Book Felicia Mariani for your next event

Don't walk through life trying to fit in, when you were always meant to stand out.

Profile

Over the last two decades, Felicia Mariani has forged a career as a C-Suite innovator, disruptor and leader in the tourism, events, and entertainment industries across three states.

Throughout her career, Felicia has navigated premier destination marketing agencies through major phases of change and reinvention to emerge stronger and more focused on the objectives and outcomes they were looking to achieve.

Over the past three years amid the global pandemic, she emerged as a primary influencer and key spokesperson for media and government on behalf of Victoria’s $40 billion visitor economy sector.

From being part of the team that delivered the globally recognised and awarded destination campaign, “You’ll Love Every Piece of Victoria”; to guiding the creation of the first-ever ‘non-accredited media centre’ as part of the Sydney 2000 Olympics; to crafting the 10-year destination strategy that acted as a blueprint for reinventing Tasmania’s brand proposition beyond nature and wilderness, Felicia has been at the helm of leading organisations through critical junctures in their development and positioning.

Current Work:

Felicia’s former role in leading a state-based industry association has allowed her to forge strong relationships with governments at all levels. Her strategy and partnership skills have been instrumental in reinventing her organisation and guiding it through one of its most turbulent times in history.

This past experience has helped to shape Felicia as a sought-after MC, facilitator and guest speaker for events and conferences in her dynamic sector.

Felicia is a highly engaging public speaker adept at guiding program content to create a cohesive and inspiring experience for event participants. She is a compelling presenter with the skill of conveying complex topics in understandable and logical formats, adding humour and candor that keeps an audience connected to the content.

Expertise

Talking Points

Leading Change with Clarity and Confidence

Change is constant, yet too often organisations mishandle it, resulting in disengagement and lost opportunities. Felicia Mariani draws on decades of senior leadership roles in the visitor economy, not-for-profits, and government agencies to show how effective change management creates stability while enabling progress. She shares practical frameworks that help leaders bring clarity, confidence, and commitment to their people through uncertainty.

Key Takeaways
• Why most change programs fail and how to avoid common pitfalls
• Practical steps to bring teams on the journey and reduce resistance
• Strategies for aligning organisational goals with cultural and behavioural shifts

Women in Leadership: Building Pathways for Tomorrow’s Leaders

With extensive experience leading organisations and mentoring emerging talent, Felicia Mariani understands both the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership. She explores the dual imperative of empowering senior female leaders while nurturing the next generation to step into influence with purpose and resilience.

Key Takeaways
• The leadership behaviours that drive impact and credibility
• How organisations can create inclusive environments that attract and retain female leaders
• Lessons from mentoring emerging leaders and building sustainable talent pipelines

Crisis Management: From Natural Disasters to Corporate Disruption

From bushfires to global pandemics, Felicia Mariani has steered industries through some of the most disruptive crises in recent history. She shares how leaders can balance risk, communicate with clarity, and work effectively with governments and stakeholders to support recovery. Audiences learn how to make tough calls under pressure while keeping people and purpose at the centre of decision-making.

Key Takeaways
• The critical phases of effective crisis response and recovery
• Balancing short-term actions with long-term outcomes
• Communication strategies that build trust with stakeholders and communities

Navigating Government and Policy: Turning Complexity into Opportunity

With more than 20 years working inside and alongside government, Felicia Mariani has deep insight into how decisions are made and how organisations can work effectively with policymakers. She demystifies the complexities of government engagement, showing leaders how to build strong partnerships, advocate with credibility, and secure outcomes that create meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways
• How government works and what leaders often misunderstand
• Practical approaches to advocacy, funding, and stakeholder alignment
• Lessons from shaping policy and securing support across multiple states

MC Services

An MC must do more than keep time and read from a script. Felicia Mariani ensures the stage becomes a genuine extension of the event, bringing depth, humour, and connection to every moment. With over 30 years leading organisations and industries through change and growth, Felicia takes the time to understand the audience, the sector, and the event’s purpose. She weaves this knowledge into her delivery, creating an experience that is engaging, authentic, and seamless from start to finish.

Session Facilitator

Effective facilitation requires more than managing a program, it demands the ability to unlock insights, capture diverse perspectives, and drive clarity of outcomes. Felicia brings extensive experience from boardrooms, government engagement, and industry forums to guide sessions that balance openness with direction. Whether working with small groups or in plenary settings, she distils complex ideas into actionable next steps, ensuring discussions translate into impact.