Paula Leishman
Paula has over 25 years’ experience in Conference and Event Management and is a Certified Event Manager through the Professional Conference Organisers Association; she is the Tasmanian Director of this peak industry body, a Board Director of Business Events Tasmania and was the 2012 Telstra Business Women’s Awards Business Owner of the Year for Tasmania, and recipient of the 2001 Telstra Small Business of the Year (Tas).
As the founder of Leishman Associates, Paula has been involved in the delivery of over 400 conferences and events, in all shapes and sizes.
When she’s not working or thinking about conferences, Paula spends time with family and friends and enjoying the view of the sparkling Derwent River from her home.
Brigitte Cunningham
With an extensive career in Tourism and Hospitality, Brigitte (Brig) joined Leishman Associates as a Conference Manager in 2008, and has a great track record of successful conferences under her belt and is respected by her clients who appreciate her attention to detail.
Now in the newly appointed role of Client Relationship Manager, Brigitte works alongside Paula to develop the business and ensure that we are exceeding client expectations.
Growing up on the beautiful Tasman Peninsula in Tassie, with the ocean right at her doorstep, it’s no surprise that that the outdoors is where she feels most a home. Mum to two young children, Brigitte loves sharing Tasmania’s beautiful backyard with them, weekends you’ll find them hiking around their 27-acre bush block, camping adventures in their caravan, kayaking or discovering one of Tasmania’s many secluded beaches.
Michelle Miller
Originally from Melbourne and moving to Hobart in 2004 seeking a more relaxed community based lifestyle in which to raise her family. Weekends are now spent with family and friends enjoying the peaceful local surroundings of the country and beach.
Victoria Chapman
Toria has been with the Leishman team since 2010 after completing her degree in Business and Economics, majoring in International Relations and Business Management. Victoria has progressed from Administrator to Association Manager and Conference Manager for the Tertiary Education Facilities Management Association. She is a wealth of knowledge in the education sector.
Victoria is based in our Melbourne office, enjoys spending time with family and friends, and loves the diversity and vibrancy of Melbourne.
Timothy Archer
Tim has completed his Master’s in Business, with 30+ years of experience in hospitality, senior general management, international and local event management and corporate conferencing.
Tim is high detail, results driven and enjoys a challenge.
Currently working on Bass Island Line Conference, IGA Study Tour Conference, Telstra 3GPP conference and Fundamentals of Adsorption 2019, Tim joined the team in early 2018.
Theni Kuppusamy
As a Conference Manager, Theni’s role is to lead the committee to achieve favourable results, ensure client and attendee satisfaction and multitask between several projects.
“It’s very rare or impossible that an event can be negative from all points of view” – Dalai Lama
Theni is a seasoned conference professional with over 15 years of experience in organising conferences globally. A strategic thinker, driven and known to deliver in fast paced environments. She embraces any challenge thrown at her.
Theni, a Singaporean, has decided that the cooler climate of Tasmania is her preference.
Theni spends her time exploring Tasmania, Zumba-ing and swimming and has developed a green thumb since her move to Australia.
Helene Stewart
Helene is currently in her 8th year as a Conference Manager with Leishman Associates, having come from a tourism and management background. A happy mix of repeat business and new clients, across a range of sectors, makes for busy and always interesting days.
Working part-time, Helene thrives on the challenge of maintaining connection and providing top service to her clients and colleagues and balancing that with commitment to her family and friends.
Helene’s strength is her calming and unflappable nature (so she’s told!). Perhaps that comes from spending quiet time walking and listening to music or to the hours of pulling weeds in her garden.
Emma Harrison
Emma is in her 4th year working at Leishman. Having begun her time here as a Conference Coordinator, she immediately gained a massive passion for the industry, demonstrated her capabilities and became a Conference Manager. Emma is an innovative thinker, which enables her to deliver fresh conferences every year for our long standing clients. Em has a great sense of humour, which means clients, colleagues and delegates love working with her.
Em loves her weekends! They’re focused on wining and dining with loved ones, spending time with her partner and dogs, staying cosy (and lazy) in the winter, and working on her tan in the summer. An avid online-shopper and a lover of a good laugh, Emma is a perfect fit for our Leishman family.
Angela Cooper
Working with some of our long-term clients such as ANCOLD and ARPS, as well as new clients. With over 10 years in the Hospitality, Tourism and Events industry there is not much that Angela has not had a chance to turn her hand at and loves a challenge.
As well as managing events, Angela is also a mentor to our team of conference coordinators, helping them to develop their knowledge and skills in the industry.
A Tasmanian born and bred, growing up in the shadow of Mt Wellington it should be no surprise that Angela carries a huge passion for her home state, particularly it’s boutique wineries.
