About Us: Board of Directors
Hon. Mark Vaile
Non–Executive Director & Chairman of CBD
Mr Vaile was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from June 2005 to November 2007. He was elected to the Australian Parliament in 1993 and resigned in July 2008. He was Minister for Trade from July 1999 to September 2006 and was responsible for negotiating Australia’s free trade agreements with the United States, Singapore and Thailand. He has held the ministerial portfolios of Transport and Regional Development (twice) and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Mr Vaile was elected leader of the National Party in June 2005.
Mark is a Director of Virgin Airlines, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Pallisade Regional Infrastructure Fund, Director of Sinoz Asia Pacific, Director of Yi Er San Limited, Director of the Advisory Board of Rabo Bank and Director of Stamford Land Holdings Limited.
James Link
Non–Executive Director
Mr Link is a Director of Great Lakes Aviation Limited. He was previously the President of Raytheon Aircraft Finance Corporation, following roles as Vice President & Treasurer, Vice President Worldwide Sales and Special Assistant to the CEO. Mr Link worked with the Raytheon Group from 1985 until retiring in 2001. His qualifications include MBA Finance, MBA Marketing and BSA Accounting.
Gerry McGowan
Managing Director
Mr McGowan is a former executive of TNT and Mayne Nickless. He formed Impulse Transport Group in 1982 having won a contract with John Fairfax to distribute their products around Australia. Gerry acquired Travcour, a specialised travel industry courier in 1985, which he subsequently sold to Mayne Nickless in 1988. In 1992, he formed Impulse Airlines having bought a failed regional carrier from its administrators. Impulse grew to become the largest privately owned regional carrier in Australia. In 2000 Impulse became Australia’s third airline when it launched jet services between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Impulse employed approximately 1500 staff.
Qantas purchased Impulse in 2001 and subsequently relaunched the airline as Jetstar. Currently Gerry is Managing Director of CBD Energy. He has been involved in the company for four and a half years, initially as a Non-Executive Chairman. He became an executive in 2006 and led a restructure and turn around of the Group. He is also Executive Chairman of TRW Holdings Pty Limited, an investment company with exposure to the energy, primary production and aviation industries.
