Andrea Kendal, group commercial director for Hays Travel, has left the company and is now managing director of Affordable Car Hire. Kendal had been with Hays since June 2006.

 

 

Thomas Cook Airlines has appointed former airberlin vice-president Titus Johnson as vice president,  North America & Caribbean. Johnson was with airberlin from 2012 until September 2014, when he joined Qatar Airways, leaving the latter earlier this year.Prior to joining airberlin Johnson held roles at British Airways, VLM Airlines and Australian Airlines.

 

The state tourism director for New Jersey is stepping down. Grace Hanlon, executive director of New Jersey’s Division of Travel and Tourism, has announced that she is resigning, effective June 1st. Hanlon, 47, explained that she has a newborn daughter, and was ready for the next chapter in her life. Hanlon was appointed executive director of the state’s tourism agency in 2010 by Gov. Chris Christie.  Previously, Hanlon was president of Edvantage Media Group, an educational media production company that she founded in 1994.

 

As part of an ongoing structural reorganization that began two years ago, the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau has announced a series of changes to its senior leadership team, including the transition of Steve Rathje, marketing director, to build a business intelligence team within the marketing department. Rathje has been with the bureau since December 2011.

 

The president and CEO of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, Ted Beattie, has announced that he will retire in December 2016 after more than 20 years in the job. Beattie, 70, started his zoo and aquarium career as the Cincinnati Zoo‘s first marketing and development director, and he went on to hold directorships of the Knoxville, Tenn., and Fort Worth, Texas, zoos.

 

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has named Rich Doucette as the state’s new executive director of travel & tourism. He reports to Jay Ash, secretary of Housing & Economic Development. Doucette replaces Betsy Wall, who held the position for the last seven years. Doucette has an extensive marketing background, having organized The Boston Cup Classic Car Show on the Boston Common and headed Shoppers Marketing, which helped companies in the downtown Boston area.

 

In Chicago, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, also known as McPier—it operates the Navy Pier, the city’s most visited attraction, which draws more than 9 million visitors annually—has hired Chicagoan Lori Healey as its new chief executive. Healey, who previously served as chief of staff to former Mayor Richard M. Daley, took over from veteran Jim Reilly, who retired after three years in the position. Reilly had also served as McPier’s CEO from 1989 to 1999, and was also president and CEO of the Chicago CVB for several years. Before her appointment, Healey was CEO of Chicago-based investment firm Tur Partners, founded by Daley and his son Patrick; she also served as executive director of the NATO summit host committee.

 

Mike Waterman has been named president of the Greater Houston CVB and executive vice-president of Houston First Corporation (HFC). Last year, the CVB and HFC boards approved a strategic alignment between the two organizations. As part of that agreement, CVB employees became employees of HFC while the bureau maintained its own board of directors and gained seats on the HFC board. Waterman comes to the position from Marriott International where he most recently served as vice-president of sales for the Southwest region.

 

Abta (formerly the Association of British Travel Agents) has appointed Victoria Bacon as its new head of brand and business development. Bacon, who left Abta just months ago, will focus on the development of the “Abta Travel with Confidence” brand, and on Abta’s commercial activities as well as directing the communications function

 

Sunwing Travel Group has announced the appointment of Stuart Morris as general manager, Morris will responsible for the group’s retail division which comprises the full service travel agency, SellOffVacations.com and specialist wedding planners, Luxe Destination Weddings.

 

Amanda Wills, described by Sir Richard Branson as “a legend within the travel industry” has joined the board of travel-themed social network talkholiday. Wills was the managing director of Virgin Holidays for 13 years until her departure in 2014. She joins talkholiday in a non-executive role with a brief to increase brand awareness through commercial partnerships and as the principal strategist in the travel sector.

Todd Davidson, president and CEO of Travel Oregon (Oregon Tourism Commission) has officially taken over as the new national chair of the U.S. Travel Association as the association began its membership year with a new board of directors. Davidson, who has moved up the ladder of the board’s executive committee, is one of the longest serving state tourism directors in the USA—he started with Travel Oregon in 1996 after serving for two years as international program manager for the Oregon Tourism Commission. Davidson has also chaired the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board; he has served on the board since December 2011.

