Andrew Hopper has been appointed as the state’s new Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport following a trans-Tasman recruitment campaign.
Mr Hopper has been acting in the position and was previously the Department’s Deputy Director-General.
Tourism, Innovation and Sport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Mr Hopper brought 15 years’ of industry and government leadership to the role.
“Andrew has a strong background in leading high-performance teams in the tourism, major events, sport, entertainment and cultural industries in Queensland and the Northern Territory,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“During his time as Deputy Director-General and as Acting Director General, Andrew has brought stability and clarity to the Department.
“I look forward to continuing to work closely with Andrew on maximising 2032 Games legacy, doubling Queensland’s visitor economy and driving innovation.
“Our green and gold runway to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is Queensland’s time to shine on the world stage.
“The leadership Andrew brings to the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport will be critical to delivering a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Queenslanders.”
Brief biography
Mr Andrew Hopper joined the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport in late 2021 as Deputy Director-General.
Prior to that he spent time in executive roles in the Northern Territory, most recently as the Deputy CEO of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade and leading the Tourism NT (including StudyNT), Screen Territory and Liquor, Gaming and Racing teams.
Mr Hopper holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hon), Master of Business Administration and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Mr Hopper has an extensive stakeholder network developed in senior tenures with organisations including the Queensland Government, Northern Territory Government, Tourism Northern Territory, the Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC), MI Associates, Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Australian Rugby Union (ARU).
