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

Alexia Vetter has been appointed executive director of the M56 Group, the firm that operates the One Liberty observation deck in Philadelphia and 360 Chicago, as well as the Berlin TV Tower; the Montparnasse Tower Panoramic Observation Deck in Paris; and La Ferme Aux Crocodiles, an animal park in Southern France. A professional with a varied career, Vetter’s career includes a 10-year tenure with Club Med, lastly as vice president, Switzerland.

Hotelplan has appointed Julie Franklin as head of agency sales. Franklin, who spent nearly four years as agency sales manager at Mark Warner, will oversee Hotelplan UK’s agency sales teams for its brands Esprit Ski, Ski Total and Santa’s Lapland, as well as Inghams.

Meanwhile, Simon McIntyre, Hotelplan’s group head of sales for Inghams, Ski Total & Esprit is leaving the company after nine years to join Iglu’s operations board in the newly created role of general manager, ski, overseeing sales, marketing and commercial teams.

Debbie Evans has been named president of the travel trade show organizer Reed Exhibitions U.S., Evans is currently president of Reed Exhibitions South East Asia and Australia, based in Singapore. With her new role, she will be moving to the U.S. Several senior vice presidents will be departing with responsibilities shifted to other executives. Reed has been with the company since 2000, starting as group exhibition director for Reed Exhibitions Australia.

Gary Oster is retiring from the U.S. Travel Association, where he has served most recently as executive vice president of member services and managing director of Project: Time Off, the association’s campaign to persuade U.S. workers to use all of their vacation time and travel. A veteran of more than four decades in the industry, Oster was one of a number of Marriott executives who joined U.S. Travel shortly after Roger Dow, who came to US Travel as president and CEO after serving for a dozen years as Marriott’s senior vice president, global and field sales.

Michelle Laverick has been named head of sales, marketing and membership for joins HF Holidays, an operator that specializes in walking and recreational activity holidays. Laverick is former head of marketing for Collette. She has also held senior sales and marketing roles at Silver Travel Advisor, Wendy Wu Tours and Explore Worldwide

Mark Scheller has been named group sales director at Snowmass. He comes to the post from GlobauxSource, a Dallas, Texas-based meetings resource management firm. He has also worked in senior sales and marketing positions at major resort destinations in Scottsdale, Palm Springs and Orlando. Schiller succeeds Alan Palmer, who left the post last April.

Canada’s Air Transat, a leisure carrier,has named new UK and Ireland commercial and marketing chiefs.Adrian Keating (left), formerly Malaysia Airlines UK, Europe and North America regional manager, is the new UK and Ireland commercial director. Adam Clarke (right), formerly TUI Group head of brand activation, Adam Clarke (right), has been named UK and Ireland head of marketing.Keating started his career at British Airways in 1999, where he held a number of sales positions, before roles with easyJet as sales manager, Europe and Etihad Airways as global sales manager.Clarke previously worked across ancillary revenue and partner marketing at easyJet and held a marketing role at Flybe.