MMGY GLOBAL - Key Persons
As the founder of Myriad and a partner with MMGY Global, Al's efforts are hands-on and wide-ranging. More often than not, you can find him developing strategic solutions to client challenges, creating industry partnerships, research, and presentations and supporting Myriad and MMGY Global's growth. Al's also an accomplished speaker, having presented on five continents and in countless countries on topics including research, marketing, changing trends and the creative process.
In more than 30 years with Myriad, Al's worked with more than international and U.S.-based destinations. His experience touches most categories in the travel and tourism industry, including cruise lines, airlines, tour companies and consortia.
While covering millions of miles across dozens of countries, Al's done it all. He's been lucky enough to jump out of an airplane over the Great Barrier Reef, samba in full costume for Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and summit Mount Kilimanjaro. He's even bungee jumped off Macao's tallest tower, trekked the villages of Papua New Guinea, hang glided in Cape Town and square danced in the Ozarks.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, MMGY Grifco
Alexandra started her career as a qualified barrister; however, with both parents as hoteliers and after spending the first 18 years of her life growing up in a hotel, you could say that hospitality is in her blood - she knows the hotel industry inside out. After living and working in Australia and Italy on international sporting events, Alexandra returned to the UK with a wealth of experience and now leads Grifco's client and media relations and business growth efforts as EVP, Managing Director.
Alexandra has been working with the Grifco team for over seven years and has a proven track record of launching and building global luxury travel brands. From supporting boutique hotels with creative planning, launching travel technology platforms to the industry or assisting larger corporate clients with international strategy, Alexandra has a passionate and creative approach to storytelling and communications, supported by a global network.
With expertise throughout both traditional and social media, Alexandra has been an industry voice at travel panels and conferences in the UK and beyond.
Amanda is one of the most well-known and respected faces in the global travel industry, with more than 30 years' experience in the business. Having grown up in Bermuda and Saudi Arabia, travel is clearly in Amanda's DNA - so it was only natural that she went on to study business studies and travel and tourism. Throughout her career, Amanda has specialized in product and marketing with the UK's leading tour operators; she was a founding member of Sunworld Holidays before leaving to head up the global marketing efforts at Eurotunnel. Amanda founded Hills Balfour in 1998 with the ambition to create the most innovative and creative travel, tourism and lifestyle communications agency specializing in PR, digital, representation, crisis management, sales, trade and consumer marketing, branding and MICE.
Today, Amanda leads a creatively minded, strategically savvy and passionately people-centric team promoting clients in the UK, Europe and Middle East. Day in and day out, Amanda and the Hills Balfour team help places grow - cities, countries, regions and their infrastructures. One of the most experienced minds in tourism, Amanda has helped some of the world's most iconic destination brands maximize the economic and social benefits of travel. Ever growing the organization's footprint, Amanda has a special understanding of international markets and cultures, in addition to a passion for, and commitment to, tourism. Amanda thinks she has the "best job in the world," which feeds her passion for travel every single day.
Bernard Muir was named Stanford's Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics on July 27, 2012.Through six academic years under Muir's leadership, Stanford has extended two of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics. In 2017-18, the Cardinal captured its 24th consecutive Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, presented to the most successful intercollegiate athletic department in the nation. Stanford has also won at least one NCAA team championship in each of the last 42 academic seasons, the longest such streak in the nation.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Calep is responsible for providing the communications, computing and security infrastructure that supports MMGY Global's internal business operations as well as a variety of hosting and digital delivery services for MMGY Global's customers.
Prior to becoming CIO, Calep was chief technology officer at MMGY Global, with his primary focus being on client-facing web and digital solutions. With over 20 years of experience in high technology, Calep has held a number of leadership positions in technology at VML, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and GeoAccess - a Kansas City-based software and services company. Calep earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy with an emphasis in symbolic logic from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and a Master of Business Administration from Baker University.
Caroline leads the EMEA operations of MMGY Global as President and is the former Managing Director of MMGY Hills Balfour and Executive Vice President of the World Travel & Tourism Council. As a global business leader and strategist with a highly established network of senior contacts across the travel and tourism sector, her strategic insights and hands-on experience position her as a go-to leader for steering brands toward success.
Her thought leadership continues to shape the industry narrative, particularly around future consumer trends and the power of storytelling. In her former roles in the airport and airline sector, she worked with and advised some of the biggest brands in the industry. There she pioneered the concept of "surround sound" campaigns, which provide clients with strategic, multifaceted and groundbreaking marketing campaigns that are setting new standards in marketing and communications.
