Beginning October 1st, Stefan Baumert will take over as CEO of TUI Germany. Baumert assumes responsibility for the company’s tour operator business in Central Europe with the markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Poland. He succeeds Marek Andryszak, who is leaving TUI at the end of the current financial year on September 30th. Baumert began his professional career at TUI in 1999 after studying business administration and has since worked for the group in various management positions in Germany and London.

Aniseh Dalju, Marie Martin, Brandon Furyk, Greg “Fish” Fischbein and Jordan Allen, in collaboration with the team at Long Beach, California-based Onward (group travel services) are launching their new brand—Onward Expeditions. Expeditions, which is focused on curriculum-based student group travel—working together with faculty throughout the country and abroad, taking the curriculum beyond the classroom. “We are a diverse and passionate team,” said Dalju, “creating exceptional travel experiences. No matter size or scope, we consider all the details, crafting the right travel solution for you every time.”

Brian McCartin, president & CEO at Tempe Tourism Office, has announced his retirement. He joined Tempe in 2017 following his 14-year tenure at Travel Portland. Michael Martin, long-time executive vice president, has been named interim president/CEO.   

Birmingham, UK-based Attraction World has recruited Ella Sopp as its new head of business development. Sopp will be responsible for “building new relationships across the travel distribution sphere,” including OTAs and in-destination partnerships. She brings more than 13 years of industry knowledge to the B2B tours and attractions supplier as the company continues to reshape its management team. Sopp has previously held senior roles with industry media outlets such as Arival, Tourpreneur, Tnooz (now Phocuswire) and Travel Technology Europe. Attraction World connects travel brands in over 80 countries., and has enabled over 3 million customers to pre-book attractions and destination experiences worldwide.

Andrew Ortale has been appointed as the new chief sales officer at VisitPITTSBURGH. Ortale’s appointment marks a return to Pittsburgh for the seasoned veteran, as he previously served as national sales director for VisitPITTSBURGH from 2000-03 before taking on a senior sales position with Visit Orlando. Previously, he worked for ASIS International from 2017. Prior to that, he served in senior positions at National Trade Productions.  
 

Thomas Osswald has been named the new managing director for the German travel agency franchise system Derpart (it is part of DER Touristik Group). His appointment follows the decision of Aquilin Schömig and Andreas Neumann decided to leave the company at their own request. The business economist and travel agent Thomas Osswald began his career in 1994 in the travel agency franchise sector in various managerial positions at Lufthansa City Center Reisebüropartner GmbH and became its managing director in 1999. From 2006 onwards, he was in charge of franchise management at TUI Deutschland for several years. From 2009, Osswald held various managerial positions at the Amadeus subsidiary i: FAO Group and at the parent company Amadeus, including as Director Commercial the areas of Key Customer Relations, Commercial and Key Account Services and currently the Strategy TMC Partners area at Amadeus IT Group. 

Florian Renner this week takes over the management of the North America product at FTI in Zurich. The USA specialist was most recently the strategic head of The Brand USA, the marketing organization of the United States, at the Munich-based Lieb Management agency. Long-distance travel manager Matthias Huwiler sees Renner as a “great gain for our product area.” “We are certain that his know-how makes him an ideal team leader to set important impulses for the strategic direction for trips to the USA and Canada”, says Huwiler.

Renu Snehi has been named senior vice president of global brands for Travel + Leisure Company. with the mission of overseeing the company’s multi-brand commercial strategy. Bringing 20 years of experience with top brands in the global hospitality industry to Travel + Leisure Co., Snehi joins the company following the acquisition of the renowned Travel + Leisure brand earlier this year. In her role, she will be responsible for global branding and brand communications for the Company’s three lines of business: Wyndham Destinations, Panorama, the world’s largest affiliate travel company; and Travel + Leisure Group.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Anne Sayers as the state tourism secretary, a post she’s held as interim director since November. Sayers replaces Sara Meaney, who resigned from the post. Sayers had been deputy secretary under Meaney since 2019 when Evers took office. Previously, Sayers had been deputy state director. Prior to that, she was director of marketing and communications for the International Crane Foundation.

Paul Mason has been named senior manager of global trade at the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. He joins from Wyndham Resorts & Hotels. Mason was with the company for nearly 19 years, most recently as director, wholesale account management and distribution.

Space Perspective, the world’s first luxury spaceflight experience, announced that travel industry veteran Edyta Teper has joined the company as head of global sales-trade partnerships. In this role, Teper will be responsible for overseeing global sales for travel trade partnerships. She will lead sales efforts and collaborate with the marketing team in new business development. Teper, who will report to Sandy Heydt, chief marketing officer, joins the new company from Virgin Voyages, where she was a senior sales executive.  

Bob Hackett has been named executive director at Travel South Oregon. He joined the organization in 2017 following 19 years as marketing manager at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has also served as a visiting instructor of Willamette University and at Oregon State University.

