ATAS Complaint Appeal Committee (ACAC)

Hank Spier is the principal of Spier Consulting, Legal and Spier Consulting P/L, respectively a legal practice and a legal consultancy specialising in regulatory processes and strategies.

Formerly Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for some 17 years until late 2000. Hank has been a part time member of the Australian Law Reform Commission, and continues to support the ACCC as a consultant in relation to overseas capacity building for competition and consumer institutions.

He has been heavily involved in the development of trade practices law for many years, both in Australia and in developing countries.

Hank remains active across the industries as Chair of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia Tribunal, which oversees the Disciplinary regime and complaints alleging misconduct against Association members and imposes sanctions where appropriate.

Hank brings a wealth of knowledge to the ACAC committee with his experience in advising a substantial number of private clients in trade practices issues, including mergers, cartel protection, codes of conduct, collective bargaining, misuse of market power and dispute avoidance and resolution.

Philip was the lead ombudsman for banking and finance at the Financial Ombudsman Service and AFCA for 11 years and worked for 17 years at the Ombudsman's office.

Philip has a very deep understanding of external dispute resolution and fair decision making which would greatly assist the work of the committee. Philip met regularly with key stakeholders including representatives of Financial Counselling Australia, Consumer Action and Financial Rights Legal Centers as well as individual consumer representatives.

A recognised industry leader, David has an enjoyed a wide and varied career in the travel & tourism industry spanning 36 years. His roles have seen him work in multiple markets, but most particularly the Asia Pacific region.

In early 2024 he completed a ten-year tenue as Managing Director Australia for corporate travel specialists, Reed & Mackay. During this time he was also Chairman of CT Partners, Australia's largest and most influential independent travel buying network consisting of 31 corporate and leisure travel agencies. He has also served two terms on the Board of the Australia Travel Industry Association including one as Deputy Chairman.

Today David provides advisory services to travel companies in Australia and around the world.

Commencing my professional journey as a Management Trainee with British Airways in Mumbai, India, I subsequently assumed the role of Chief Reservations Officer for Bahrain & Qatar during my posting in Bahrain. Over a decade, I contributed significantly to both British Airways and the GSA Company, YBA Kanoo, where I managed Reservations, Sales, and Marketing for the Middle East, representing 32 airlines.

In 1987, I emigrated to Sydney, Australia, and joined Concorde International Travel, a consolidator now known as Hello World. Concurrently, I served as the Managing Director for Passenger & Cargo for Australia/New Zealand at World Aviation Systems, the company's GSA Division, representing 27 airlines.

In 2007, I assumed the position of Managing Director at AMA Australia within Consolidated Travel Group/Airline Marketing Australia, working closely with Spiros Alysandratos, Owner, and CEO. I represented the company on the IATA APJC Committee and served on the AFTA Board as Spiros' alternate until December 2022.