Energetic, empowering and passionate, Caroline supports individuals, teams and organizations in achieving their full potential. Her strategic insights along with her meticulous attention to detail and highly organised work style mean she is attentive, thorough and prepared for the possibilities. Using her high emotional intelligence, Caroline is able to help people see the merit in new ideas, concepts and values and how that impacts their business now and in the future.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, MMGY NextFactor
With over a decade of experience in the tourism industry, Cassandra is an enthusiastic advocate for the visitor and experience economies and the people who contribute to them. As Managing Director of MMGY NextFactor, Cassandra and her team work with destination organizations to build aligned, sustainable and prosperous communities through the transformative power of travel.
With a master's degree in organizational change and leadership, Cassandra possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of driving positive change within organizations. She's also earned a professional certificate in sustainable tourism destination management, demonstrating her commitment to fostering responsible tourism practices.
Cassandra's dedication to our industry is further exemplified by her role as an instructor in the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) program, which prepares senior executives to advance their careers and helps industry leaders thrive in a constantly changing environment. Cassandra is actively involved in various boards and committees, contributing her insights and expertise to further the industry's goals and initiatives.
Before joining MMGY NextFactor, Cassandra served as the Vice President of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement with Tourism Calgary, where she played a key role in shaping the organization's strategic communication, engagement and destination planning efforts.
Cassandra's journey in the tourism industry is characterized by a commitment to excellence, a passion for sustainable practices, and a desire to create meaningful and lasting impacts on the communities she serves.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of MMGY Travel Intelligence Europe
- Managing Director, Travel Intelligence Europe
As Managing Director of MMGY Travel Intelligence Europe, Cees Bosselaar is responsible for launching, developing and expanding data and research opportunities across the EU. By providing in-depth insights into European travelers, his role is intended to broaden MMGY Travel Intelligence's international reach and build upon the success of the agency' specialized market research for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.
This international expansion taps into Bosselaar's extensive experience across the travel industry, particularly in the research realm. Most recently, he was Vice President, Business Development at Phocuswright, where he expanded the research hub's syndicated and custom business. His background in destination marketing - including 10 years at the Netherlands Board of Tourism - positioned him well for bringing data-led solutions to DMOs.
Originally from the Netherlands, Bosselaar spent several years raising his three sons in Stamford, CT, while traveling the globe for both business and leisure. While he has seen everything from the pyramids of Egypt to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, he notes that it's personal interactions and connections that pave the way to greater understanding through travel.
Chris Davidson oversees MMGY Global's travel insights and strategy division, MMGY Travel Intelligence, as Executive Vice President. He is responsible for the agency's portfolio of syndicated and custom research products, including its Portrait of American Travelers® series and its DK Shifflet suite of travel performance products. He also directs the organization's substantial investment in travel intelligence and how it fuels marketing strategies that drive results.
Chris has 25 years of experience in market research, strategic planning, brand strategy and integrated marketing communications. Prior to joining MMGY, he was a senior executive with Caesars Entertainment at both the corporate and property management levels. In Las Vegas, Chris managed Harrah's industry-leading Total Rewards® national loyalty card program. Following his time in Las Vegas, he became director of marketing for Harrah's Casino and Hotel in St. Louis. While there he oversaw all marketing efforts for the property, one of the largest in Caesars Entertainment's portfolio at the time, and led its advertising, public relations, research, promotions and database marketing groups.
During his tenure at MMGY, Chris has had the pleasure of working with travel and tourism industry leaders including Tourism Vancouver, Choice Hotels International, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Monte Carlo Resort & Casino, Niagara Falls USA and SeaWorld Parks. He is also a recognized speaker at numerous industry conferences and events each year.
Chris is a graduate of Princeton University from which he received a bachelor's degree in history. He also has an MBA from Vanderbilt University with an emphasis in service marketing.
Chris Jarnot was appointed executive vice president, Mountain Division in December 2016, having previously served as chief operating officer of Vail Mountain, senior vice president of marketing and sales and vice president of marketing and sales. In his new role, Chris will bring his extensive resort experience to oversee the company's four Colorado resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone, as well as provide continued oversight of the operations of Perisher in Australia, Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan, and the company's most recent urban ski area acquisition, Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin.