 

A member of the NAJ Strategic Advisory Council and long-time travel and tourism industry leader, Bob Gilbert has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing for Exotics Racing the world’s largest and highest rated racing school experience, which currently has locations in Las Vegas, California and growing. Gilbert, who has headed the consulting firm Captivation Marketing, previously held senior positions at several different travel and tourism companies including: a tenure as vice president of sales and marketing for Delaware North Companies; executive vice president, international, Helms Briscoe; and publisher of Travel Agent magazine.

 

Jennifer Barbee has been named senior vice president, digital, for North Star Destination Strategies, a Nashville-based firm specializing in destination marketing, communications and branding. She comes to the post after heading up her own marketing and tourism consulting firm for eight years. Previously, she served for six years as president of USDM.net.

 

Lesley Kane, has left her post as head of corporate travel and groups at Ryanair and has joined Canada-based carrier Air Transat as director of sales for Britain and Ireland. Transat flies to a number of U.S. destinations, selling both flights and packages.

 

Brand USA has announced the appointment of David Whitaker as its new chief marketing officer. A veteran of nearly three decades in the travel and tourism industry, Whitaker comes to the position from Tourism Toronto, where he has served as president and CEO for almost eight years. Prior to his tenure in Toronto, Whitaker spent 17 years with the Greater Miami CVB, lastly as executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

Tennessee has a new state tourism director as Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Kevin Triplett as commissioner of the state’s Department of Tourist Development. Triplett, 49, will leave his post as vice president of public affairs for Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS). Prior to joining BMS in 2005, he worked in various roles for NASCAR, ultimately serving as managing director of business operations, guiding the operation and administration of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series. Triplett succeeds Susan Whitaker, who announced her departure in December. She is a former Dollywood executive who served as commissioner during Gov. Phil Bredesen‘s administration, as well as during Haslam’s first term.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. has announced two key appointments: Debra Goetz has been named senior vice president, corporate marketing and global communications; and Sandra Cordova Micek has been appointed senior vice president, global brands. Goetz joins Hyatt with more than 20 years of brand marketing expertise, including most recently as vice president of corporate marketing for the Gannett Company where she led marketing and communications initiatives. Prior to Gannett, she served as vice president at NBC Universal where she led the company’s Healthy at NBCU and Green is Universal initiatives, and as vice president for Univision Communications Inc. Cordova Micek brings more than 20 years of brand-building experience to the role, most recently as senior vice president of marketing for USA TODAY . Prior to USA TODAY, she was a vice president at NBC Universal, where she led cross NBCU sales and marketing and ran Women at NBCU.

SeaWorld Entertainment has announced the selection of a new president and CEO: He is Joel Manby, who most recently spent a decade as president and CEO of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned theme-park and entertainment company in the country, with more than 20 entertainment attractions includes Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.; Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga.; and the Harlem Globetrotters franchise. Manby, 55, succeeds Jim Atchison, who stepped down as CEO in January.

 

Marc Anderson was recently named chief sales officer and senior vice president for Choose Chicago. Before joining Choose Chicago, Anderson served as regional director of marketing for the U.S. and Canada for Peninsula Hotels. Anderson is, in effect, returning to the tourism agency. Prior to his work with Peninsula, Anderson worked for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, which was renamed Choose Chicago. During his previous tenure, he served as assistant vice president of sales.

 

American Express Global Business Travel has announced the appointment of Christine Ourmieres-Widener as chief global sales officer. She joins the company after leaving her post as CEO of CityJet. She will start her new position in June.

 

 

Cosmos Holidays has announced the appointment of a new managing director, Richard Francis, to replace Phil Boggon, who will be leaving the business at the end of April. Francis, who is currently finance director, and has been with the tour operator for more than 14 years. He will also join the company’s group executive committee.

 

 

Thomas Cook chief executive Peter Fankhauser—he took over from the departed Harriet Green in November—has revamped the company’s management structure, creating a smaller top management team. Green had more than 20 people reporting to her directly; Fankhauser said that this structure needed to be streamlined. Instead, he has a four-person executive committee that includes: himself; chief financial officer Michael Healy; chief airlines and hotels officer Christoph Debus; and chief corporate officer Craig Stoehr. The move didn’t mean that he had “cleared out people” in his first three months as chief executive, although he has eliminated the post of chief operating officer–a position Fankhauser himself held before his promotion to CEO.

 

Funway Holidays appointed Amy Drummond as its new business development manager for Scotland, North East, Northern Ireland & Yorkshire.

 

 

Joleen Haran has take over as director of sales for Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. She joins the attraction from Choose Chicago, where she served for nearly 15 years, most recently as assistant director, tourism.