Gregg Caren has been appointed president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor Bureau. He will be succeeding Julie Coker, who is moving to San Diego to become president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. Caren most recently served for more than a dozen years as executive vice president, sales and strategic business development for ASM Global (formerly SMG), operator of over 350 venues worldwide, headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. He also served in various senior leadership. Caren has more than three decades of industry experience and will join the bureau on June 8, 2020.
In a series of changes and promotions, the Walt Disney Company has announced a series of changes and promotions, with one of particular interest to the travel trade: Thomas Mazloum , who becomes president of Disney Signature Experiences, which include the tour organizer Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and the shared vacation company Disney Vacation Club. Mazloum joined the Disney operation three years ago from Crystal Cruise Line, where he spent 15 years, lastly as chief operating officer. Previously he spent two years with Walt Disney World Resort/Epcot as general manager-food & beverage and special events. Mazloum succeeds Jeff Vahle, who has moved on to the position of president of Walt Disney World Resort.
In the wake of a major reorganization at CVC, the largest tour operator/travel agency in Brazil, Fernando Souza Oliveira, executive director of planning, revenue management and new business, has stepped down from the company after nearly 10 years. A CVC statement said “The company thanks Mr. Fernando Souza Oliveira for his dedication and wishes success on the new journey.”
Kevin Mayer, the executive who led Disney’s streaming efforts, is leaving the company to become the CEO of TikTok. Mayer is making the move after, some published accounts say, he was widely viewed as being passed over for the top job at Disney earlier this year. Mayer will be the CEO of the short-form video app as well as the chief operating officer of ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company. Mayer was the chairman of Disney’s direct-to-consumer division since its founding in 2018. His departure came after he wasn’t selected to replace Bob Iger as Disney’s CEO earlier this year. That job ultimately went to Bob Chapek, who served as chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
Jennifer Sullivan has been named director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, serving as an in-market representative for Washington, D.C.-based clients. She joins the organization from Destination Cleveland, were she was regional sales and business development manager. Previously, she was senior national sales manager for Baltimore, Maryland.
Royce Chwin has been selected as president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, one of Canada’s oldest DMOs. Chwin joins Tourism Vancouver from Travel Alberta, where he had been CEO of the provincial crown corporation responsible for marketing Alberta worldwide. Chwin was appointed president and CEO of the organization in 2014. Previously, he was Travel Alberta’s chief marketing officer. He joined the organization in 2010 as managing director, global marketing and brand strategy. Chwin also worked at the Canadian Tourism Commission for several years.
Just days before Hertz filed for bankruptcy, the company announced that former Cabela’s executive Paul Stone will take over as president and CEO. The move followed the resignation of Kathryn V. Marinello. The company said Marinello will stay on for up to a year as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition. In April, Hertz laid off some 10,000 employees not long after the impact of the corona virus-driven global pandemic began to lay waste to major sectors of the U.S. tour and travel industry. Stone joined Hertz in March 2018 to lead the company’s North American car rental operations. Previously, he held senior management positions at Cabela’s, Walmart and Sam’s Club.
Kevin Rabbitt has been appointed CEO of the Hornblower Group, a globally known company in the small passenger vessel business. Rabbitt is expected to take up the role in July, while founder, chairman and current CEO Terry MacRae will continue as executive chairman. A member of the Hornblower board since 2018, Rabbitt joins from NEP Group, a global provider of tele-production services for major events, where he has been CEO since 2012. Under his leadership, the company expanded its operations from two to 24 countries. A native of Kansas City, Rabbitt has had a career stretching two decades, including tenures at the management consultant firm Bain & Co, and Las Vegas-based Global Experience Specialists, a leading producer of face-to-face events and expositions.
