Rolando Aedo has been promoted from his post as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Greater Miami CVB to chief operating officer (COO). Aedo has been with the CVB for more than 22 years and has served in a variety of capacities.
Barry White is leaving his post as president and CEO of Augusta (Ga.) CVB to take on the job as president and CEO of the Chattanooga CVB. White has been with the Augusta bureau for nearly 26 years. He joined the organization as director of sales and three years later became president and CEO.
Noreen Valera has left her post as director of sales for San Francisco Helicopters and has retired. Valera was well-known from her he nearly 28 years with San Francisco Sightseeing/Gray Line/Coach America where she was director of marketing and sales.
The Port of Vancouver USA has hired Alex Strogen as its chief commercial officer. Strogen will join the port Jan. 16, 2018. Prior to joining the port, Strogen served for six years as a senior global category leader for General Electric Global Operations. He has also held positions with major ocean carriers, including American Roll On Roll Off Carrier, APL and Maersk Line.
John Constable, group chief executive of STA Travel, has announced that he will be leaving the company to take up a new opportunity, which will be announced in the new year. Reinhard Kotzaurek, managing director, Central Europe, has been named as Constable’s replacement and will take up the role in January. Constable has been with STA for 12 years.
Watson Li has joined NYC & Company as regional director, International MICE, serving the Asia Pacific, Africa and Middle East regions. Li joins NYC & Company with almost ten years of sales experience with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. He previously served as account director for the New York Metro Market. Prior to that position, he worked in sales roles at The Westin New York Times Square, in Starwood’s global sales office in Guangzhou, China, and at The Ritz-Carlton, Guangzhou.
Sarah Weetman is joining the tour operator G Touring as head of trade sales. She will be responsible for all trade relationships for escorted tour brands Travelsphere and Just You, having previously worked as head of trade sales at All Leisure Group until June 2016. Most recently, Weetman served as head of retail for Royal Caribbean.
Avianca Brazil has a new senior marketing manager: He is Arthur Sorelli Furtado, formerly of Tam Travel and Latam Travel, where he worked for more than three years in the international products area in Brazil and Chile. Sorelli replaces Flavia Zulzke, who left the company last September. The new manager responds directly to President Frederico Pedreira and Vice President Tarcisio Gargioni.
Also in Brazil, Heber Garrido has left Grupo Transamerica / Alfa, where he was executive director of the São Paulo-based company. Garrido worked in the group from 2000 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2018.
Managing Director Tracy Sharp will head up a new fully-fledged tour operating division at online travel agency Travel Up as the company launches a holiday packages division. Sharp was recruited from rival online agency Jetline Travel.