Jasmyn Goodwin has been promoted to vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Omaha. She joined the organization 14 years ago and has been serving in this position on an interim basis for the past year. Working at Visit Omaha for the past 14 years, Goodwin has served as the organization’s director of marketing, managing a team of content creators and VisitOmaha.com, the city’s official tourism website.

Florian Storp has left his position as managing director of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT). In doing so, he also leaves vacant his position as vice president of Central and Eastern Europe.  With Storp’s withdrawal, American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is not only losing its long-time managing director in Germany, Storp’s position as vice president Central and Eastern Europe is also vacant. The departure of Storp comes as a surprise. On request, there was no information about a possible successor both as Germany’s managing director and as the person responsible for Central and Eastern Europe.

Marie Loyola has joined the Paris-based Article Onze Group, a European marketing and public relations group, where she will promote the southern states of the USA along with Travel South USA on the French and Belgian markets. Previously, she was with the Office du Tourisme des Visit USA Committee France.

Nuitée Travel has announced the appointment of Yasir Talib as senior business development manager. Talib brings more than 15 years of expertise in the B2B travel distribution field. In his previous roles, he served as Senior Sales Manager in different companies like Kuoni / GTA, G2 Travel and ATI. Talib is a New Yorker home-based in the suburbs of the city, and he will strengthen the commercial team led by Fabiana Ferreira, global director of sales. Nuitée is a B2B company that began operations in 2017

Christina Erny has been promoted from director of marketing to vice president of marketing at the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. She is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic marketing initiatives and overseeing programs related to integrated marketing, research, advertising, media buying and negotiating, official publications and collateral, web strategy, social media and event marketing, as well as lead the day-to-day operations of the marketing and communications teams. Erny has been with the bureau for more than a decade. She joined in 2011 has public relations and social media coordinator.

Matt Bolas has been appointed executive director the Bristol Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation, which overseas tourism promotion for an area that includes Bristol, which straddles that state line separating Virginia and Tennessee, and is considered by many to be the birthplace of American country music. A native of Kingsport, Tenn., Bolas has more than 20 years of experience in the tourism industry, including 18 years as executive director of Discover Bristol and two years as sports marketing manager at Visit Kingsport.

Angela Indemaio has been appointed to the new position of sales coordinator at Blue Man Group. She comes to the company from her post as a tour and travel sales manager at New York Cruise Lines, Inc., where she spent nearly eight years.

Marcie Ellison Outerbridge, vice president of Ellison Travel & Tours—a major force in the North American student and youth market, with three offices across Canada—has been appointed vice president of the Student Youth Travel Association (SYTA). Outerbridge, who has been with family operated Ellison Travel and Tours for nearly 17 years, has been an active SYTA member during most of that time.

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Job Postings

From SearchWide Global:

—Visit Milwaukee is searching for a vice president of marketing and communications. More details here.

—Visit Dana Point, California, has an opening for an executive director. More details here.

—Discover The Palm Beaches is looking for an associate vice president of group sales. More details here.

—Discover The Palm Beaches is searching for a director of events, tradeshow & strategic sales partnerships. More details here.

—The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, which represents an area of coastal communities in northwestern Michigan, has an opening for a new executive director. More details here.

—The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking a senior vice president of convention sales. More details here.

—The Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade is searching for a director of marketing and communications. More details here.

—The Roebbelen Center @ the Grounds, a multi-purpose event facility on 60 acres situated between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, is seeking a general manager. More details here.

—In Arlington, Texas, there is an opening for president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. More details here.

—Freeman is searching for a vice president, national graphics. More details here.

—Visit Dallas has an opening for a senior vice president/chief marketing officer. More details here.

—Destination Door County (Wisconsin) is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.

—In Oregon, the Josephine County Visitor Association’s Destination Marketing Organization, Experience Grants Pass, us searching for an executive director. More details here. 

—The Oklahoma State Fair is seeking a president and CEO. More details here.

—There is an opening for a chief executive officer at Explore Skagit Valley in Washington State. More details here.

—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts has an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here

—Georgia’s Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority is searching for a conference sales director. More details here.

Also, Visit Dallas, one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth, has the following job openings. For more details, click on the individual links: Administrative Assistant; Diversity & Inclusion Resource Manager; Event Manager; Sales Coordinator; and Site Coordinator.

###

From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs currently listed.

—Sky Land and Ocean Travel in Philadelphia has an opening for a virtual travel coordinator. More details here.

—Barefoot Wanderlust Adventures has an opening for a travel specialist who can work from a remote location. More details here.

—New York City & Company has an opening for a coordinator, global communications. More details here.

—Delta Air Lines is searching for a specialist, reservations strategic initiatives. More details here.

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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.

