After the position had been officially vacant for months, Brand USA has announced the appointment of David Whitaker as its new chief marketing officer. A veteran of nearly three decades in the travel and tourism industry, Whitaker comes to the position from Tourism Toronto, where he has served as president and CEO for almost eight years. Prior to his tenure in Toronto, Whitaker spent 17 years with the Greater Miami CVB, lastly as executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
The last person to hold the title, Yvonne La Penotiere, held it for less than a year after she was appointed to the post in June 2013, just in time to attend ipw 2013 in Las Vegas. La Penotiere, who had spent most of her professional career in the Minneapolis area, left Washington, D.C. to return to the area for family-related reasons, according to reports. Then, she officially left Brand USA last June. In the interim, Tom Garzilli, senior vice president, global partner marketing, has handled many of the public duties of the CMO.
