Two new members of Brand USA’s 11-member board of directors have been appointed. They are: Alice Norsworthy, chief marketing officer, Universal Orlando Resort and executive vice president, international brand management, Universal Parks & Resorts (representing the attractions or recreations sector); and Thomas O’Toole, senior fellow and clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University and, formerly, senior vice president, chief marketing officer and president, MileagePlus at United Airlines (representing the passenger air sector).
TUI has promoted Frank Rosenberger, currently group strategy director and a member of the TUI Group’s executive committee, to the group’s executive board starting Jan. 1, 2017 with a three-year contract. A former global business development manager for the Vodafone Group, Rosenberger joined TUI in autumn 2015. In his new position, he will take over responsibility for IT and New Markets. Until now, IT was one of the responsibilities of Sebastian Ebel, alongside hotels, cruises, destination management and also TUI Germany.
Yuhnis Sydnor has been named domestic and international sales director for Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours. A Philadelphia native who’s been a part of the tour and travel industry for more than 20 years, he has had tenures in senior sales positions for several different tour companies. He began his career as an associate director of sales for the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport.
Jake Buganski has been appointed executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. He joins the office from the Steuben County (N.Y.) CVB. Previously, he had served as executive director of Visit South Jersey, where he had worked for more than a decade (October 2005 – December 2015). Buganski replaces Grace Hanlon, who had served in the post for more than six years.
Stephan Braun has taken up the new position of group head of strategic business progress for FTI, working closely with CEO Dietmar Gunz. He comes to the FTI from Thomas Cook, where he was group director, hotel contracting and destination management worldwide.