—The Miles Partnership has an opening for a Travel Media Sales and Marketing Executive. Location: Remote. More details here.

—The city of Eustis, Florida is looking for an events & tourism manager. Salary range is $50,361 to $75,670 a year. More details here.

—The Philadelphia office of Tiquets, the global ticket booking company for attractions, is looking for a U.S.-based supply coordinator (the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. More details here.

—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.

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Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you. Email tom@tomberrigan.com

Katja Jahn has left G2 Travel North America after more than four years, and has joined TripArc/Travel Edge/Kensington Tours where she is vice president procurement DMC. Previously, she had been senior product manager at YMT Vacations; and manager, tour development at AmericanTours International, where she served as manager of tour development.

Former Tourico and Hotelbeds executive Matias Elisavetsky has been appointed as the first chief commercial officer for the transportation booking platform Bookaway following the recent global launch of the Bookaway Group. The company’s mission is to modernize the ground and sea transportation industry by supporting local, independent transport suppliers around the world to bring their operations online. The former director of sourcing at Hotelbeds, Matias brings just over 16 years of global experience in commercial strategy in the travel and tourism industries, managing client relationships and driving new contracts. Mattias spent just over 11 years at Tourico Holidays, where he became executive vice president of global product development before the business was acquired by Hotelbeds in 2017.

Maria Vazquez has been named product manager at AmericanTours International, one the largest tour operators in the Americas. Her résumé includes tenures as an area contract manager for Hotelbeds; area sourcing manger, Florida & South USA; and senior product manager, Florida, for AlliedTPro.

Peter Gamez has taken over as president and CEO of Visit Oakland. A lifelong San Francisco resident and familiar figure in the region’s travel and tourism industry, Gamez replaces interim CEO Michael LeBlanc, who stood in following the departure of Mark Everton who left the organization last April after five years to become president / CEO at the Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority. Gamez has held senior sales, marketing and business development roles for several different lodging entities, including a tenure of more than 14 years with Joie de Vivre Hospitality.

Brian Fisher, who was a founding board member of the Lake County Tourism Improvement District, which is located about 100 miles northwest of Sacramento and is home to several lake attractions in Central California, has been named the first executive director of the tourism promotion agency. Prior to starting his curated apartment hotel business in Kelseyville, known as Suite on Main, Fisher held a number of executive sales and management positions in advertising including publishers including The Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast, and Hearst Publishing.

The aviation and travel technology provider Dohop has announced the appointment of Sarah Hanan to its executive team as commercial director. Sarah joins from Omio where she led the team that delivered the company’s strategic partnership program. Also on her resume: Hanan was commercial director at UK-based Cheapflights, where she spent nearly 14 years.

Tom Maynard has been appointed new head of UK and Europe sales for Virgin Atlantic. He joined the airline from travel management company (TMC) BCD Travel, and before that he worked for management consultancy McKinsey & Co in Singapore and New York.

Cindy Hartner has taken on a new leadership role within the DMC Network’s headquarters team as senior director of global sales for the company. Hartner has played pivotal roles on both the sales and operations side of the DMC Network business. She is active with the MPI community, having served as president for both the MPI Washington State Chapter and ILEA Dallas Chapter, as well as serving on both the ILEA Seattle and MPI Dallas Ft. Worth boards. DMC Network’s member-owned community of destination management companies operate in 100 destinations across North America, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Europe.

In the UIK, Rob Carroll has been appointed senior product manager for the Leger Shearings Group. He will lead and direct the product management team across both the Leger Holidays and Shearings brands. Carroll joins the company from the Association of Group Travel Organizers.  A veteran of more than two decades in the travel and tourism sector, his previous experience includes tenures in senior roles with Airedale Tours, Railtrail Tours Ltd., Great Rail Journeys Ltd., and Wallace Arnold Tours

The Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau has appointed Meagan DeGaia as destination manager. In this newly created position being funded by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, DeGaia will be responsible for supervising, managing, implementing and reporting on the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan, its Community Enrichment Program, as well as signature events within Maui County.  Prior to joining the Maui bureau, served as Makoa Quest’s president and director. DeGaia was also the media publisher for the Neighbors of Wailea and Mākena and Neighbors of West Maui publications, where she partnered with local nonprofits, community organizations and residents.

Kim Borneman has been hired by the San Diego Tourism Authority to serve as its national sales director for the West Coast, overseeing sales for the San Diego Convention Center. Borneman joins the organization from Visit Dallas, where she served as regional director of sales for the West. Previously, she spent more than five years with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in different sales positions.

