HODGE PODGE: Shifts, Shakeups and Occasional Shaftings in the Tour and Travel Industry

Sheelagh Wylie has left the inbound side of the U.S. tourism business—and her job as vice president, business development and head of trade sales, Midway Attractions, North America, Merlin Entertainments—to join Visit Britain as chief marketing officer, Americas. She is based in New York. For the past 15 years, with the exception of a brief tenure as a consultant, Wylie had been with Merlin. Her first position was as manager of trade sales for Madame Tussauds New York; Merlin acquired the Tussaud Group in 2007.

Nancy Mammana has been named senior vice president, marketing, for New York City & Company. She joins the agency from the Patina Restaurant Group, where she worked for 10 years. Her professional resumé includes tenures in senior positions at The Marketing Arm, the NBA, Alvin Ailey and the Cunard Line.

Isaac Pacheco has been promoted to national sales manager at Hornblower Cruises and Events, Previously, he had served for nearly three-and-a-half years as tour and travel sales manager. Prior to joining Hornblower, Pacheco served for nearly a dozen years at Entertainment Cruises, Inc.

The Cedar Rapids Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced the dismissal of Aaron McCreight, as its CEO. The move followed the news that a Cedar Rapids festival launched by the CVB lost millions of dollars. Newbo Evolve, a three-day arts and music event featuring headliners Kelly Clarkson and Maroon 5, lost an estimated $2.3 million, Go Cedar Rapids board chairman John Myers told a news conference. McCreight joined the Cedar Rapids bureau in 2015 from his position as CEO of the Casper (Wyo.) CVB/Casper Area Sports Alliance.

Luis Paulo Luppa, CEO of Orlando-based Brazilian operator Grupo Trend, has returned to Brazil after shepherding the company for the past year-and-a-half through its merger with/acquisition by CVC, Brazil’s largest travel company. According to the Brazilian travel trade news site, PANROTAS, the move “should mainly help in the verticality in the chain of command of the company, which will lead to greater agility in decisions.”

Also from Brazil, Scott Alboni is the new global marketing manager of FCM Travel Solutions. Alboni has had considerable experience in the fields of branding, marketing and design. He joined CTM in 2015, forging a first experience in tourism and business travel, before joining this new position at FCM at the global level. FCM is headquartered in Brisbane and operates a network spanning over 90 countries across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

The Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association has announced the appointment of Michael Jacobson as president and CEO. Jacobson, who most recently served as the senior director of industry relations and political engagement of the U.S. Travel Association, joins the organization effective Oct. 1, 2018 as president and CEO. He succeeds Marc Gordon who retires effective this December, following a 21-year tenure as the president and CEO. Jacobson has been with US Travel for eight years.

In Mumbai, India, Rupen Vikamsey, former managing director of Goomo Orbit, has launched Tibro Tours, which focuses on the M.I.C.E. segment. The new outbound operator has offices in 8 cities—Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangaluru, Pune, Nashik, Ahmedabad and Ludhiana, with a combined staff strength of 80 employees. Tibro organizes industrial visits for MBA students as well small businessmen. “Currently, we are offering customized trips, but depending on the response, we may offer fixed departure tours,” said Vikamsey.