Dreamworld inquest: former CEO Deborah Thomas to get $3,000-a-day fee. The outgoing chief executive of the company that owns Dreamworld will receive a $730,000 payout, and get $3,000 a day to attend an inquest into the deaths of four people in last year's accident on the Thunder River Rapids ride.

The most prominent former CEO of Dreamworld is Deborah Thomas, who led the park's parent company, Ardent Leisure, during the 2016 Thunder River Rapids tragedy. Thomas became the face of the company's crisis management during that period and eventually stepped down in 2017. Another key figure is Craig Davidson, who served as the CEO of Dreamworld specifically at the time of the accident. Since then, the park has seen several leadership changes as part of its long-term recovery and rebranding efforts. In 2026, the park is under the direction of a new executive team focused on safety and modernization, but Thomas remains the most frequently cited "ex-CEO" in public discussions due to the high-profile nature of her tenure and the subsequent coronial inquest that followed the park's darkest chapter.