The Travel Corporation (TTC) has appointed Nicholas Lim as its new Asia CEO. In his new position, Lim will report to Gavin Tollman, TCC president. Lim is no stranger to TTC having headed TTC Asia as managing director from 2018 to 2020, and before that, as president (Asia) for Trafalgar from 2011 to 2018. Prior to his appointment as CEO of TTC, Lim was general manager of Norwegian Cruise Lines in Asia. TTC, which is headquartered near Anaheim, California, owns 40 travel brands, including tour operators, hotels, and transportation companies. It operates in 70 countries and has 40 offices around the world, and it serves 1.9 million travelers annually

Benjamin Maddy has been appointed sales manager for Fogo de Chão in New York City. Well known in the city’s travel and tourism community, Maddy’s career has included senior sales positions at Ripley’s Believe it or Not, ATTRACTOUR, The Madison Square Garden Company and Discovery Times Square.

Renata Cenni of Hotelbeds recently made the move from Los Angeles to Orlando to take over as the company’s regional director for North America. Cenni joined Hotelbeds three-and-a-half years ago. Previously, she was head of sourcing, Americas, West Coast / Latin America for GTA, where she served for almost 16 years.

###

Job Postings

From SearchWide Global:

—Discover The Palm Beaches is looking for an associate vice president of group sales. More details here.

—Discover The Palm Beaches is searching for a director of events, tradeshow & strategic sales partnerships. More details here.

—The Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau, which represents an area of coastal communities in northwestern Michigan, has an opening for a new executive director. More details here.

—The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is seeking a senior vice president of convention sales. More details here.

—The Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade is searching for a director of marketing and communications. More details here.

—The Roebbelen Center @ the Grounds, a multi-purpose event facility on 60 acres situated between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, is seeking a general manager. More details here.

—In Arlington, Texas, there is an opening for president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. More details here.

—Freeman is searching for a vice president, national graphics. More details here.

—Visit Dallas has an opening for a senior vice president/chief marketing officer. More details here.

—Visit Estes Park, about 90 miles north of Denver, is search for a director of finance & administration. More details here.

—Destination Door County (Wisconsin) is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.

—In Oregon, the Josephine County Visitor Association’s Destination Marketing Organization, Experience Grants Pass, us searching for an executive director. More details here. 

—The Oklahoma State Fair is seeking a president and CEO. More details here.

—There is an opening for a chief executive officer at Explore Skagit Valley in Washington State. More details here.

—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts has an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here

—Georgia’s Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority is searching for a conference sales director. More details here.

Also, Visit Dallas, one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth, has the following job openings. For more details, click on the individual links: Administrative Assistant; Diversity & Inclusion Resource Manager; Event Manager; Sales Coordinator; and Site Coordinator.

###

From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs currently listed.

—Sky Land and Ocean Travel in Philadelphia has an opening for a virtual travel coordinator. More details here.

—Barefoot Wanderlust Adventures has an opening for a travel specialist who can work from a remote location. More details here.

—New York City & Company has an opening for a coordinator, global communications. More details here.

—Delta Air Lines is searching for a specialist, reservations strategic initiatives. More details here.

###

From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.

—The city of Eustis, Florida is looking for an events & tourism manager. Salary range is $50,361 to $75,670 a year. More details here.

—The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, is searching for a director of corporate and travel industry sales, the Americas, in New York. More details here.

—The Philadelphia office of Tiquets, the global ticket booking company for attractions, is looking for a U.S.-based supply coordinator (the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. More details here.

—Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City is looking for a manager of tourism and travel. More details here.

—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.

###

Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you. Email tom@tomberrigan.com

Vail Resorts, Inc. has announced that Kirsten Lynch, the company’s chief marketing officer, will be appointed CEO, effective Nov. 1, 2021. At that time, Rob Katz the company’s current chief executive officer, will be appointed executive chairperson of the board and remain fully active and engaged in Vail Resorts’ key strategic decisions and priorities. Additionally, at that time, Ryan Bennett, currently vice president of marketing, lift revenue, will be named chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts.

Lynch joined Vail Resorts in 2011 as chief marketing officer and previously held senior leadership positions at PepsiCo and Kraft Foods. Katz was appointed to the Vail Resorts board of directors in 1996 and named chief executive officer in 2006. As executive chairperson, Katz will remain a Vail Resorts employee and director, advising both Lynch and the board on long-term strategy and critical priorities. Bennett joined Vail Resorts in 2018 as vice president of marketing analytics before he was promoted to his current role as vice president of marketing, lift revenue. Prior to joining Vail Resorts, Bennett was with Boston Consulting Group for 11 years.

Visit Napa Valley has made some changes in its staff: Brice Gosnell has been named director of marketing. He will lead Visit Napa Valley’s paid, owned, and earned marketing efforts, including the rollout of Visit Napa Valley’s new brand campaign in the Fall of 2021.  With over 20 years of experience managing consumer-facing travel brands. Most recently, Gosnell was most recently head of the Americas at Australian-based Luxury Escapes.

