Ms Kirby was born in Northern Ireland. She immigrated to Western Australia in 1987 having completed a Bachelor of Hospitality and Business.
Having gained significant hotel operational experience in Ireland and Australia, Fran was appointed Human Resources Manager at Observation City Hotel in 1992 until 1999. Thereafter she spent three years as Human Resources Manager at the Esplanade Hotel in Fremantle. In 2003 Fran joined Accor Hotels as the Regional Human Resources Manager for WA and the Northern Territory and was responsible for 18 hotels across the regions.
Fran was admitted to the Australian Hotels Association Hall of Fame in 2008 for services to the hospitality industry in WA. After semi-retiring in 2020 Fran continues to work as a consultant for Accor Hotels.
In 2022, Fran commenced in a role as Senior Workplace Relations Advisor at The Australian Hotels Association in WA and she is also a Board Member of Hospitality Group Training and Deputy Chair of the Tourism and Hospitality Consultative Committee for Edith Cowan University.