Chris has held numerous other positions with the company since 1989, including director of advertising and direct marketing, director of reservations and vice president of marketing for Vail and Beaver Creek. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Vail Valley Foundation and of the Vail Valley Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Former CEO
- Member of the Board
Clayton Reid served as CEO of MMGY Global, a $100 million integrated marketing firm he sold to Peninsula Capital Partners in 2015, for 10 years before becoming the company's board Chairman. Considered one of the travel industry's top minds in marketing and strategic planning, he has worked with global travel, destination, and hospitality companies for three decades, including Bermuda Tourism, Disney, Lufthansa, Marriott, Princess Cruises and Uber. Heavily involved with industry advocacy, Clayton is a sought-after speaker and has been featured by news organizations such as Bloomberg, CNN, Fox Business, NBC News, NPR, The New York Times, and Vice News. He has served on boards including The Kansas City Zoo, Hospitality Sales and Marketing International, The New York City Hospitality Council, The United States Travel Association, Visit Kansas City and The World Alpine Ski Championships. He is a strategic council member of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) in their global travel advisory practice and has worked with global consultancies such as Bain Capital and McKinsey.
Clayton has been awarded the American Express Steven Harvey Achievement Award for Marketing and has been selected for the exclusive Arthur Page Society. In 2022, he received the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International's Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the global travel industry.
Clayton is an advocate for sustainability and social cause in travel, being featured by Skift and Forbes for MMGY's global push to make travel a platform for equality and understanding. He currently sits on the board of the Midwest Innocence Project, an organization committed to exonerating the wrongly accused, and has held board seats with other civic causes including Operation Breakthrough, a support system for children in poverty, and Watts of Love, a global NGO that brings simple lighting solutions to communities without
Since 2005, Craig Compagnone has played a number of roles for a company that has grown from less than 50 associates when he started to 600 team members today. As President of the Americas for MMGY Global, Craig oversees all channels and services for North and South America, inclusive of MMGY Global's best-in-class integrated marketing, public relations, media and research disciplines.
Craig's guidance on research, brand strategy and marketing deployment has led to successful and award-winning solutions for brands across multiple industry disciplines, including tourism, hotel, ski, cruise, attractions and OTAs as well as ownership, operations and commercial development. His focus on integration and the delivery of leading-edge strategic thinking has helped to build a marketing organization that delivers for clients across five continents.
He currently serves on the Destinations International Board of Directors, providing oversight and thought leadership that aids in the growth of destination organizations. Consistently featured as a presenter and speaker on a range of industry topics, his travel insights are highly regarded by The New York Times, Skift, Ad Age, Travel Weekly and other top publications.
Job Titles:
- Partner & Executive Creative Director, MMGY Origin
Through her work with some of North America's foremost outdoor destinations and brands, Danielle is one of the industry's leading creative strategists and brand specialists. As Partner & Executive Creative Director of MMGY Origin, her creative leadership and bold innovation transform client dreams into reality. With over twenty years of experience, Danielle holds a wealth of experience in outdoor sports and resort marketing and a reputation for fearless creativity and daring strategy. A storyteller by nature and strategist by trade, she often speaks at industry events including the North American Ski Areas Association Conference, Outdoor Retailer and the Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium.
With big-picture capabilities for brand development and a client list that reads like the who's who of outdoor sports, Danielle is as confident leading a meeting with top-level execs as she is navigating waist-deep powder through gladed terrain on her board. When she's not snowboarding, mountain biking or traveling with her family, Danielle directs MMGY Origin's Whistler office.
An innovative technology leader and widely recognized entrepreneur, Davyeon Ross has more than 15 years of experience in the technology space. Davyeon is co-founder and chief operations officer of DDSports Inc., a team sports performance platform fueled by wearable and smart equipment data. DDSports' first product is ShotTracker, which is wearable tech for basketball that automatically tracks a basketball player's shot attempts, makes, misses and location on the court while providing real-time statistics and data. Prior to launching Digital Sports Ventures, Davyeon served as lead technical and management consultant for eVergance Partners (acquired in 2007), managing projects across the United States, Europe and Canada for clients including Research In Motion Limited (now BlackBerry), T-Online, Business Objects, SaskTel, Mattel, Siemens Healthineers, Nortel Networks Inc.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Chairman of Global Hotel Alliance
- Principal of Navesink Advisory Group
Flo Lugli is principal of Navesink Advisory Group, LLC and serves as the interim chief commercial officer for the Radisson Hotel Group, Americas. She is a well-known expert on travel industry distribution, travel technology and digital presence. Lugli has been recognized as one of the "Most Powerful Women in Travel" for seven years by Travel Agent Magazine and among the top 75 hotel executives and top 10 technology experts by Lodging Magazine. She was also recently recognized as one of the most influential women in hospitality technology by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP).