A Napa Valley native with more than 25 years in travel and tourism sales, Rebecca Merry-Barrango is returning to Visit Napa Valley in the role of business development and sales manager. Prior to the pandemic, Merry-Barrango was a member of the Visit Napa Valley staff team for eight years, holding roles at the Napa Valley Welcome Center and with the company’s sales team, focusing on the luxury leisure travel market. Her prior experience also includes sales positions with the San Diego Tourism Authority and United Airlines.

Ailsa Pollard has been appointed as CEO at dnata Travel Group (UK & Europe). She will start in her new role on Nov. 1, 2021. Pollard will report in to the previous holder of the role, John Bevan, who now oversees all aspects of dnata’s global travel business as divisional senior vice president for travel. She will assume responsibility for all of dnata Travel Group’s UK-based brands (Gold Medal, Travel Republic, Travelbag, Netflights and Sunmaster) while heading up a leadership team and workforce numbering nearly 800 people. As a key member of the leadership team for dnata Travel Group, part of the Emirates Group, during the last 12 years, she’s held a variety of senior roles in the company prior to her new job. 

Angela Harde has been named head of product & operations for the Berlin-based tour operator Geoplan Privatreisen. She joins the company from Sauterleuteschule/Stiftung KBZO in Baden-Wurttemberg, where she worked for almost a year-and-a-half. Previously, Harde was with Miller Reisen GmbH for almost eight years.

Marcelo Miranda has been appointed director of marketing technology at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, the new 1,000-foot observation attraction scheduled to open in October in mid-town Manhattan. Miranda is quite familiar with New York City attractions. Prior to joining One Vanderbilt, he was with Hudson Yards, and before that, he worked for the Empire State Realty Trust for nearly a decade

Isabelle Willemsens has been named country director, northern Europe for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. She will be responsible for marketing and sales director marketing and sales offices for Disney destinations in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Previously, she had been Country Director for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts for the Benelux for nearly four years. Willemsens joined Disney in 2010.

Sonia Fong has been appointed as senior vice president of convention development at Louisville Tourism on August 23. Fong has worked in the hospitality industry for 24 years, most recently at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau as vice president of convention sales & services. Previously, she served the Miami agency for 21 years in a variety of sales positions. In her new role, Fong will develop and implement a marketing plan, manage the convention sales team to achieve annual room night goals, and outline sales objectives to promote Louisville as a premier convention destination.

Esequiel Santos who spent more than 20 years as a part of the CVC family—much of it as a senior official at the tour operator Trend, which was acquired by CVC—has been named commercial director and one of the partners of OFB Operator/SSA. Santos left CVC Corp. five months ago.

Destination Canada, the Canadian tourist office in France has appointed the Canadian Maryse Normandeau as trade partnerships manager. Normandeau is in charge of relations with partners in the tourism industry: airlines, tour operators, travel agencies and OTAs, as well as dedicated lounges. Originally from Montreal, has 15 years of experience in the French tourism industry, including 13 years as a destination specialist in Canada: first as a tour operator then product manager for Canada for the tour operator Terre Canada, then product manager for Canada for FIT at AmériGo. You can contact her on maryse@360tourisme.fr

Natascha de Bruyn is leaving her position of group manager sales and marketing at Alltours. She is officially departing on August 25th. Beginning in September, de Bruyn will work for the Dr. Tigges, a well-known travel agency based in Dortmund that was established more than 90 years ago. There she will be sales manager in the business travel division, where she will look after the corporate customers of the travel agency chain throughout Germany. De Bruyn started out as a sales representative at Alltours ten years ago. In 2014 she was promoted to group leader in sales marketing. Before she joined Alltours, de Bruyn was with CWT (formerly Carlton Wagonlit Travel) for six years.

Valéria Padilla has been named as new regional marketing leader for Copa Airlines—the Panama headquartered carrier sometimes known as the Hub of the Americas for its numerous connections made from throughout the Americas. She will be responsible for all marketing strategies for Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. A 20-year veteran of the travel and tourism industry, Padilla has held senior sales positions for Alitalia, Aerolineas Argentinas and Varig.

Impala, the London-based hotel booking start up, has made two senior appointments who previously held positions at Airbnb. Caroline Hudack, who was previously head of marketing for the EMEA region at Airbnb has been named chief marketing officer of Impala. At Airbnb, Hudack was was one of the first product marketers at its Menlo Park, California base, and set up Facebook’s first consumer marketing team in Europe. Robin Clifford, who was head of supply for Northern Europe at Airbnb has been named vice president of global supply. In addition to his experience at Airbnb, Clifford held senior roles at Nestorstay and Booking.com.

Classic Collection and Classic Package Holidays has appointed Patrick Devonshire to the position of regional sales manager in its trade support team. Devonshire was most recently sales manager at Flexible Autos, before which he worked in managerial roles for Co-operative Travel. At Classic, Devonshire will cover trade sales for the operator’s brands across Essex, the home counties and East Anglia.

