he delivered a $400 million efficiency program and was involved in dynamic pricing, revenue management, business development, sales and distribution.

Looking forward to his new role, Peisley commented “Discovery Parks and their licenced Top Parks brand offer guests authentic Australian holiday experiences - the kind that shape childhood memories and impressions for international visitors.

“The opportunities for growth are significant, I am excited to be joining the Discovery Parks Group at this important stage of their growth.” 

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