Executive Team
The Sydney Opera House Executive Team works in partnership with the Trust and is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring the organisational strategy. The Executive Team comprises portfolio directors working to the Chief Executive Officer.
Qualifications: BA, LLB (Sydney University), LLM (London University), GAICD
Louise has been CEO of the Sydney Opera House since 2012, after careers as a lawyer and corporate adviser. In her time as CEO, Louise has delivered a far-reaching Decade of Renewal to open the Opera House up to more of the community, with a broader, more diverse range of programming and other experiences to welcome more visitors in person and online.
Renewal included the largest and most transformative series of building works since the Opera House opened in 1973. The program, totalling more than $300 million, has touched all corners of the building and opened new spaces to the public – from the removal of vehicles on the Forecourt to the new Centre for Creativity and refurbishing the Concert Hall, as well as significant improvements for visitors with limited mobility.
The Opera House also recently completed its year-long 50th anniversary celebrations, involving a program of more than 230 special performances and activities for the whole community to celebrate the past, present and future of Australia’s favourite building. The 50th has been a launching pad for the Opera House’s ambition to be Everyone’s House.
Qualifications: BA Hons (University of Cardiff)
Hannah joined the Sydney Opera House in 2021 as the Project Lead for its 50th anniversary, and in 2022 was appointed Director, Production & Events and in 2024 took on responsibility for Security and Emergency Response. Her portfolio includes Venue & Event Sales, Production Services, Event Operations & Planning, Recording & Broadcast, Security & EPRG.
Hannah has more than 25 years’ experience across the arts, talent management, digital marketing, and production and stage management fields. From 2015 to 2021, she was General Manager at Sydney Philharmonia Choirs (an Opera House resident company) and her earlier roles have included Group General Manager at talent management company, Artist & Entertainment Group, General Manager at web and digital marketing agency, The Web Showroom. Prior to emigrating to Australia, Hannah spent 10 years working in stage and technical production management roles in the UK, including London’s West End.
Hannah was a non-executive director of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs from 2011 to 2015 and a member of the Create NSW Artform Advisory board for Classical Music, Opera and Choral until 2022. She is currently a non-executive director of Ensemble Offspring, Australia’s leading New Music group.
Qualifications: BSc (University of Sydney), BComm (Macquarie University), Post Graduate Certificate, Business Practice (Kingston University, London)
Jade was appointed Chief Customer Officer in January 2022 to drive exceptional end-to-end customer experience and strategy spanning all customer touchpoints. As Chief Customer Officer, Jade is responsible for tour operations, ticketing, visitor services, access, retail and the Opera House’s award-winning bars and restaurants. She also leads marketing and communications for Australia’s most valuable brand.
Jade joined the Opera House in 2013 and has held several senior positions including General Manager, Tours and Retail, and Director, Visitor Experience. Previously, her 20-year career in tourism, attraction management and customer experience included roles as the General Manager, Sydney Aquarium and General Manager, Sydney Tower, before being appointed Head of Sydney Attractions for Merlin Entertainments Group where her responsibility broadened to include the management of six attractions drawing more than 2.5 million paid visitors annually.
Since 2014, Jade has served as a councillor on the Tourism Industry Council, is a founding member of the Sydney Visitor Collective, a member of the 24 Hour Economy Advisory Group (including Chair of the subgroup Consumer Habits and Audience Demands). In 2023, Jade was appointed to the inaugural Steering Committee for the World Class Public Service Disability Review.
Qualifications: BA (University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne), DELF (École Suisse International Paris)
After joining the Opera House in 2015, Jess worked in several senior communications roles before being appointed Acting Director, Engagement in June 2020, overseeing the marketing, communications and strategic events teams during a time of significant challenge as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a newly created role, Jess leads strategic engagement activities as the Opera House works towards its ambition to be Everyone’s House. This includes championing the Opera House’s commitment to the UN Global Goals and inspiring positive change in areas including environmental sustainability, accessibility, reconciliation, and education, as well as diversity, inclusion and belonging.
During her career, Jess has worked in London and Sydney with a wide range of businesses, from world-renowned cultural institutions and multinationals to challenger brands. Before joining the Opera House, Jess led communications for TEDxSydney and was instrumental in establishing one of Australia’s fastest-growing independent PR agencies, Fuel Communications, now part of the HerdMSL group. Jess’ work has won awards from the Public Relations Institute of Australia, the B2B Marketing Awards in the UK and the prestigious international Cannes Lions.
