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In This Section >> What is ATME? | Board of Directors | Committees | Conference Sponsorships | Advertise in TMD | Privacy Policy | Trade Show Info | Sponsor Levels & Benefits | ATME Sponsors |

Board of Directors

Officers & Executive Committee

Chairman
Joel Chusid, Hainan Airline Corporation

Vice Chairman
Frank Camacho, The Hertz Corporation

Immediate Past Chairman
Gary Sain, Orlando/Orange County CVB

Secretary
Greg Marshall, Greater Rochester VA

Treasurer
Jacqueline Johnson, Jacqueline Johnson Associates, Inc.

Executive Director
Kristin Zern, ATME

Executive Committee Members
Susan Black,Susan Black Associates
Vicki Freed, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Jeff Senior, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International

Chairman Emeritus
John Boatright

Board of Directors

Chris Austin, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Peggy Bendel, Development Counsellors International
Greg Brown, Choice Hotels International
Jeffrey DeKorte, Rand McNally
Cynthia Fontayne, The Fontayne Group
Henry Harteveldt, Forrester Research
Joseph JaQuay, Discover Financial Services
Pamela Johnston, PJ Inc
Marc Kazlauskas, Insight Vacations
Shri Lildharrie, The Knot
Betsy O’Rourke, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Krista Pappas, Bing.com/Travel
John T. Peters, Tripology/Rand McNally
Madigan Pratt, Madigan Pratt & Associates
Hugh Riley, Caribbean Tourism Organization
Robert Sharak, CLIA
Joanne Smith, Delta Airlines
Kirk Thompson, Hilton Hotels
Rob Torres, Google

Bios

Chris Austin CHRIS AUSTIN
Vice President of Global Customer Partnerships, Leisure and Luxury Sales
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
ATME Board Member

In June 1986 Chris Austin graduated from Bournemouth University, England and Hilton International’s Management Training Program, and joined ITT Sheraton Corporation as a Sales Executive at the Sheraton Skyline Hotel, London Heathrow Airport. Soon afterward, Chris was promoted to Assistant Banqueting & Convention Services Manager, and then to Banqueting Manager, overseeing Sheraton’s largest meeting facilities in the U.K. In April 1990 Chris moved back into sales from hotel operations, assuming the position of Account Director in the London National Sales Office for Sheraton. During this time Chris was responsible for developing the largest accounts, including American Express and a number of key U.K. tour operators. In the summer of 1998 Chris was promoted to Vice President Global Leisure Sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and was responsible for developing leisure business to all of Starwood’s six brands, and to growing on a strategic level the relationships with the largest tour operators, wholesalers, inbound receptive operators, cruise lines, retail travel agents and private member channels such as AAA. December 2005, Chris was promoted to Vice President Global Customer Partnerships, Leisure & Luxury Sales. In this newly created position Chris is a member of Starwood’s worldwide sales leadership team, having responsibility for driving more meaningful and deeper partnerships in the leisure and luxury sales segments with Starwood’s top customers globally. Active in industry affairs, Chris is a board member of the TIA, ASTA, & ATME and takes a leadership role with the USTOA. Chris has been recognized by Travel Agent Magazine as one of the industry’s shining stars and previously won the ITT Sheraton President's Award and Starwood's Sales Award of the year.
Peggy Bendel PEGGY BENDEL
Senior Vice President, Tourism Division
Development Counsellors Intl
ATME Board Member

Peggy Bendel has headed the Tourism Division of Development Counsellors International (DCI) since 1985, working with such clients as Australia, Dubai, South Africa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Maine, Massachusetts, Miami, Scotland, Tasmania and more. A principal in the seminal I Love New York campaign, Peggy began her career as a travel writer for the State of New York, and worked in economic development and international trade as well as tourism. In 2006, Peggy received The Winthrop Grice Lifetime Achievement in Public Relations award from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). She sits on the Boards of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) and the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Travel & Tourism section. She chairs SATW’s Phoenix Awards committee, and as a past winner, now serves on the awards committee for HSMAI. A frequent speaker at conferences around the U.S. and internationally on the topics of branding, crisis communications, marketing and public relations, Peggy is also DCI’s lead media coach and trainer.
Greg Brown GREG BROWN
Vice President, Loyalty and Relationship Marketing
Choice Hotels International
ATME Board Member