In addition, Lugli is non-executive chairman of Global Hotel Alliance, the world's largest alliance of independent hotel brands. She also serves as an advisor to Simplenight, a Global Experience PlatformTM (GEPTM) providing cloud-based distribution, inventory management, merchandising and technology solutions for the travel industry.
Lugli served as the executive vice president of marketing for Wyndham Hotel Group, where she led the global strategy for customer engagement and market positioning for the company. She joined after serving in senior executive positions with privately held Travelport Limited (and its predecessor Galileo International), one of the world's largest global distribution system providers.
In her tenure at Travelport, she served in a variety of executive roles in the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) division, including senior vice president of Global Supplier Relations, managing director of airline solutions, and senior vice president of commercial. She was also responsible for overseeing Travelport's Global Operations and Global Land and Sea businesses.
Geof Rochester is a recognized thought leader in corporate sustainability, CSR, NGO management, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. Founder of Geof Rochester Consulting, he advises nonprofit, social enterprise and corporate brand leadership on marketing strategy and social purpose. Past and current clients include Day One, Purify Fuel, American Farmland Trust, AppHarvest, Ziggie.com and MindSpark Learning. Rochester has distinctive and dynamic experience with the world's leading conservation NGO, media companies and consumer brands.
Rochester has served in various global roles. As Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer of The Nature Conservancy, he directed the organization's marketing, membership and visibility strategies. At TNC he pushed the organization to broaden its impact beyond traditional audiences for environmental support by going after mega-brand partners and securing unusual collaborations with companies like Macy's, Subway, Harley Davidson, Univision, Globo, Tencent, and a host of other leading global organizations. Rochester previously held the positions of Executive Vice President for Marketing at World Wrestling Entertainment, and Senior Vice President for Marketing at Showtime Networks. Earlier in his career, he served in senior marketing positions with Comcast Communications, Radisson Hotels International, and Procter and Gamble.
Rochester is highly sought after for his insights and opinions, guidance, inspiration and heart. He has served on several advisory boards including EcoAmerica, MMGY Global, Wharton IGEL, Sonoma County Winegrowers, the Georgetown University Alumni Association and the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Born in Barbados and raised in Brooklyn, he earned his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Venture Capital Partner, Investor, Founder, Board Member
Harry Hopper has been a venture capital partner, investor, founder, board member and M&A advisor in the communications, media and technology (CMT) sector for more than 28 years. At Columbia Capital, a CMT venture capital firm that he joined in 1994, Harry served as a managing partner for institutional venture funds (over $2 billion under his management).
Harry is very active and engaged in the consumer finance space where mobile functionality or enabling technologies are central. He is on the boards of Sixgill and LendPro and is an investor with Zebit, Global Analytics Holdings and Salt Technologies.
Harry has served as president of The Columbia Group, Inc. and executive vice president of Bachtel Cellular Liquidity, LP, a wireless investment fund. Prior to Bachtel, he founded Sky Broadcasting Corporation and AFSC Corporation. Harry received his Bachelor of Arts (Phi Beta Kappa) and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He is an avid cyclist and is chairman of the board of trustees of the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design in Washington, D.C.
A principal mainstay at MMGY Global since 1996, Hugh McConnell oversees all financial, legal and M&A aspects of the international agency as CFO, including managing the organization's financial operations in more than four countries. He directed an impressive nine acquisitions in just six years by ensuring proper funding, documentation and pricing were in place for smooth proceedings. Hugh successfully managed the financial conditions of the company through the global pandemic crisis, leveraging bank relationships, government programs and maintaining the health of the company balance sheet.