Qualifications: BBus (Kuringgai CAE), Member Institute Chartered Accountants
Jon joined the Opera House in 2017. He is responsible for the finance, technology and private funding teams at the Opera House. Jon has more than 30 years’ global experience in the financial, property and professional services sectors. After starting his career at Price Waterhouse, he moved into financial services with senior roles at Macquarie Bank and was later CFO for Lloyds Bank businesses in Asia. Most recently, he was the global CFO at a family-owned global design and build services business.
Qualifications: BA Hons (University of Queensland)
Hugh joined the Opera House in 2013 as Head of Strategic Communications before becoming Executive Officer in 2014 and Director, Office of the CEO in2018. The role supports the CEO, Executive Team and broader organisation in the development and achievement of strategic priorities and coordination of day-to-day operations, and oversees communications between management and the Board. His previous experience included 20 years as a senior journalist, including at The Australian Financial Review and The Australian, as well as campaign and lobbying work in the US. He was a Knight Fellow at Stanford University.
Qualifications: BA Communications (University of Technology Sydney), Juris Doctor (Hons) (University of NSW)
Kya joined the Opera House in 2012 as Head of the CEO’s Office and Government Relations and later took on responsibility for renewal stakeholders, policy, planning and heritage before being appointed to lead the People and Government portfolio in 2018. Kya leads the development and implementation of people strategy, and oversees the Opera House’s relationship with government, corporate policy development, management of the planning and heritage framework and the organisation’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging.
Kya started her career in the media and screen sectors and has about 20 years’ experience in arts-based public sector entities, including in governance and policy, stakeholder management, government relations, and screen-based production, audience and industry development.
Brenna Hobson is an experienced arts administrator and producer. She was the Executive Director of the National Theatre of Scotland from 2017-2024.
Prior to this she was the Executive Director and co-Chief Executive for Belvoir in Sydney, Australia’s fourth largest theatre company. During Brenna’s tenure Belvoir established an international presence with productions at BAM and on Broadway in New York, the International Ibsen Festival, Theater Der Welt, the Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, the Holland Festival, Weiner Festwochen, the Taegu International Musical Festival in Korea and Bharat Rang Mahotsav International festival in India among other appearances. The company prioritised equal representation of artists under her leadership, achieving gender parity in directing and writing and making inroads into the promotion of the work of culturally diverse artists, most notably First Nations artists.
Before Belvoir she was the General Manager of Jigsaw Theatre, a children’s theatre in Canberra, and Production Manager for Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australia’s premier indigenous performing arts organisation. Her career began at Belvoir in 1994 when she started out as an Assistant Stage Manager, rising to Head of Production
While in the UK Brenna was a Trustee of UK Theatre (2017-2021), Live Theatre Newcastle (2018-2024), Stellar Quines (2020-2024) and a member of the Steering Committee of Culture Counts.
In Australia Brenna’s previous board roles include company secretary of the Belvoir St Theatre Limited Board, membership of the Company B Ltd and Arts on Tour boards as well as a membership of the Seymour Centre’s artistic advisory panel and the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct steering committee in Sydney.
Brenna holds a Masters of Management (Arts Administration) from the University of Technology, Sydney. She served on the Sydney Opera House Trust from January 2014 to May 2017 where she was on the Audit and Risk Committee.
Dan was appointed Director, Infrastructure & Procurement in 2024, with responsibility for building operations and maintenance, asset management, capital works and organisation-wide procurement. He joined the Opera House in 2012 and has played a central role in several historic upgrades, from the underground loading dock to major venue renewal projects such as the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Concert Hall and Centre for Creativity. Before the Opera House, he ran multiple major projects for companies such as Transfield Services and Walker Corporation.
Qualifications: BLegS (Macquarie University), LLM (University of Technology, Sydney), AMICDA
Jemille has more than 25 years legal practice experience spanning private practice and senior inhouse legal roles, including at Qantas Airways Limited and the Council of the City of Sydney.
Jemille joined the Sydney Opera House in 2015 as Head of Legal, became General Counsel in 2018, and in 2020 was appointed General Counsel and Director, Risk. She is responsible for the legal, enterprise risk, program management and internal audit teams.