Greg has held a variety of marketing and finance leadership roles during his 20-year plus career, 17 of which were with American Airlines. He began his career with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Greg then joined American’s Finance department in the late-80s, and subsequently led organizations in Financial Analysis, Airport Resource Planning, Revenue Management, and Sales. He was recruited to Choice Hotels initially as Vice President of Choice Privileges, and has been with Choice for three and a half years.
Susan Black SUSAN BLACK
Managing Partner
Susan Black Associates
ATME Executive Committee Member

Susan Black heads up the 8-year old strategy firm, Susan Black Associates, Inc. (The Black & Wright Group). Susan is also Senior Advisor at Bentley Associates Investment Bank’s Travel & Leisure Group. www.bentleylp.com , where she leads the Strategic Advisory Practice. Clients include leading online travel brands, traditional travel distributors and suppliers, and travel industry start-ups. She serves on several corporate advisory boards, and was elected to ATME's Executive Committee (Association of Travel Marketing Executives) and TIA's eCommerce Committee (Travel Industry Association of America). An experienced travel marketer, Susan recently served as Chief Marketing Officer of CheapCaribbean.com, a top ranked website dedicated to Caribbean and Mexico vacations. Her previous posts include Executive Vice President, Marketing for $2B Liberty Travel/GOGO Worldwide Vacations; Founder, TravelCom Conference & Expo; Chairman of eTravelWorld; GM and Publisher of Thomas Publishing's Travel Group; and Associate Publisher of Corporate Travel Magazine. As an active social media participant, she currently helps marketers develop and implement social media strategies for their travel brands.
John Boatright JOHN BOATRIGHT
ATME Chairman Emeritus
Frank Camacho FRANK CAMACHO
Staff Vice President, Americas Marketing
The Hertz Corporation
ATME Vice Chairman

Frank E. Camacho is Staff Vice President, Americas Marketing for the Hertz Corporation, based at Hertz' World Headquarters in Park Ridge, NJ. He is responsible for driving revenue through marketing for Hertz in the Americas and Internationally. He led Hertz into a major expansion of leisure marketing and online activity since joining Hertz in 1998. Under his direction, Hertz launched a number of successful new products including NeverLost, the Prestige, Fun and Green Collections, Simply Wheelz by Hertz. Before coming to Hertz, Mr. Camacho was Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing and Operations Staff for Sheraton Hotels North America, and prior to that he was VP, Marketing Services for Marriott Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University, and a Master's degree from the University of Michigan.
Joel Chusid

JOEL CHUSID
General Manager, North America
Hainan Airline Corporation
ATME Chairman

Joel Chusid is an experienced, well respected travel and tourism professional who has led US domestic and international air carriers in their strategic positioning in sales and business development, marketing and branding. In addition to the US, specific geographic expertise includes China, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Latin America. Conversant in four languages, Mr. Chusid has traveled to over 100 countries and served as Vice President or Managing Director of Sales and Marketing for one of the worlds largest airlines and a prestigious Chinese carrier. Joel Chusid's experience includes launching successful airlines and new routes and working with travel industry partners, the media and vendors.

Jeff DeKorte

JEFFREY DEKORTE
Senior Vice President, Travel & Digital Media
Rand McNally
ATME Board Member

Jeff DeKorte began his online travel career in 1996 in the Electronic Distribution department at US Airways developing and operating PC-based travel booking tools and the Company’s early web site. He also served as Director, Electronic Commerce and Distribution at US Airways and co-directed the team responsible for the design and re-launch of their award-winning web site and self-service kiosks. Jeff’s experience in the travel industry and expertise in the online travel field have led him to his current role as Senior Vice President, Travel & Digital Media, at Rand McNally. Previously, Jeff was Vice President of Business Development at Travel Ad Network, President & COO at LeisureLogix, LLC and Vice President & General Manager, Travel at America Online. Jeff serves as a member of the advisory board for the Travel Commerce Conference & Expo and on the board of directors of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives.

