KURTZ-AHLERS - Key Persons
Having lived in Australia and the Middle East, Chris certainly has had the travel bug and seen different destinations and cultures firsthand. He has worked in some guise of the hospitality industry all his life, having gained hotel experience working for De Vere Hotels prior to moving into food service and the bar and restaurant industry. This saw a 12-year career in procurement roles for companies such as the Compass Group in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, where he developed his strong negotiation and interpersonal skills and saw different working cultures throughout the world. Of late, he has had his eyes opened to Latin America and is now looking to explore farther afield to add to his travel knowledge. He joined Justine in the Hidden Doorways UK office in 2010, helping grow the UK operation and gain a better family life-work balance at the same time.
With a strong interest in food and drink from both a professional and personal perspective, he has been lucky enough to combine the two through travel. He plays cricket and golf when family time allows and has recently taken up road cycling. Weekends, he can also be found helping coach his son's rugby and cricket teams and supporting his daughter's love of Irish dancing.
Job Titles:
- Director of Sales and Marketing
Cristianne Coelho Director of Sales and Marketing, South America cris@hiddendoorwaystravel.com "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." -Henry Miller Cris started her career in luxury hospitality while earning her college degree. After 12 years in positions in operations, sales and marketing in global-brand hotels, she started representing Four Seasons George V Paris in Brazil, a kickoff for worldwide traveling and her passion for exclusive hotels. Cris has been with Hidden Doorways for more than six years, during which time she has gained a true sense of connection to different cultures and languages, ultimately shortening distances no matter how remote the destination. Cris loves nature and sports, especially hiking and biking, as well as reading and watching films.
Dori is a New Yorker at heart and understands the most valuable commodity anyone has is time. Her work ethic is strong and tells it like it is - always with a sense of fun!
A desire for personal growth and a willingness to "roll up her sleeves" allow Dori to see things with an eye for precision and detail that ultimately led her to work for some of the finest, most exclusive hotels in Beverly Hills. Dori is always inspired by five-diamond service as well as the prospect of developing new relationships along the way. Dori's background consists of working in Los Angeles for hotels such as Hotel Bel-Air, The Peninsula Beverly Hills and The Beverly Hills Hotel, where she looked after the needs of clients who included major Hollywood stars, music industry professionals and top executives. Managing some of the most demanding clients in travel gave her an excellent foundation for the needs of high-end luxury travelers and those who work with them. Dori currently resides in Tampa with her husband and two children.
A passion for all things travel developed when Jo began her career at Thomas Cook in the UK, holding a number of positions in the business and leisure travel sectors, including head of sales and marketing for Thomas Cook Holidays Tour Operations and head of PR when the company entered into a partnership with British Airways Holidays. After a short break from the industry, Jo then went on to teach travel and tourism to students studying for a career in the industry, including marketing, customer service and tourism development. Jo has experience in the areas of product development, contracting and strategic planning, specifically in the areas of event management, sales promotion, PR and marketing and is proud to have been part of the Hidden Doorways London-based team since 2011.
Away from the office, Jo is wife to John and mum to two teenage daughters and a crazy Schnauzer named Ted. With a passion for health, well-being and fitness, Jo accomplished a long-held desire to complete the London Marathon in April 2018. Her guilty pleasure includes the company of friends, good food and a glass of something bubbly (preferably whilst on the Austrian ski slopes!
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Member of the North America Sales & Marketing Team
- President
- President and Founder of Hidden Doorways Travel Collection
Job Titles:
- Sales & Marketing Director, Europe
An inquisitive nature and very "itchy feet" from an early age showed that Justine was destined to travel. She left a career in banking to take up a position at Thomas Cook Holidays, where she worked for 15 years, latterly holding the position of head of sales and marketing. Upon moving to Dubai, Justine joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, where she looked after travel industry sales for the Middle Eastern region, before transferring back to London as director of travel industry sales, promoting to the UK market Ritz-Carlton properties worldwide. A growing passion for sustainability, well-being and more diverse destinations led Justine to join Hidden Doorways in 2008 to set up the London office. A love of nature, other cultures and food has taken her to many destinations in Africa, Asia, Europe and recently Latin America.
A keen horse-rider, cyclist, decorator/gardener and lover of the great outdoors (when she has the time), Justine lives in the countryside, a few miles outside of Cambridge, where she shares her thatched cottage (a labor of love), with Chris, her two beautiful children, two Hungarian Vizslas, a cat and a hamster.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Sales Consultant
Standing in the shadows of the Valley of the Kings, Laura realized her passion for adventure during her first trip abroad exploring ancient archeological sites in Egypt. Immersing in foreign cultures with an open heart and meeting locals along the way formed her most transformative memories. Traveling to almost 30 countries across four continents, she seeks out and enjoys the thrill of discovering off-the-beaten path markets, meeting local artisans and learning about their craft.