Born in Georgia, Hugh graduated from Georgia State University, began his career in finance in 1985 and shortly thereafter became a certified public accountant. He previously served as VP and controller at BBDO, where he was instrumental in devising the cost-plus compensation system for Delta Air Lines. Hugh has created similar compensation plans for Mexico and Choice Hotels International, among other global clients. He is affiliated with several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Through previous job experience and his enduring tenure with MMGY Global, Hugh has expertise working with large and small companies. In addition to creating the financial strategy and annual budget for the global company, he also works with brand leads and senior management to direct individual brand budgets, and enables all MMGY Global brands to build, track and realize specialized financial goals. Hugh is the point of contact for all things financial and legal - communicating regularly with external accountants, legal counsel, investors and banks.
As the former global managing director of corporate and executive communications at Accenture, Jayme was responsible for developing and managing communications strategies to tell the Accenture story and elevate the company's brand. She led executive communications, financial communications, corporate content development and crisis communications, and was a communications advisor to Accenture Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pierre Nanterme. In addition, she served as chief of staff to Accenture's chief marketing officer, with a focus on marketing strategy, operations and measurement.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Public Relations
Job Titles:
- EVP, Media and Analytics, Americas
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of MMGY Europe
As Managing Director of MMGY Europe, Jonathan Sloan brings more than 25 years of marketing and PR experience in the travel, hotel and restaurant sectors. In his role, Jonathan connects companies and destinations in the travel and hospitality space with specific brands under the MMGY Global umbrella based on their specific channel marketing needs in Europe and the Middle East.
An energetic and passionate member of the travel and hospitality industry, Jonathan offers a wealth of industry knowledge and experience having worked with major tourism destinations, hotel brands, tour operators, restaurant brands and media houses. Previously, Jonathan was with MMGY Hills Balfour in London for 17 years, with the last 10 years in the role of Managing Director. He's also been actively involved with industry associations and committees including The Travel Media Awards and Visit USA Association and has been included in the PR Week Power List on a number of occasions.
Job Titles:
- EVP, International Marketing, Americas
Job Titles:
- EVP, Public Relations, Americas
With 25 years of experience, Julie is an expert at creating innovative programs that build and elevate travel and hospitality brands through media relations, consumer engagement, and strategic partnerships and events at the local, national and international levels. She leads MMGY NJF in addition to MMGY Global's New York City office as EVP of Public Relations for the Americas.
Julie talks the talk when it comes to international destinations and brands and is fluent in Spanish. Her hands-on approach is evident, as she's personally involved in overseeing business development plus strategy and implementation of programs for MMGY NJF's growing portfolio of clients, ensuring they integrate into overall marketing efforts and generate maximum exposure and impact. In 2018, she was named one of PR News' Top Women in PR, and she has won numerous HSMAI Adrian Awards for her work. Previously, Julie spent 17 years at Edelman, helping to build the firm's global tourism and hospitality offering as executive vice president and deputy global director.
Justin is responsible for MMGY Global's continued growth in the travel and tourism industry. He spent 16 years leading creative teams to successful and award-winning campaigns for travel brands like Lufthansa, South Dakota Department of Tourism, Los Cabos Tourism, European Travel Commission and Visit KC. Now, as Senior Vice President of Business Strategy, he brings together his passion for great creative work with a smart strategy for MMGY Global and its portfolio of agency brands and clients.
Katie Briscoe is CEO of MMGY Global, a $100 million integrated travel marketing firm operating around the world. Katie leads international strategy and agency operations across five continents and hundreds of travel clients while shaping policy for over 600 team members in 14 global offices. She also leads an international management team that focuses on innovative work, business development, finance, human resources as well as mergers and acquisitions.
Katie's leadership experience with influential travel companies includes Club Med, Marriott International, Namibia Tourism, SIXT Rental Car, Travel Michigan and Wyndham Hotel Group. She currently sits on the board of the U.S. Travel Association and is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council. Katie has been appointed to the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Board and was the recipient of HSMAI's 2017 Chair's Leadership Award.
In 2021, Katie was selected as the 2021 recipient of CBIZ's Women Transforming Business Award, recognizing her as one of the country's great visionaries and transformative female leaders. In 2022, she was named to the select group of "Woman Who Mean Business" by The Kansas City Business Journal.
Katie is a frequent speaker at travel conferences, including Destinations International, Eye for Travel, The IMPACT Sustainability Travel and Tourism Conference, Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition, Luxury Travel Advisor's Ultra Summit and US Travel Association's CEO Roundtable. She has been featured by The New York Times, Shape Magazine, AFAR and Skift, and she contributes to travel industry think tanks around the world including the Women In Travel Symposium (WITS) and The Travel Outlook Forum.