Danny Orloff has been recruited to be the new tourism marketing director of Visit Redding. Previously, Orloff has worked in the athletic shoe and apparel industry, where he led teams and marketing efforts at Finish Line and was a consumer experience manager with the NIKE Company Store at its worldwide headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

A one-time state tourism director for Delaware, Tim Morgan has been named vice president of economic development at New Mexico Partnership. Morgan has more than 15 years of experience in economic and business development as well as strategic planning. Most recently, Morgan worked as the City of Maple Valley’s economic development manager. He has also served as chief of tourism and special events for the Charles County Tourism Office in Maryland. In the mid-00s, he served as state tourism director for the Delaware Economic Development Office. He was also director of sales for the Washington County Visitors Association in Oregon.

Julie Holmen has joined Destinations International to be its lead in membership engagement. For 25 years, Holmen has been actively selling individual hotel properties and entire destinations in the global travel market. Most recently, she was with Meeting Professionals International where she worked with their global supplier accounts and strategic alliance partners to enhance MPI’s presence around the world. From 2006 to 2017, Holmen was director of city-wide sales and event engagement with Destination Toronto.

###

Job Postings

Visit Dallas, one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth, has the following job openings. For more details, click on the individual links: Administrative Assistant; Diversity & Inclusion Resource Manager; Event Manager; Sales Coordinator; and Site Coordinator.

From SearchWide Global:

—The Roebbelen Center @ the Grounds, a multi-purpose event facility on 60 acres situated between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, is seeking a general manager. More details here.

—In Arlington, Texas, there is an opening for president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. More details here.

—Freeman is searching for a vice president, national graphics. More details here.

—Visit Dallas has an opening for a senior vice president/chief marketing officer. More details here.

—Visit Estes Park, about 90 miles north of Denver, is search for a director of finance & administration. More details here.

—Destination Door County (Wisconsin) is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.

—In Oregon, the Josephine County Visitor Association’s Destination Marketing Organization, Experience Grants Pass, us searching for an executive director. More details here. 

—Visit San Antonio has an opening for director of market strategy. More details here.

—The Oklahoma State Fair is seekingapresident and CEO. More details here.

—The San Diego Tourism Authority is looking for a chief sales officer. More details here.

—Visit Pittsburg has an opening for chief sales officer. More details here.

—There is an opening for a chief executive officer at Explore Skagit Valley in Washington State. More details here.

—Visit Wichita is searching for a vice president of marketing. More details here.

—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts has an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here

—Georgia’s Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority is searching for a conference sales director. More details here.

###

From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs currently listed.

—Ralph Lauren is search for a coordinator, brand activation (regional tourism – West). More details here. 

—Interdependence Public Relations in Denver has an opening for a managing director of Travel and tourism. More details here.

—Wanderlust Adventures in Orlando, Florida has an opening for a travel specialist. It is a remote position. More details here: 

—AmericanTours International in Los Angeles is seeking a travel service coordinator. More details here.

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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.

—The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, is searching for a director of corporate and travel industry sales, the Americas, in New York. More details here.

—The Philadelphia office of Tiquets, the global ticket booking company for attractions, is looking for a U.S.-based supply coordinator (the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. More details here.

—Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City is looking for a manager of tourism and travel. More details here.

—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.

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Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you. Email tom@tomberrigan.com

Air Transat UK & Ireland commercial director Adrian Keating has been promoted to lead a wider range of markets in the Americas and across Europe. Keating, who will retain his leadership role for the Canadian carrier in the UK and Ireland, will assume revenue responsibility for a range of other markets. Keating has considerable experience in the airline sector; before joining Air Transat three years ago, he served in senior management positions at Malaysia, Etihad Airways and easyJet.

Stefan Merkl is joining the global trade sales team at Go City® (formerly the Leisure Pass Group) as vice president of trade sales, Americas, responsible for new business development. Merkl is knowledgeable about the product. While operating his own consulting business for more than five years prior to joining Go City, he was a contractor who was responsible for new business development at the Leisure Pass Group. He also did contract work for the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority; Tower Tours LCC; the Flyer San Francisco and Unlimited Biking. Prior to operating a consultancy, Merkl was senior international tourism sales manager, Asia Pacific & Middle East, for the Philadelphia CVB. Before that, he was vice president, sales and marketing, for the Red and White Fleet, San Francisco.

David Whitaker has been named as the incoming president & CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau following a six-month nationwide search process. Whitaker will formally take over effective Aug. 16, 2021 when his one-time boss, Bill Talbert who has led the Miami CVB DMO since 1990 (for nine years as chief operating officer and then as president and CEO) moves into a supporting role prior to a one-year consultancy beginning in October. Whitaker had been with Miami for 17 years (1990-2007) lastly as executive vice president. most recently as EVP and CMO. Whitaker then served as president and CEO of Destination Toronto (2007-2015) and chief marketing officer for Brand USA (2015-2016) before his tenure at Choose Chicago.

