Tori Barnes has been promoted to the position of executive vice president of public affairs by the U.S. Travel Association. She succeeds Jonathan Grella, who led U.S. Travel’s advocacy arm since May of 2013, and leaves to start his own firm, JAG Public Affairs. Barnes joined US Travel in November 2017 as senior vice president of government relations. Previously, she served for more than 14 years at General Motors; when she left the company, she was executive director of federal affairs. Prior to her tenure at GM, she served as Congressional Liaison at the Republican National Committee. U.S. Travel will retain Grella in a consulting role
NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon has announced several promotions and additions to its executive leadership team:
Nancy Mammana, who joined the organization last year has been promoted to chief marketing officer. In her capacity, she will continue to lead NYC & Company’s global marketing strategies, as well the company’s efforts in sports, business development, licensed merchandise and events.
Jerry Cito, who joined NYC & Company in 2001, has been promoted to executive vice president, convention development. Cito continues to lead the organization’s global convention and MICE development.
Christopher Heywood, who began at NYC & Company in 2007, has been promoted to executive vice president, global communications. In his role, he continues to lead the organization’s international and domestic PR and communications, corporate communications and crisis communications.
Donna Keren, Ph.D, who has worked with NYC & Company since 2002, has been promoted to executive vice president, research & insights. In her role, she will continue to head the organization’s research unit, providing market intelligence, analysis, economic reports and industry statistics.
Aaron Jones has been named executive vice president of The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Jones joins the GBCVB after having served four years as CEO of MetroLacrosse, the largest urban lacrosse and youth development program in the United States. His primary responsibilities will include oversight of day-to-day operations, operating budgets, financial practices, and revenue generation. He will also be tasked with carrying out the GBCVB’s core mission, growing Boston’s market share of visitors.
Neil Slaven has been promoted to the post of UK country director for EasyJet. Slaven, who joined easyJet in 2011 and has worked in a variety of roles across the airline’s network development and airport procurement divisions, took on the new position on March 1st. He will work with teams across the airline’s 11 UK bases and will report to group markets director, Thomas Haagensen.
The Signature Travel Network has hired Phil Cappelli from Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold as part of a broader series of changes to its marketing and preferred partnership departments. Cappelli will serve as senior vice president, preferred partnerships.
Elodie Colomb has been appointed production and marketing director for bynativ, the French travel company that sells tailor-made product abroad that are put together by in-country agents. Its product includes custom-made itineraries in the United States.
After serving a one-year stint as interim president and CEO of Visit Norfolk, long-time tour and travel executive Sam Rogers is on the market for new projects. Before his tenure in Norfolk, Rogers served nearly a decade at Visit Baltimore, where he was executive vice president and chief marketing officer. He also served for 8 years as a vice president of the Philadelphia CVB. He can be reachedat samphl@hotmail.com.
Géraldine Lumia (left) and Julie Racaud (right) have joined the sales team at JetSet Voyages. Both are experienced tour and travel industry professionals. Lumia’s industry experience in senior level positions at TUI and Transat, where she spent nearly 17 years.
Flytour MMT Viagens, operator of the Flytour Group, has announced a change in its executive structure in the South and Northeast regions of Brazil, with a transfer of position and hiring, respectively. The South, a region that from now on will have a new general manager: Carla Biancato. A veteran of nearly 20 years in the industry, Carla has been part of the Flytour MMT Viagens team since 2017.
Kanika Soni has joined TripAdvisor® the company as president of the hotels business unit, effective April 15. In this role, Soni will oversee TripAdvisor’s hotels business, representing a substantial part of the company’s total revenue. She will be responsible for product, engineering, sales and marketing for hotels. Most recently, Soni served as senior vice president, global e-commerce of the Consumer Products Division at the Walt Disney Company. Prior to Disney, Soni led the Online and Global Digital Marketing teams at Tesla Motors.
Ivan Walter has been named as the new chief executive of the STA Travel Group. Walter, who will take on the role starting April 1st, is well known in the tour and travel industry in the UK and Europe. He has served for 12 years with Kuoni and for five years as chief executive at GTA Travel. Walter is taking over the role from Reinhard Kotzaurek, who is returning to the central Europe region to lead the business there as managing director, CEU.
Long time tour and travel industry pro Doug Killian has left the industry. Killian, well known as a representative of Mall of America, where he served nearly 17 years, lastly as senior director of international tourism marketing and sales, has signed on as an account executive with Minneapolis-based Life Floor, a flooring system designed for aquatic environments.
Sarah Curtis recently joined Bonotel Exclusive Travel as director of sales. She is based in the UK. Prior to joining Bonotel, she was a regional sales manager for The Mark Travel Corporation and, previously, she served with Virgin Holidays for more than 13 years in several different senior sales positions.
Kathleen Keller Frankford has left her position as president of Discover Lancaster in Pennsylvania to become chief marketing officer at Next Factor Enterprises Inc., a tour and travel industry consulting firm that is based in West Vancouver, Canada. Frankford spent more than six years at Discover Lancaster. Previously, she worked for the American Music Theater in Lancaster and the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, Pa. She was served as tourism director for the Cumberland Valley (Pa.) Visitors Bureau.
Jonathan Elkoubi has been named senior regional director—New York & Boston, at Leisure Pass Group. He joins the company from VR (Virtual Reality World) in Manhattan. Previously, Elkoubi had tenures at Applebees-Apple-Metro Inc., and Ripley’s Believe or Not! Times Square.
Brian Scullin has taken on a new position as account director-USA East at Musement. He joins the tours and activities company which is owned by the TUI Group, from the Leisure Pass Group. Previously, he was with Big Bus Tours as commercial sales manager in New York.