Job Titles:
- President of the Americas for CAVU
Kevin currently serves as President of the Americas for CAVU, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manchester Airport Group (MAG). MAG owns and operates three airports in the United Kingdom and CAVU is a digital and hospitality focused subsidiary that serves MAG owned airports as well as other airports throughout Europe and the United States. Kevin has more than 30 years of experience leading and managing in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments, he began his career with Jones, Lang, LaSalle, formerly LaSalle Partners, where he served in various roles including Senior Vice President (Equity Partner). In 1998, he co-founded The Parking Spot, the nation's leading near airport parking company, serving as Chief Operating Officer through 2012 and President and Chief Executive Officer through 2018. Kevin earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Albion College, Albion, Michigan and a Master of Management degree in finance and marketing from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Public Relations
Lauren likes to bring people and travel brands together. It starts with her exceptional public relations experience that includes representing destinations, hotels and resorts, luxury cruises, spas, airlines, tour operators and travel products. A powerful asset to her clients, her expertise shapes the department's best practices for effective strategies, sharp writing, partnerships, promotions and special events. She's also brought home four Platinum Adrian Awards from the Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International.
As Managing Director, Public Relations, North America, she leads the agency's day-to-day operations, staff development and new business initiatives. After more than 20 years in the industry, Lauren's client portfolio is as impressive as it is extensive. She's worked with Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Visit San Antonio, Visit South Walton, The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Air Tahiti Nui, Breezes Resorts & Spas, STA Travel and the Harley-Davidson Museum, to name a few.
A Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude Bachelor of Arts graduate of Binghamton University, Lauren believes that traveling makes the world a smaller place. It invokes thought, encourages understanding and creates more acceptance. While visiting more than 55 countries has shaped her, her most priceless souvenirs are the close friendships she's made along the way.
Job Titles:
- EVP, Integrated Marketing, Americas
Lisa has been integral to the growth and development of MMGY since she started working for the company back in 1990. With over three decades of experience inspiring people to travel and mentoring others to do the same, she imparts invaluable knowledge and wisdom EVP of Integrated Marketing for the Americas of MMGY. Lisa directs the strategic vision and manages the day-to-day operations of MMGY, the North American flagship brand of MMGY Global. Lisa has built lasting agency partnerships worldwide and contributed to award-winning campaigns for clients like Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Windstar Cruises and Destination DC. Delighted by the changing challenges of each day, Lisa loves the opportunity to problem-solve with the smartest marketers in the industry.
Her expertise includes managing destination and hospitality brand strategies with multifaceted media campaigns for leisure consumer travelers and B2B planners in the meetings, groups, and travel professional and corporate travel professional spaces. With over 20 years of B2B experience, Lisa has supported pre-opening and group meeting sales for over 35 national convention center hotels. Her knowledge of the B2B space has contributed to strong marketing campaigns ranging from the brand to the field level for clients including Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Marriott Hotels & Resorts. Lisa has worked with destination clients and their stakeholders over the course of her career to build strong campaigns and co-op programs that deliver on marketing objectives and drive tourism.
Lisa sees her presence in the travel space as a privilege - as is having the opportunity to learn about the amazing places MMGY promotes. Family vacations with their three children (now grown) have always been a priority for Lisa and her husband of 32 years. She believes in the power of travel to enrich people's lives and sees this happening firsthand in the lives of her children as they are now embarking on their own travel adventures.
Job Titles:
- Partner & Managing Director, MMGY Origin
As Partner & Managing Director at MMGY Origin, Marie-Josée (MJ) is also one of mountain sports' leading marketing strategists and the driving force behind numerous outdoor campaigns across Canada and the U.S. Steering clients through a customer process with data-led insights gleaned from robust analytics and metrics, MJ is the vertex where strategy and wisdom meet. Her affinity for anticipating business problems and unearthing unconventional solutions translates into tangible brand and sales growth across all channels for clients including Whistler Blackcomb, L.L. Bean, lululemon and The North Face.
MJ has a bachelor's degree in marketing from Concordia University and enough big agency experience in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. to know that starting MMGY Origin more than 20 years ago with partner Danielle Kristmanson was exactly what the outdoor sports market needed. When she's not driving strategy at MMGY Origin, you'll find her driving her motorbike on Vermont's backroads, snowboarding down a client's mountain or critiquing the retail offerings of a city near you.
