In Year 8, Kylee Kay, future Managing Director of Linkd Tourism, started her own fan club. 20 cents secured membership, granting access to a coveted (though perhaps not commercially produced) badge of honor: a handwritten ‘Miss K Fan Club’ proudly displayed on a repurposed folder paper-reinforcement sticker.
“Kids had them on their collars… everywhere. Mum would have kids come up to her on the weekends at the supermarket showing her their fan merch as evidence.
“It was weird but I made some cash!”
It was a telling sign of things to come for Kylee.
Rising to the challenge
At school (and let’s face it, beyond), Kylee was hard to pigeon hole. She excelled in Mathematics and English, but also starred in the school plays.
“I was an all-rounder, academically and socially and I just floated around like that,” she admits.
“I was just interested in everything. And I wanted to be a generalist: a master of nothing, but really good at lots of things.”
Kylee’s father left when she was four and her two sisters were still toddlers. Being the eldest, Kylee took on responsibilities early.
“It was tough, and I probably grew up way too quick. I turned to religion in my teens for some moral grounding. I was an angel compared to every other teenager I knew. But in my mid-20s, I unleashed the beast,” she says.
Growing up in a financially constrained household, Kylee was compelled by a desire to rise above her circumstances.
“We lived below the poverty line my whole life. I was driven by not wanting to be that when I was older,” she tells Karryon.
It was these financial constraints that saw Kylee leaving school midway through Year 10. However, this did little to deter her ambition. At 17, she returned to Sydney, matriculated at Randwick TAFE, and subsequently pursued a Bachelor of Business and Accounting at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
Professional and personal growth
The idea of Kylee as the cliché accountant is almost laughable. But balancing financial savvy with a visionary approach has been the cornerstone of Kylee’s remarkable career trajectory.
“Having accounting behind me is a skill that not everyone has. It helps me understand the financials deeply while driving growth and innovation,” she says.
With over 30 years in travel and tourism (and yes that means she had her first CFO role at just 22!), Kylee has spearheaded numerous successful companies as Managing Director, CFO, and COO. She has also built and steered her own highly-regarded travel sales, marketing, and PR agency for over 13 years.
But Kylee’s success at such a young age was not just about numbers and balance sheets; it was about understanding the bigger picture and being able to make strategic decisions that would drive growth and profitability.
Beyond her commercial success, Kylee is a dedicated volunteer within the travel and tourism sector. She served a distinguished two-year term (2016-2018) as President/Chair of the Visit USA committee. Her expertise extended to the Australian Society of Travel Writers where she served as a board member, providing invaluable PR guidance during a period of significant challenge. Additionally, she lent her PR and media expertise to GALTA, Australia’s leading LGBTQ+ tourism authority.
“I realised I was gay at 25,” she shares. “That changed everything, including where I went out and who I socialised with. I always normalised who I was, and surrounded myself with people who accepted me.”
Ultimate flexibility
In 2010, Kylee took over Asia Pacific Travel Marketing Services, now trading as Linkd Tourism.
Her leadership style is characterised by flexibility and a strong focus on work-life balance. “My philosophy on leadership is simple: you’re my beautiful chickens, go out and lay the golden egg. I don’t care when you do it or how you do it, as long as it aligns with our values and reputation,” she says with a laugh.
“A lot of leaders learned little to nothing from the pandemic. So many claimed they couldn’t wait to get back into an office, because they couldn’t manage their team unless in front of them. That’s not very visionary.
“I believe the future of success is in ultimate flexibility for people, not forcing them into rigid and old-school schedules. Let people work out how they’re going to work best and ask them to do that for you.”
Reflecting on Kylee’s journey, I can’t help but wonder what those 20-cent investments in the ‘Miss K Fan Club’ might be worth today. Kylee may now dismiss the fan club as a funny little anecdote, but it was the start of a remarkable story of growth and achievement, proving the power of daring to back yourself, find your tribe and dream big.
