BIA Victoria - Meet the Team

Meet the Team

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria Board of Management is made up of ten directors, representing the four divisions of the BIA.

The four divisions of the BIA include

Gordon Howlett (BIA President) - Corporate Fishing Charters - Representing Clubs, Services and Associations gordon@corporatefishingcharters.com.au

The founder and managing director of Corporate Fishing Charters since 1994, Gordon has been actively involved in promoting charter boat fishing to corporations, families, social groups and individuals. He firmly believes that this is a great introduction point to the joys of boating and has seen many of his clients take the next step up and purchase a boat.

Gordon holds a Bachelor of Business Studies (Accounting) and has operated an accounting practice for over thirty years. It is this expertise that first saw him nominate for the Finance Committee on which he has served a number of years before nomination to be on the board in 2005. Currently he is also on the promotion committee and represents the BIA as a delegate of VRFish.

A proud father of three he gets much joy out of combining work with family and watching his children catching fish even if they are the humble Port Phillip flathead.

Andrew Warner – Anchor Marine  Representing Chandleries, Accessories and Equipment shipshape@anchor-marine.com.au

 "Andy Warner is a second generation owner of the well established Anchor Marine. Despite the fact that he was first taken to sea by his parents before he could walk he is still a keen yachtsman, sailing off the beach dinghies and large ocean keel yachts. Andy spent two years in the Pacific Islands managing a fleet of ships for Fathom Fisheries Ltd and was a Governor of the Tongan Maritime Polytechnic Institute at this time. Andy is a qualified Naval Architect and member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, a former commodore of the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, and a director of one other public company and three private companies."

David Peter Heyes - B.R P Australia Pty.Ltd.
Representing Wholesalers, Manufacturers and Distributors david.heyes@brp.com   

David Heyes joined Heytrack (Australia) Pty. Ltd. in 1972. He has over 30 years experience in Industrial Machinery and Certification in Recreational Product and Small Engine Technology. Heytrack began operations in 1960 as the exclusive distributor of the Canadian Company Bombardier Inc. Mr. Heyes as General Manager and CEO of Heytrack headed up the Company for the distribution of Bombardier Seadoo Personal Watercraft in 1991, which soon became a mainstream player and market leader in this segment of the marine business.

Irene Hoe - Westernport Marina
Representing Clubs, Services and Associations irene@westernportmarina.com.au

Irene Hoe has been the Manager at Western Port Marina in Hastings for approximately ten years and has a background in accountancy.  She has a strong interest in environmental issues involving boating and the marine industry.

Irene has attended the Intermediate and Advanced Marina Management courses plus various other courses.  She has completed the Macquarie Graduate School of Management Marketing course and has attended numerous Marina Conferences which culminated in her giving a presentation at the International Marina Conference in Auckland early last year.

Rod Smith - C H Smith Marine, Representing Chandleries, Accessories and Equipment,  rod@chsmith.com.au

Rod is the fourth generation and Managing Director of his family's business C H Smith Marine Pty Ltd since 1977, specializing in commercial boating and fishing industry. He is a graduate of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, an associate member of the Australian Society of certified Practicing Accountants, a foundation fellow of the Australian Instituteof Company Directors and a director of Glenorchy Plaza Pty Ltd. He is also a consultant in information technology systems, systems management and website development and integration.

Darren Finkelstein - St Kilda Boat Sales,Representing Boat Dealers, darren@stkildaboatsales.com.au

Darren is a relative newcomer to the boating industry, following his 2002 acquisition of Steve Gow Marine at the famous St Kilda Marina.

Darren is one of the Directors of St Kilda Boat Sales and is the exclusive Victorian & Tasmanian Caribbean - Bertram big boat dealer and premier used boat broker.

Darren hails from a strong corporate background in Information Technology and eCommerce, as an executive for such prominent international companies as Fujitsu/ICL and Apple Computer over a 15-year period.

During the late nineties, Darren advised former Premier Jeff Kennett on IT and Multimedia issues, culminating in the Premiers personal appointment of Darren as founding Board member of Interact Events Limited as part of the Victorian Government’s Multimedia Task Force. The Interact Multimedia Festival is still running today.

Darren is married with two boys and loves boating, golf and surfing. 

 Mark Stav- JV Marine,Representing Boat Dealers, mstav@jvmarine.com.au

Joy King- Leisure Boating Club Melbourne, Representing Clubs, Services and Associations, joy@lbmelbourne.com.au 

Joy and her business partner, Ian Hobbs, opened the Leisure Boating Club in Melbourne in October 2005. The Leisure Boating Club model had proven success in NSW & QLD. The Melbourne club is now the fastest growing Leisure Boating Club in Australia.

Joy’s background is in corporate credit management within the service industry. Joy has successfully gained her Certified Credit Management qualification with the Australian Institute of Credit Management.

Peter Cleland - Bar Crusher Boats, Representing Wholesalers, Manufacturers and Distributors, peter@barcrusher.com.au

Peter Cleland is Managing Director and owner of Rockbank (Aust) P/L which owns Bar Crusher Boats, one of Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative aluminium trailer boat manufacturers. (Awarded Growth Award 2006) Peter has been active in the marine industry since 2000 and is a passionate advocate for families to enjoy a healthy boating lifestyle. His involvement in 2004 on a ministerial task force to facilitate growth in Victoria’s marine manufacturing sector, has inspired a vision for the marine industry and a firm belief that Victoria is poised for rapid growth in marine infrastructure and marine industry activity over the next decade.

Peter has developed a depth of experience in manufacturing operations, marketing and promotion, finance and business administration. Peter studied applied science at tertiary level and also completed post graduate study in business (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) He has developed property and spent over twenty years working in his own companies manufacturing both in Australia and in Asia.

Peter and his wife have three children and enjoy splitting their leisure time between weekends away at their country property or on the water in one of their boats.

Marianne Whittley - Whittley Cruisers Representing Wholesalers, Manufacturers and Distributors. marianne@whittley.com.au

 Marianne Whittley is Export Marketing Manager of Whittley Marine Group. With factories in both Australia and the USA, and a major export expansion program currently under way, Whittley is Australia’s largest and most awarded designer and manufacturer of trailerable fibreglass boats.

Marianne has represented the marine industry on many significant bodies, including the Industry Advisory Committee to the Australian Marine Industry Committee; the Marine Industry Advisory Committee to the Marine Safety Victoria; and the 2004 Victorian Marine Industry Ministerial Task Force. Tertiary trained in business and marketing, Marianne has been directly involved for more than 20 years in many aspects of the marine industry, including boat shows, CE and NMMA certification, administration, marketing and public relations.

Boating is in Marianne’s blood and is at the heart of her family’s business and recreational interests. She has been married to Neville Whittley for more than 25 years and they have two children, both of whom commenced boating weekends away when only weeks old. The Whittley family has a global interest in the marine industry, with its overseas manufacturing and expanding export markets giving it a unique perspective among Australian trailerable boat manufacturers.

BIA Staff

                
                                                                     Robert Coco                                                                      General Manager
robert@biavic.com.au

Mary Papantoniou
Administration Manager
mary@biavic.com.au

Daniel Wilde                                                             Marketing Manager                                                    daniel@biavic.com.au

Ashley Farr  

Event Coordinator               ashley@biavic.com.au

Travis Brown                                          Membership Development Officer                                  travis@biavic.com.au