Job Titles:
- Founder, Wagstaff
- Partner and Managing Director at MMGY Wagstaff
With more than 30 years in hospitality, Mary Wagstaff continues to drive innovation across her global client portfolio. She is no stranger to progressive hospitality marketing, having worked her way through most aspects of the hospitality and tourism industries in various public relations and marketing roles. Born and raised in Virginia, Mary graduated from New York University before moving to Chicago and founding ProVisions, a public relations firm focused on restaurants in Chicago and Los Angeles. After moving to Los Angeles, she became vice president of Murphy O'Brien Public Relations in 1998 and then struck out on her own, founding Wagstaff Media & Marketing in 1999. She spent the next 20-plus years diligently nurturing Wagstaff's growth to include offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City and Vancouver, Canada. Wagstaff is dedicated to supporting clients in all verticals of the hospitality world, including travel, hospitality lifestyle, culinary products and personalities, events and festivals, hotels and airlines, as well as distinctive wine and spirits brands.
As Partner and Managing Director at MMGY Wagstaff, Mary continues the work that she began more than 30 years ago. She is also co-founder of Flapjack, a food and travel entertainment company, and produced the documentary "A Chef's Voyage" in 2020. Mary is a founding board member of Active Cultures, works with No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength, and has served on the boards of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs and the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Wagstaff Media & Marketing was included in Forbes' inaugural list of America's Best PR Firms, and Mary was recognized by Los Angeles Business Journal's Women's Leadership Awards.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, International Marketing
Job Titles:
- Chief Human Resource Officer
- CHRO
As Chief Human Resource Officer for MMGY Global, Mia Wise is responsible for the development, growth and management of hundreds of team members across the globe. With over 30 years of experience across multiple international industries, Mia's expertise is crucial to guiding the evolution and growth of company programs and support systems.
Mia has held a wide range of management positions throughout her career, including operations, human capital management and employee relations with companies such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever. With a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's in business administration, Mia has a broad intellectual foundation as well as diverse work experience to bring to MMGY Global's human capital and lead organizational change.
Mia's unique skill set, that includes staff and management policy experience gleaned from industries outside of travel and tourism, brings a valuable perspective to the MMGY Global leadership team.
Michael Stacy is CEO of ID90 Travel, whose web-based SaaS platform fully automates airline employee space-available travel for carriers across the globe. ID90 Travel is the first company in the space to provide airline employees the ability to easily purchase discounted hotels, rental cars and cruises online or via their industry-leading mobile application. During his tenure at ID90 Travel, Michael has raised venture capital financing and brought the company to first-time profitability. In 2018, Michael was recognized as a Southwest Region finalist in the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for his contributions at ID90 Travel.
Michael has been a leader in online technology since the late 90s, when he was hired in a marketing role in the very early stages of the development of Travelocity.com. He rose to become SVP of Marketing while helping the company go public and through its purchase by Sabre Holdings. He also served as President of Cheaptickets.com, where he led the company to first-time profitability and helped parent company Cendant complete the acquisition of Orbitz.com and the consolidation of Cheaptickets.com into the Orbitz family of brands. Prior to that, he was SVP of Marketing at Clear Channel Entertainment (now called Live Nation). Before joining ID90, Michael served as CEO of Groople.com, an online startup company devoted to group travel.
Michael has also served on the board of the nonprofit African Food and Peace Foundation, a trailblazing philanthropic community investing in groundbreaking education for women and girls in Uganda.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, Public Relations
Olivier founded TCI Research in 2010 as a way of combining his passion for travel with his 20+ years' experience in research and data intelligence acquired in global companies. As a specialist in the visitor experience and destination reputation, he has worked for 100+ international and local destinations and travel brands. He is a regular speaker at travel international forums and President of the Europe Chapter of TTRA (Tourism and Travel Research Association). He was awarded Best Travel Market Research CEO 2017 by the EU Business News Agency.
Job Titles:
- Founder, NextFactor
- Partner and Managing Director of MMGY NextFactor
Paul is a Partner and Managing Director of MMGY NextFactor, which he established in 2015. He also serves as Managing Director of DestinationNext in partnership with Destinations International, a professional trade association based in Washington, D.C.He was one of three founding partners of InterVISTAS Consulting Inc. in 1997. For 20 years, he played a major role in building it into a multinational company with offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Specializing in aviation, transportation and tourism, InterVISTAS has completed projects in over 75 countries. Paul has retained the role of Executive Consultant at InterVISTAS since leaving the firm in 2015.