Cynthia Fontayne

CYNTHIA FONTAYNE
CEO + Chief Ephemerist
The Fontayne Group
ATME Board Member

When she joined Swissair in 1969, Cynthia Fontayne had already been flying for 22 years. Her first flight was at six months, her first solo at age 5. She's been on the go ever since. She headed the airline's North American public relations department with additional assignments in marketing and sales. She left Swissair in 1982 to start The Fontayne Group, Inc., a marketing communications consultancy headquartered in Santa Monica, California. She is a founding Board member of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives, a former Board member of the Society of American Travel Writers, past chairman of the North American Airline PR Association and a member of the Industry Council of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. In 1988, she was named a Senior Associate of the Tourism Policy Forum at George Washington University under the aegis of the World Tourism Organization. She also is a member of the Public Relations Society of America's Counsellors Academy and Travel and Tourism Section While at Vassar, from which she was graduated with a B.A. in sociology, she studied with future new media guru Ted Nelson, then a professor of sociology at the College. She was in the room when he first introduced the word "hypertext" in a lecture. Her first Computer Experience was a Ted Project on an IBM 360 Counter- Sorter. So it's only natural that the interactive world would hold great appeal to her. Its hold on her was complete when hyperfiction pioneer Michael Joyce, currently a professor of English at Vassar, showed her how to use a mouse. The Fontayne Group as a company became involved in New Media in the early 1990s, with Cynthia leading the charge. She and the firm have been assisting clients in understanding and exploiting these exciting opportunities. Cynthia has conducted numerous seminars and presentations on the Internet and Web for ATME, SATW and Infocom. She has addressed the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization on strategic communications planning and on media relations using the Internet and World Wide Web in Cairo and Madrid. Cynthia speaks French and Italian but limits her public speaking to English which she embellishes with expansive hand gestures. Her frequent travels allow her to grow her collections of art stamps, old travel and etiquette books, antique postcards and paper, folk art animals, world music and floaty pens. She gathers vintage linens, aprons, kitchenware, pottery, Depression Glass -- and other oddments too wonderful to be thrown in the Great American Dustbin -- for her modest antiques + collectibles business. She keeps the Fire-King jadite, Lu-Ray and Vernon pastel china, old linens and matte glaze pottery she finds all to herself. She currently is house hunting in the California wine country, Sonoma County, so she has a place to stash all her stuff. She still never leaves home without her laptop and a Pez dispenser.
Vicki Freed

VICKI FREED
Senior Vice President, Sales
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
ATME Executive Committee Member

Vicki Freed is Royal Caribbean International's Senior Vice President, Sales. Freed oversees the company's 345-person sales force, the largest sales team in the cruise industry. She also manages the company's Trade Support and Services division, which includes Reservations, Group Sales, Customer Service, and Loyalty Programs. Freed reports to Adam Goldstein, President and CEO. Freed joined the company after 29 years with Carnival Cruise Lines, where she spent the last 15 years as senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. Prior to that, Freed served in a variety of sales management positions within the cruise line. From 1998 to 2000, Freed also served as the first, and only, female chairman of the Cruise Line International Association, the marketing and travel agent training arm of the North American cruise industry. During her 29 years at Carnival, Freed earned numerous awards and accolades for outstanding achievement in sales and marketing, including being named Travel Trade magazine's "Executive of the Year," becoming the first female executive to receive that honor. In 2006, Freed received the Helmsman's Award for Best Cruise Line Executive, presented by Daily Cruise News. Freed has been appointed to serve on the Florida Commission on Tourism, a private/public partnership that is responsible for promoting Florida tourism. She also serves on the board of directors for ATME. She is a trustee of the United Way of Miami-Dade County. Previously, she served on the board of directors for the South Florida Chapter of Make-a-Wish Foundation for nine years. Freed earned a bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Colorado. She also holds a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) designation.

Henry Harteveldt
HENRY HARTEVELDT
Vice President, Principal Analyst
Forrester Research
ATME Board Member

Henry Harteveldt joined Forrester in January 2000 to lead its worldwide travel industry practice. Henry's research helps travel industry eBusiness & Channel Strategy professionals worldwide understand and anticipate how technology will impact the way they market, sell, and distribute their products and services. His research at Forrester has served to define strategy and opportunity across the travel industry, and functions as a leading indicator of key trends and innovation. Named one of the 33 most influential people in the travel industry by Travel Weekly magazine in November 2007, Henry is a regular commentator in broadcast and print media. Henry serves on the board of directors of the Association of Travel Marketing Executives (ATME) and the advisory board of Travel Distribution Report. Henry was a co-founder of the annual TravelCom travel industry conference, and serves as a member of the Travel Industry Association's eCommerce advisory committee. Henry's travel industry marketing, planning, and distribution experience includes leadership roles at GetThere, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, The Trump Organization, and Continental Airlines.
Joseph JaQuay
JOSEPH JAQUAY
Discover Financial Services
ATME Board Member
Jacqueline Johnson
JACQUELINE JOHNSON
Jacqueline Johnson Associates, Inc.
ATME Treasurer
Pamela Johnston
PAMELA JOHNSTON
President
PJ Inc
ATME Board Member