Yi Louis Lu has left his position as senior manager, global trade development for Brand USA, and moved to Baidu Inc., where he will work on the Corporate Strategy-Mobile Ecosystem Group. Before his tenure at Brand USA, he was international sales manager at Destination DC.

Timothy Wolfe has been named director of the Colorado Tourism office, effective Aug. 23. Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade announced Wolfe’s appointment Tuesday after a three-month search for a replacement for longtime director Cathy Ritter, who left the position in April. During the interim, deputy director Jill Corbin has served as the interim director. Wolfe’s  appointment came after a three-month search for a replacement for longtime director Cathy Ritter, who abruptly left the position in April. Deputy Director Jill Corbin served as the interim director. Previously, Wolfe, who operated his own consultancy recently, was the general manager for the historic, 241-room Brown Palace in downtown Denver and its sister property Holiday Inn Express Denver Downtown. He also served as the general manager for The Antlers, now a Wyndham Hotel, from 2011 to 2014 when it was part of the Pyramid Hotel Group.

Kathy Formosa has been named senior contract manager at WebBeds, working out of the company’s Orlando headquarters. Previously, she was product manager at AmericanTours International, where she served for more than six-and-a-half years. Prior to that, she was director of escorted tours at Team America.

Sam Lacy has taken over as the full-time executive director of the Bourbon Capital Community Alliance (BCCA) in Bardstown, Kentucky. The BCCA is a nonprofit organization tasked with driving the bourbon industry forward here in Bardstown / Nelson County, KY. It is an organization that Lacy had been running on a part time basis since March of 2019. Lacy’s full time job had been as director of marketing & bourbon experiences at Visit Bardstown. Before his tenure at Visit Bardstown, he was director of marketing & communications for Travel South USA.

The Brazilian tour operator Primetour has announced the hiring of executive Claudia del Valle as its new commercial head. She will take care of the operator’s operational and sales areas, focusing on luxury products for travel agencies and Primetours’ independent consultants. Claudia del Valle has more than 35 years of experience in tourism, always dedicated to the areas of Operations and Sales. Much of her management duties took place at Queensberry and Costa Cruises. 

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism has announced the promotion Todd Mitsuhata to director of global business development. Mitsuhata joined the organization in 2016 as manager, Asia Pacific & Latin America, and was subsequently promoted to his most recent position as senior global business development manager. In his new role as director of global business development, Mitsuhata will further position Santa Monica within the international markets in this recovery period by leveraging his knowledge and understanding of the global industry, first-hand experience working with top travel retailers and operators, building co-op campaigns with major companies like United Airlines, and leading the launch of in-market activations such as Pier One at Sydney Harbour in Australia.

Steven De Blois has been managing director of StudentUniverse—it’s the Flight Centre Travel Group’s online travel booking platform for students—replacing Mike Cleary, who spent nearly 10 years at the company, the last four as managing director. De Blois was most recently managing director and head of product at Umapped, the itinerary platform owned by Flight Centre. He has also held senior-level positions at Air Canada and Expedia. In his new post, de Blois will be responsible for leading all aspects of StudentUniverse in the four countries where it operates: the U.S., Canada, Australia and the UK.

Hays Travel, the largest independent travel agency in the UK, has promoted divisional manager Natasha Marson to head up its Independence Group as the agency continues to grow the division. Marson joined Hays Travel in 2019, after several years at TUI, and became divisional manager for Wales and the Midlands.

Trade Show News Network (TSNN) has announced the appointment of Lorry Tenny as editorial director. She is an award-winning editor, writer and strategist who has worked in publishing for more than 25 years, 16 of which have been spent covering the meetings and events industry. In her new role, Tenny will be overseeing TSNN, the No. 1 online news source for the trade show industry, and Corporate Event News, an online news publication for corporate event planners and professionals. Tenny has also held editorial roles at travel trade publications Travel Weekly and TravelAge West. 

Phillipa Standley has been promoted to head of product at Attraction World. With the promotion will also join the attraction ticket specialist’s leadership team. Attraction World chief executive Olly Nicholls said Standley, who joined the business in 2009, has played a “pivotal” role in the firm’s efforts to negotiate the COVID-19 crisis.

Zoran Jelkic has been appointed senior vice president, long-haul for Air France-KLM. The announcement was part of the reorganization of its sales teams around the world. As part of the group’s transformation, the geographic zones will be reduced from 8 to 4—two domestic markets, France and Benelux, and two international zones: Europe and long-haul. A long-time veteran of Air France, Jelkic joined the airline more than 24 years ago.

