Owen Tilbury grew up in Narrandera in country NSW, where he made weekly trips to the local cinema when he was young. Today, film continues to transport him to new and wonderful places. Through BOFA, he has combined this with another passion of his – the beauty of his home, Tasmania. He loves the mountains for their beauty, menace and solitude, the beaches for the unspoilt playground they provide kids and adults alike and the food and wines produced in Tasmania’s rich fertility.Owen has joined this love for film and Tasmania with his background in business, in which he has worked for over 30 years, to create BOFA. As committee member of the Launceston Film Society since 2009, he headed the sub-committee which organised the pilot BOFA in 2010, giving the largest film society in Australia, with over 1400 members, a taste of their first film festival. In his previous role he was General Manager of WHK Business Growth, the consulting arm of the national WHK Group (accountants and advisors). He has worked in North America, Britain, Europe, South Africa and Australia in a range of roles including line management, strategic planning, marketing, advertising/promotion, training and business consulting. In 2005 his firm won the CGU Business Excellence Award for Innovation in Business.Owen holds a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Education from Sydney University, studied marketing in South Africa and has the Diploma for successful completion of the Company Directors’ Course. He has achieved the highest industry association ratings of Certified Management Consultant (IMC), Certified Practicing Marketer (AIM) and Qualified Practicing Market Researcher (MRSA). As Festival Director of BOFA, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the administration, sponsorship, marketing and operations of the Festival. Owen is excited by the prospect of utilising one of the most difficult, complex and yet compelling media – film – to move people as a force for good.

Owen's role at WHK was to lead the team involved in:•Strategic business planning •Organisational transformation•Value/Supply chain management and business networks•Investment memoranda•Market research, branding and marketing/advertising •Stakeholder facilitation and consultation •Regional economic developmentOwen Tilbury was the General Manager of WHK Business Growth, which has been helping Australian businesses to reach their profit and growth goals since 1981. He has over three decades of business and consulting experience working on three continents. He now acts as a free-lance Senior Project Consultant working on specific projects relevant to his expertise and background.WHK Business Growth has a consulting team based in all the major centres around Australia and New Zealand, a market research field force and national partnerships with a variety of consulting and coaching organisations.The firm's growth has been based on the development of intellectual property, most of which was developed by Owen. Software and printed materials have been developed that puts into the hands of small and medium sized businesses, the planning tools usually only available to larger corporations.

I was the CEO involved in scoping client projects, leading the consulting team and being responsible for the final presentation and implementation. I wrote new materials and software for client programmes especially in the area of organisational change.