Since its founding in 1997, Pamela and PJ Inc. have earned a reputation for precision, innovation, and most importantly, results. What her varied clients have in common is that they’ve been featured everywhere that’s anywhere. Pamela’s career began with handling a variety of accounts at Marina Maher Communications, GCI Group, Grey Advertising, and at Adams Unlimited. Just a few years out of school, Pamela won the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s award for Best TV Placement. And only two years after launching the firm, Pamela was named one of Brandweek magazine's “Guerilla Marketers of the Year”. She is a regular industry speaker, having been invited to speak at PhocusWright, HSMAI and Good Morning America as an expert on pr, marketing and multitasking, and has been featured in media including New York Times, USA Today and the Wall St. Journal. She has also been lauded by Investor's Business Daily for her innovative thinking and campaigns. Most recently, PJ Inc. swept up the TIA Odyssey award for best travel marketing.
Marc Kaslauskas
MARC KAZLAUSKAS
President
Insight Vacations
ATME Board Member

Marc has worked in the travel industry for over 15 years primarily holding executive level sales positions with Tauck, Orient Cruise Lines and Trafalgar Tours, where he started his career. Currently, Marc is President of Insight Vacations, the leader in premium first-class escorted tours to Europe, the USA and Canada. He is responsible for overall growth and operations of the business. He has been with Insight since August of 2002 and is credited with increasing Insight’s sales to record breaking levels as well as securing partnerships with major industry accounts. Marc has a degree in Accounting and has completed executive education programs at both Harvard and Columbia. He has also traveled extensively throughout the world and has been on more than 20 escorted tours.
Greg Marshall
GREG MARSHALL
Vice President and Director of Marketing
Greater Rochester Visitor's Association
ATME Secretary
No Photo
SHRI LILDHARRIE
Global Travel Director
The Knot
ATME Board Member
Betsy O'Rourke
BETSY O'ROURKE
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
ATME Board Member

Betsy O'Rourke is the company's senior vice president of Marketing responsible for all aspects of the global cruise line's marketing program, including brand strategy and positioning, consumer and trade advertising, web and loyalty marketing, research, brand development and communications. O'Rourke, who has more than 25 years of marketing and communications experience, most recently served as senior vice president of Marketing and Communications for Wyndham Worldwide, where she was responsible for developing corporate marketing programs, oversaw media relations and served as marketing liaison within the company's various business units, including Wyndham Hotel Group, the world's largest hotel franchising company with nearly 7,000 hotels under 12 brand names. Previously, she served as senior vice president of marketing for the Travel Industry Association of America, where she created SeeAmerica, an international umbrella marketing program for the U.S. travel industry, and was recognized for her leadership in the 9/11 travel industry recovery campaign. She has also held marketing positions at Choice Hotels International as a senior vice president, principal of Betsy Bromberg & Associates and director of marketing and communications at the American Hotel & Lodging Association. O’Rourke attended the Institut D'Etudes Politiques in Paris, France and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
Krista Pappas
KRISTA PAPPAS
Global Head of Business Development
Bing.com/Travel
ATME Board Member

Krista Pappas is considered a veteran online travel industry executive with more than a decade of experience creating and growing online media properties. She is a highly regarded business leader whose focus is on the intersection of digital travel and search, media, multi platform distribution, infrastructure, technology, and markets. Ms. Pappas is known for her deep knowledge of the travel industry and for her ability to identify and aid the development of trends years before they become global. For example: she was the first professional analyst to cover Internet travel in 1996-97, a key player in the launch of online travel services in 1997-2001, and a critical participant in the development of online travel sites since 2001. Since 1999 her batting average has been 1000 due to a track record of successful acquisitions to date. Most recently, in April 2008, Farecast was acquired by Microsoft. She has been quoted as an expert source on travel topics dozens of times in newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and has been interviewed on CNN, NBC, ABC and MSNBC and published scores of articles and reports widely read by Wall Street analysts. Today, Krista is the Global Head of Business Development of Bing.com/Travel, a Microsoft Company which has combined live search, Farecast and MSN Travel under one brand. Her role is to establish and drive the key business deals, partnerships and strategic alliances for Bing Travel. Leading up to her career at Microsoft, Krista was Senior Executive Vice President of the smart travel search site Farecast, led the business as Senior Vice President of SmarterTravel Media, was Head of Travel for New York Times Digital, EVP of FareChase, the first travel search engine and the Executive Director at Gomez Advisor’s. Krista sits on numerous travel industry boards including CASMA, U.S. Travel, Women’s Executive Travel Leadership Organization and TheiFive.com and ATME.
John T. Peters
JOHN T. PETERS
President & CEO
Tripology
ATME Board Member