Paul has successfully delivered strategic plans and tourism master plans for several destination marketing organizations (DMOs), governments, nonprofit organizations, hotels and airports around the world. He has completed organization reviews and developed start-up plans and business plans for new ventures. He has also facilitated over 300 planning retreats and led several major community consultation and engagement processes.
During the past four years, Paul has led the team that developed and delivered DestinationNext, a Destinations International initiative on the future of DMOs. DestinationNext was ranked by Skift as one of the top 10 biggest developments in the global tourism industry in 2015.
He has spoken around the world on this new strategic roadmap for the DMO industry and he and his team have now completed more than 200 detailed assessments of destinations around the world.
Peter is regarded as one of the most respected and insightful sources on the habits and preferences of American travelers. He is a frequent commentator on travel trends in such publications as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Time, Newsweek and Business Week. He has also appeared on the CNN, CNBC, MSNBC and BBC World television networks and is frequently heard on National Public Radio. Listed in Who's Who in America, Peter is the recipient of the World Travel Award from the American Association of Travel Editors, the Albert E. Koehl Award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), the Silver Medal from the American Advertising Federation and the Spirit of Hospitality Award from Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). He was named one of the "25 Most Extraordinary Marketing Minds" by HSMAI and is a former member of the board of directors of the Travel Industry Association of America. He is also the coauthor of Marketing Leadership in Hospitality and Tourism, published by Prentice Hall.
Ralf Lieb - Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Partner
- Managing Director of MMGY Lieb Management
As Partner & Managing Director of MMGY Lieb Management, Ralf Lieb is completely dedicated to the tourism industry. His tourism career began in 1988 and since then, he has gained broad expertise through work for travel agencies, a well-known tour operator and finally, over the past 20 years, in destination marketing representation. With the ambition of providing his clients with very individualized service and efficient European representation, Ralf followed his passion and founded his company Lieb Management in 2009. His experience and reputation enable Ralf to provide qualified, personal service as well as dynamic solutions together with a creative and dedicated team.
Job Titles:
- EVP, Global Brand Strategy
Stewart leads MMGY Global's brand strategy efforts. He has created brands for destinations, hotel companies, attractions and sports franchises around the world, including Vancouver, Cleveland, Bermuda, Los Cabos, Homewood Suites by Hilton, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to MMGY Global, he served as international creative director at Dentsu, Inc. in Tokyo. He has received awards at the most prestigious advertising competitions, including Best of Show at the HSMAI Adrian Awards, twice.
Thomas has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years and is currently the chairman of the board for Summit Hotel Properties. He was formerly the president for SONIFI, a hotel industry technology company, and prior to that was the executive vice president business strategy for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International (FRHI), a leading global hotel company with over 100 hotels worldwide under the Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel brands. Having helped launch FRHI as a publicly traded company and assisted with its subsequent privatization, Tom was responsible for strategic planning and helping to identify new opportunities for FRHI that capitalized on improving business fundamentals. Tom held a series of progressive leadership positions with FRHI, including executive vice president development and executive vice president business strategy, as well as president of Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Tom has been a member of various hospitality industry organizations, including the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Travel Industry Association of America and PCMA. Tom received a BA in economics from Bates College and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director, MMGY TravelDesk
Since 2010, Yolanda has built a career in digital media, creative partnerships and programmatic advertising, working in a range of verticals with clients including Air New Zealand, Travel Belize, Maserati, IBM, Campo Viejo and L'Oreal. As SVP, Managing Director for MMGY TravelDesk, Yolanda leads the programmatic division of MMGY Global, activating campaigns globally in tandem with the U.S. and U.K. media teams. Her team devises solutions and products to support client campaigns, working with colleagues across all divisions of the organization to ensure the company remains at the forefront of data and advertising technology.
Through creativity and a deep understanding and love of the travel industry, Yolanda develops MMGY TravelDesk's capabilities via strategic partnerships, innovative problem-solving, brainstorming with colleagues, and skillfully integrating knowledge from all of MMGY Global's first-party resources and divisions. In addition to managing programmatic solutions, Yolanda makes strategic recommendations for prospective and current clients as well as implements scalable workflows and processes to continue to grow the commercial side of MMGY Global and MMGY TravelDesk.