Over the past six years, Laura taken on various roles gaining sales and communication experience at innovative and well-respected travel and hospitality brands such as Four Seasons and Indagare. With an entrepreneurial and creative spirit, Laura brings a unique perspective on engagement, marketing and brand strategy from her diverse range of hotel and agency experience. Laura currently lives in Brooklyn and loves exploring what's new in the city.
Maureen began her career in the hospitality industry 18 years ago selling various markets and has specialized in the travel industry since 2007. She possesses a strong sales foundation and level of professionalism that she consistently attributes to her tenure with respected hotels brands such as Park Hyatt and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Having represented hotels, resorts, safari camps, DMCs and other global luxury travel products around the world, Maureen's wanderlust grows with every passing day. If she isn't traveling, she is taking advantage of everything San Francisco has to offer from its bountiful farmer's markets to its world-class restaurants and bars and, of course, wine country!
Patrick has been active in the hospitality industry for 34 years and has held various positions with Hyatt, followed by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Washington, DC and London, including director of sales at the UK Regional office. After relocating to New York in 1999, Patrick was appointed director of sales at the Waldorf Towers, New York. In 2004, Patrick moved back to Orlando where he began his career in the representation field and worked with many hotels and resorts around the world. Patrick joined Hidden Doorways in 2008, focusing on Six Senses Resorts & Spas. In 2011, Patrick began working with the entire Hidden Doorways collection and has done so ever since, handling the Southeast and Southwest luxury travel trade. Patrick has extensive management, sales and marketing experience and brings experience in incentive, transient, entertainment and wholesale markets to the Hidden Doorways team.
In his spare time, Patrick loves spending time with his husband either at the beach or at their cabin in the Asheville area. He also likes spending time with his family and friends, which includes so many of the travel professionals he has been working with for years.
Rachel is driven by her passion for travel and discovery. British-born with a nomadic spirit, her travels brought her to New York in 2000, where she helped open two high-profile restaurants and Bottega Veneta's flagship store for Gucci group.
Prior to joining Hidden Doorways, Rachel spent five years at Design Hotels as Director of Sales, Americas, handling all leisure and entertainment sales for a global portfolio of independent, boutique hotels. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two intrepid sons. She loves to craft experiences for her clients and friends.
Sandy's passion for travel began as a young girl forever engrossed in books that took her on adventures to places she only dreamed of seeing. She was captivated and intrigued with cultures, geography and life abroad. At 13, she had visions of somehow making a difference in the world. These passions led to a fruitful career in the travel industry, now having spent time in 46 US states, traveled to 30 different countries and assisted in humanitarian efforts in five countries through local nonprofit organizations.
Sandy began her career in travel when she joined The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 1996 as the corporate key account and tradeshow manager. She worked directly with the executive committee, worldwide hotel staff and international sales offices to establish select client relationships in all travel markets. Her principal focus was organizing tradeshows, road shows, client entertainment functions and various special events. She developed strong relationships within the association and travel industry markets, including corporation affiliates throughout the United States.
Since 2002, she has been the director of operations for Hidden Doorways, managing internal activities, budgets and communication to coincide with direct sales efforts on a tactical and strategical basis for the team and clients.
In her spare time, Sandy loves spending time with her husband hiking, kayaking and traveling the world, or riding the motorcycle in her own backyard of the North Georgia mountains. If missing, she is usually visiting one of her three adult children. She is still a passionate reader, loves to write and paint and, more often than not, you will find her behind a camera lens - her second passion, which beautifully captures her experiences traveling the world.
Having grown up in a fitness-focused environment, it is no wonder Scott's life pursuits have been centered on health and well-being. Prior to entering the luxury travel business, Scott spent 20 years coaching women's gymnastics at two of the top collegiate programs in the country: UCLA and the University of Georgia. When the time came for a career change, he knew it must still center on helping others better themselves. This led him to Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. After 15 years, Scott learned all aspects of the destination spa business with a focus on selling the wellness experience to travel professionals. In 2010, he began his current position overseeing the Wellness Collection for Hidden Doorways. The past eight years of representing wellness properties all over the world have been some of the most rewarding of his career. His favorite part of his job is to match the right property with the right client.
Stephanie has always had three passions in life: love of family, travel and living life to the fullest. Her love for adventure and exploring the unknown began while growing up in the rugged Pacific Northwest, spending every weekend with her family on the nearby ski slopes, biking or boating around Lake Washington or discovering the beauty of the San Juan Islands. Family vacations were planned sightseeing and skiing in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, on the beach under sunny skies in Hawaii and Southern California or shopping the streets of San Francisco.
Spending a semester abroad in London as a college student with weekend trips throughout Europe only further fostered her desire to have a career in which travel was a key component. After graduation, Stephanie spent her formative years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, transitioning to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where she spent over a decade traveling internationally while focusing on the corporate, group and entertainment markets. The best part of working in worldwide sales is the relationships she's managed to cultivate over the years, ensuring clients get the most up-to-date, exceptional experiences that exist. Her love of different cultures, food and people creates the perfect relationship with clients worldwide, and her life in Southern California affords Stephanie the ability to continue to be curious and enjoy the latest new restaurant, film or sporting event with her family.