John T. Peters joined Tripology as President and CEO in 2008. Since then, John built and led the team that enabled Tripology to grow to over 12,500 registered travel specialist users and process over 100,000 trip requests. In 2009, John accepted the prestigious “Innovator or the Year Award” as awarded by the US Travel Association. Prior to Tripology, John was Vice President of Business Development & Travel Trade where he led the successful launch of Endless Vacation Rentals® by Wyndham Worldwide. Earlier in his career, John founded Zeus Tours & Yacht Cruises, an international yacht cruise and hotel business that grew to over $50 million in sales with over 100 employees in offices in New York, Athens, Rome and Buenos Aires. John successfully sold the business in 1999. John has traveled extensively throughout the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe and Asia. He is a frequent speaker at trade shows and international meetings including Vacation Home Expo, The New York Times Travel Show, the Boston Globe Travel Show, International Cruise-a-thon and others. He has made guest appearances on radio and television programs (including Arthur Frommer’s Travel Show) and has been featured in such publications as The New York Times, USA Today, MSNBC, Internet Weekly, Argentina's largest newspaper; La Nacion. John was also named one of the Travel Industry's 100 Rising Stars for three consecutive years by Travel Agent Magazine. John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Certified Travel Industry Executive certification from The Travel Institute.
Madigan Pratt
MADIGAN PRATT
Managing Director
Madigan Pratt & Associates
ATME Board Member

Prior to founding MP&A, Madigan Pratt spent 15 years providing strategic marketing communications for sophisticated marketing-oriented Fortune 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive, Citibank, Xerox, and M&M/Mars. Madigan spearheaded the integration of general advertising and direct marketing for Xerox. Highly successful, sales-focused communications programs led him to pioneer many of the relationship marketing disciplines practiced widely today. He is expert at helping clients build brand advocates. In the late 1980's he formed Madigan Pratt & Associates, Inc. a marketing firm dedicated exclusively to bringing new and more effective brand building solutions to luxury hotels and resorts. Madigan has served on numerous travel industry association boards including The Association of Travel Marketing Executives (Chairman), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (Executive Committee) and the Travel & Tourism Research Association/NY (President). He also serves on the Advisory Committee for the HSMAI Luxury Resort Special Interest Group. His articles are widely published and he is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Madigan is often quoted in trade publications on issues relating to relationship marketing and branding. Madigan is a key contributor to MP&A's Hospitality Blog "Hotel Brand Advocates" which is widely followed by senior marketing executives.
Hugh Riley
HUGH RILEY
Acting Secretary General
Caribbean Tourism Organization
ATME Board Member

Last year, the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Director of Marketing for the Americas, Hugh Riley, was chosen as the Interim Secretary General of the organization. Mr Riley had assumed the position at the beginning of July when the Bahamian Secretary General, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, returned home to become Minister of Tourism and Aviation. Riley was appointed Director of Marketing for the Americas in March 2002 and has since overseen the Caribbean’s marketing programme in the United States of America and Canada. He is also co-Chief Operating Officer of the Caribbean Tourism Development Company (CTDC), the marketing and business development unit owned equally by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) and the CTO.
Gary Sain
GARY SAIN
CEO
Orlando/Orange County CVB
ATME Immediate Past Chairman

In 2007, Gary Sain was named president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Orlando CVB). Prior to this position, he was chief marketing officer and a partner of Y Partnership responsible for the overall marketing and sales efforts of the firm including agency branding, communications and strategic partner development. Sain was previously EVP of sales and marketing for GES Exposition Services, SVP of sales, marketing and passenger services for Premier Cruise Line, and assistant VP of sales for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Prior to that, Gary served as corporate VP sales/marketing for the Ritz-Carlton in D.C./New York and the Whitehall/Tremont Hotels in Chicago in addition to successfully opening, as director of marketing, the Stouffers Hotels in Chicago and Atlanta. Gary successfully positioned Premier Cruise Line’s “Big Red Boat” as one of the most recognizable brands in the cruise industry. He was voted a member of Travel Agent magazine’s “Winners Circle” for two years in a row, and is the recipient of Warner Bros. “President’s Award” for most creative use of the Looney Tunes characters. Gary is a frequent speaker at travel industry symposia and has contributed numerous articles on marketing and advertising practice to both consumer and trade publications.
Jeff Senior
JEFF SENIOR
Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales
Fairmont Raffles Hotels International
ATME Executive Committee Member

