Mandala Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Gemma McCourt as Chief Operating Officer, a strategic internal promotion that reinforces the Group’s commitment to building a future-ready executive leadership team to support its next phase of national growth. McCourt brings exceptional leadership capability to Australia’s leading regional hotel operator, stepping into the role with more than two decades of senior experience across commercial strategy, operational delivery and business transformation.
McCourt transitions to the COO role from her position as Commercial Performance Officer, where she led the Group’s commercial strategy across revenue, sales, marketing, franchise management and performance optimisation. Her appointment reflects Mandala’s commitment to empowering leaders based on capability, impact and vision.
A highly respected hospitality executive, McCourt is known for delivering measurable business transformation through high-performance commercial strategies, multi-level stakeholder engagement and scalable growth frameworks. She blends innovation with operational discipline, challenging the status quo to optimise profitability, elevate brand performance and strengthen organisational capability across complex, multi-site environments.
“Mandala’s unique position as both owner and operator gives us a strategic advantage that few in the industry can match,” McCourt said. “It enables us to align commercial intent with operational execution in a way that drives stronger returns, sharper performance and long-term enterprise value. My focus is on building the systems, capability and discipline that will allow Mandala to scale with confidence, strengthen our market position and deliver sustained value for our stakeholders. We are building a business that performs consistently, scales intelligently and delivers value for our teams, our partners and the communities we serve,without ever losing what makes Mandala distinct.”
In her new role, McCourt will oversee the full business across operations and commercial performance, ensuring Mandala’s brand promise, commercial objectives and guest experiences are delivered consistently and profitably across its national portfolio of more than 2,000 rooms and 550 employees. Her priorities include strengthening operational discipline, refining national frameworks, embedding clarity across state-based operations and spearheading the Group’s strategic approach to ensure alignment between culture, delivery and long-term commercial outcomes.
Mandala’s diverse portfolio is thoughtfully curated to reflect its surroundings and deliver Mandala Moments, authentic experiences that celebrate the essence of regional Australia and underpin the Group’s distinctive market positioning.
A committed industry advocate and champion for female executive leadership, McCourt has long driven the elevation of women into senior and executive roles across the hospitality and tourism sector. She is a vocal proponent for positioning hospitality as a rewarding, future-focused career path, one that offers meaningful opportunity, commercial impact and long-term professional growth. Her influence continues to shape a more inclusive, empowered and forward-looking industry.
“Women bring extraordinary capability, strategic insight and resilience to executive leadership, and it’s essential that these strengths are represented at the highest levels of decision-making,” McCourt said. “Hospitality is an industry where talent, drive and leadership can create real impact, commercially, culturally and within the communities we serve. It offers meaningful opportunity, long-term growth and the chance to shape experiences that genuinely matter. I want the next generation to see that executive roles are not only attainable but deeply rewarding. When women see other women leading with confidence and authenticity, it expands their belief in what’s possible. Strong leadership is about lifting others, creating space for growth and setting new standards for our industry.”
As a mother of three and President of Skal International Brisbane, McCourt exemplifies how executive leadership and a full, balanced life can coexist, a message that continues to resonate as the industry evolves and modernises its expectations of leadership.
About Mandala Hotels & Resorts
Mandala Hotels & Resorts is redefining regional hospitality in Australia through disciplined investment, operational excellence, and a performance-driven approach to guest experience. With more than 2,000 rooms across a growing national footprint, Mandala brings global capability to regional markets, transforming under-leveraged assets into high-performing destinations. The group’s portfolio spans regional hotels, lifestyle properties, serviced apartments, and boutique destinations, each shaped by its local context and delivered with Mandala’s hallmark of disciplined operations, commercial clarity, and guest-focused performance.