Jean Paul Zapata has joined Sonoma County Tourism as its new director of business development. Zapata has experience in the destination marketing sector, having most recently served as the director of public relations for Visit Oakland, and prior to that, as the media relations manager for Visit Greater Palm Springs.

VisitNorfolk and the Norfolk Tourism Foundation have announced that Angela Blackwell Carter has been named the foundation’s director. A native of the Hampton Roads area, she has served in several leadership roles capacities throughout the region. Most recently, she served at the vice president for leadership programs at Hampton Roads Chamber.

David Fudge of North Platte, Nebraska has been elected to a second term president of the Nebraska Travel Association. Fudge has served on the NETA board since 2017 and was president in 2018-19. Fudge has been involved with Nebraskaland Days in North Platte since 2005. The purpose of the organization is to produce Nebraska’s Officials State Celebration He spent six years on its board of directors prior to being retained as the executive director in 2011.

Gisel Vidals has been promoted to the position of head of North America business development at Headout. She joined the company in January of this year, responsible for business development in the USA. Previously, Vidals was vice president of global sales for Big Bus Tours. Before that, she held senior management positions with Skyline Sightseeing and for the Super Shuttle collection of brands.

It was a fortuitous sequence of events. First, Randy Fiveash retired in April as director of tourism for the State of Connecticut ago after serving in the position for almost 13 years. Then, not many days later, his wife, Shari Fiveash, accepted the position of president and CEO of the Greater Fayetteville (N.C.) Chamber of Commerce, he followed her to North Carolina. Just days later, on May 5, city and county officials took advantage of the situation and tapped Randy Fiveash to get back into the tourism industry, this time as interim president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Said Randy Fiveash: “I was retired for about 20 minutes.”

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Job Postings

Visit Dallas, one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Dallas-Fort Worth, has the following job openings. For more details, click on the individual links: Administrative Assistant; Diversity & Inclusion Resource Manager; Event Manager; Sales Coordinator; and Site Coordinator.

From SearchWide Global:

—In Arlington, Texas, there is an opening for president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. More details here.

—Freeman is searching for a vice president, national graphics. More details here.

—Visit Dallas has an opening for a new president/chief marketing officer. More details here.

—Visit Estes Park, about 90 miles north of Denver, is search for a director of finance & administration. More details here.

—Destination Door County (Wisconsin) is looking for a president and CEO. More details here.

—In Oregon, the Josephine County Visitor Association’s Destination Marketing Organization, Experience Grants Pass, us searching for an executive director. More details here. 

—Visit San Antonio has an opening for director of market strategy. More details here.

—The Oklahoma State Fair is seeking a president and CEO. More details here.

—The San Diego Tourism Authority is looking for a chief sales officer. More details here.

—Visit Pittsburg has an opening for chief sales officer. More details here.

—Visit Carlsbad is searching for a president and CEO. More details here.

—There is an opening for a chief executive officer at Explore Skagit Valley in Washington State. More details here.

—Travel Portland is searching for a vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion. More details here.

—Visit Wichita is searching for a vice president of marketing. More details here.

—Destinations International is searching for a senior director, membership engagement. More details here.

—The Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority in Georgia is looking for a new executive director. More details here.

—In the Charlotte/Concord area of North Carolina, Great Wolf Resorts has an opening for a director of sales and catering. For details, click here

—Georgia’s Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority is searching for a conference sales director. More details here.

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From LinkedIn Jobs: Known to many across the board in the travel and tourism industry, the LinkedIn list (click here) has numerous job opportunities posted. Following is a brief sample of some of those jobs currently listed.

—The Cedar Rapids Iowa tourism office has an opening for a director of communications & marketing. More details here.

—New York City & Company has an opening for a coordinator, tourism development. More details here.

—American Classic Tours, Inc. in Grayslake, Illinois, has an opening for a tour manager. More details here.

—Visit Denver is searching for a cultural tourism programs manager. More details here.

—Jet Blue is searching for a manager of corporate communications, and his based in Long Island City N.Y. More details here.

—Ralph Lauren is search for a coordinator, brand activation (regional tourism – West). More details here. 

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From Indeed.com: We’ve taken a look at this site (click here) which says that it has hundreds of new jobs listed, including a fair number in the travel, tourism and related industries. A sampler of what to expect is below.

—Visit Seattle is searching for a director, international tourism. More details here.

—The Philadelphia office of Tiquets, the global ticket booking company for attractions, is looking for a U.S.-based supply coordinator (the company is headquartered in the Netherlands. More details here.

—Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City is looking for a manager of tourism and travel. More details here.

—The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is looking for a vice president of guest experience. The salary range is $130,000 – $157,000 a year: More details here.

###

Have a job to offer in the travel and tourism industry? Let us know and we’ll post your notice—no cost to you. Email tom@tomberrigan.com