Angela’s sense of humour is both pleasure and pain for her colleagues. She loves a bit of witty banter but her puns are so groan worthy that even your dad would shake his head with distaste.
Outside of work life, Angela is an avid reader. She refuses to use a Kindle because quite frankly nothing beats an actual physical book in your hand when you embark on your next literary adventure.
Emily Marriott
Emily (also known as Ems) is a Conference Manager. Starting as a Coordinator, Ems has worked alongside various managers to deliver exceptional conferences and has now developed into a Manager. Ems is bright and bubbly, and our clients love her enthusiastic attitude.
Emily loves floristry and creating (way too many) boards on Pinterest with interior decorating ideas, so she enjoys that her position allows her to get creative and be passionate.
Ems loves her home state – Tassie. Weekends are spent gallivanting the country-side, exploring the beaches and bushland that the Apple Isle has to offer.
Bree Blackwell
Bree works as a conference coordinator, working with one of our largest and longest standing clients, TEMC.
Bree has been in the industry for nearly two years and enjoys the fast-paced environment.
She is a Tassie girl and thinks there is no place better to live. Her spare time is spent making sure she has no spare time. You will find her hiking in the bush, at the beach when the weather is warm enough, playing in a gym, baking in the kitchen – pretty much doing anything that doesn’t have her sitting down for too long.
Mary Coulson
With over 20 years’ experience in managing finances, Mary provides sound advice, and impeccable financial management for our clients. Mary is a practising member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers and holds a Diploma of Accounting and Management and represents Leishman Associates as a registered MYOB Partner and a Registered BAS Agent.
Mary’s passion is animals, in particular dogs, and together with her husband, they have a menagerie on their property north of Hobart.
Jenna Tomlin
Jenna has worked through the cogs of the business as a Conference Administrator, Paula’s PA and has most recently joined the finance and IT department to pursue her interests in business management.
Jenna holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Tourism Management) and recently completed a Certificate IV in Bookkeeping. Jenna is passionate about developing sound business systems and making technical integration work, so she keeps up to date with innovations that help to make our services more streamlined and secure. Jenna is the IT go-to for the team.
Jenna is passionate about the wilderness and pursues her passions of trail running with her border collie, bushwalking, mountain biking and sailing. She has recently built a new home on the foothills of Mount Wellington where the trails are just outside her front door and she can cycle to work in under 15 minutes.
Kim Murray
One day, Kim said to her husband, “Hobart looks nice”. Sixty days later they’d sold their Brisbane house, packed up their two dogs, driven two cars to Tassie, bought a house and renovated. It was a big year!
Kim happily confesses to being a “climate refugee” and when she’s not enjoying Tasmania’s more agreeable climate, she and her husband love discovering new and beautiful parts of the island, not to mention discovering new cellar doors.
A love of animals is shared with her colleague, Sandra. Kim also loves to travel, catch up with friends, cooking, wine and the arts.
Sandra Leathem
Originally from NSW, Tassie has been home to Sandra now for 30 years. She feels very privileged to have raised her family on a farm on the banks of the Derwent River.
Passionate about all things rural from animal welfare to grazing management, Sandra loves nothing better than being outdoors with the animals and gardening.
Kan Losaengsuwan
As the Sponsorship & Exhibition Coordinator, Kan works alongside Sponsorship Managers and across a wide range of conferences ensuring Sponsors & Exhibitors are happy, and deliverables are smooth.
Born and bred in Thailand, Kan has a background in meetings and conventions, before she won a scholarship to travel to Sydney to study patisserie. While working for a five star hotel in Queensland, Kan met her husband and after some further stints in hospitality, they moved to Hobart, where they both enjoy the culture and lifestyle of Tasmania.
Kan’s passion is food and she is always keen to try a new restaurant or café in Hobart (you can’t really tell by looking at her size!). She loves travelling and pets, just like her colleagues Kim and Sandra.
Jodi Stevens
Jodi is a lover of nature, spending most of her free time at the beach soaking up the sun, diving or fishing. Spending time with her family and her ADORABLE sausage dog are top priorities.
Jodi enjoys baking delicious goodies to satisfy her sweet tooth which has led her to running a small cake business over her weekends – what an entrepreneur!
Brittany Lee
Brittany has lived in Hobart since January 2013 after moving from the NW Coast of Tasmania. She enjoys trips and tours of the area with her friends.
Brittany enjoys red wine and seafood, she likes old-school games and never misses an Essendon match on TV during AFL season.
After a background of Administration, Hospitality and Banking, Brittany is excited about putting her Diploma in Event Planning to good use.