In his role as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales with Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, Mr.Senior serves as a customer advocate, providing leadership and strategic direction for global sales, marketing and lifestyle businesses including golf, spa, and retail. A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, prior to joining Fairmont, Senior served as Vice President, Brand Management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Senior was also instrumental in the successful brand management and marketing plan development for Kimpton Hotels, one of the original boutique hotel companies. He is the Global Board of Directors Chairman for HSMAI (the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) and is active with a number of industry groups, serving on the global board of the USTA and the technology steering committee of AHLA.
Robert Sharak
ROBERT SHARAK
Executive VP Marketing & Distribution
CLIA
ATME Board Member

As the executive vice president of marketing and distribution for the nonprofit Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Bob Sharak is charged with furthering the association’s strategic promotional goals and objectives and serving the needs of its over 16,000 travel agency members and the world’s 24 major cruise lines, which collectively represent 98 percent of the cruise capacity marketed in North America. Sharak, who joined CLIA in March 1993, directs all consumer and trade marketing efforts and promotional initiatives, including the association’s annual cruise3sixty travel agent conference and trade show, Web site development cruising.org, advertising and E-marketing, collateral production, CLIA’s annual National Cruise Vacation Month and World’s Largest Cruise Night campaigns. In addition, he manages industry alliances and partnerships, and spearheads CLIA’s travel agency membership programs, including its portfolio of gold-standard training programs. Prior to entering the nonprofit arena, Sharak held senior marketing positions for several travel companies, including the Hertz Corporation, the Trump Organization, PeopleExpress and Continental Airlines. Sharak graduated from Kent State University in 1980, with a Bachelor’s degree in marketing. He and his family currently reside in Summit, N.J.
Joanne Smith
JOANNE SMITH
Senior Vice President, In-Flight Service and Global Product Development
Delta Airlines
ATME Board Member

Joanne Smith is senior vice president of In-Flight Service and Global Product Development for Delta Air Lines at its world headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. In this position, Smith leads more than 11,000 flight attendants, supervisory and administrative personnel worldwide. Smith is also responsible for integrating the personalized service of Delta’s flight attendants with a global product strategy that truly differentiates the airline from its competitors, as well as overseeing the airline’s onboard services operations, including 100 global catering kitchens across the world. Smith previously served as vice president of marketing with responsibility for the airline’s brand management, worldwide marketing communications, marketing sponsorships, community affairs, customer research, and product and service development. Prior to this position, Smith served as president of Song, the airline’s low-fare air service. Smith joined Song is 2003 as vice president of marketing and customers, where she responsible for marketing, brand development, sales, in-flight service and airport customer service. She was responsible for launching Song in April 2003 as a unique and highly-differentiated new low-fare air service. This included developing and implementing Song’s award-winning brand, product and marketing strategy, as well as hiring in-flight and airport staff. Prior to joining Delta, Smith served in senior marketing and planning positions at Reno Air, Midway Airlines and AMR Eagle where her experiences gave her invaluable knowledge about airline customer service, network and routing, airport operations, in-flight service and marketing. Smith graduated in 1982 from California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. Smith, a native of San Luis Obispo, California, lives with her husband, Terry and their two daughters, Aleigh and Lauren in McDonough, Georgia.
Kirk Thompson

KIRK THOMPSON
Vice President, Marketing
Hilton Hotels
ATME Board Member

Kirk joined Hilton Hotels in 2005, charged with reinvigorating and energizing the Hilton brand to ensure its continued leading role in the fast-evolving travel industry. Kirk’s broad range of responsibilities include marketing strategy, advertising & communications, public relations, brand partnerships & sponsorships, as well as innovative product launches and forward-thinking marketing campaigns designed to connect with frequent, new and emerging travelers. In January 2006, Kirk spearheaded Hilton’s “Travel Should Take You Places” campaign, featuring break-through performers such as James Blunt, and helping to firmly establish the brand’s new contemporary tone and direction. Prior to joining Hilton, Thompson worked six years for the The Coca-Cola Company. serving in a range of international marketing, customer marketing and sports & entertainment marketing roles, including product innovation strategist with partners such as McDonald’s. Thompson began his consumer marketing career with McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, spanning 10 years in account management, strategy & new business roles for the advertising agency and a wide range of national, international, local and not-for-profit clients.

Rob Torres
ROB TORRES
Managing Director, Advertising & Marketing, NA Travel
Google
ATME Board Member

With over 15 years of travel industry experience, Rob Torres serves as Google’s Managing Director of advertising and marketing for the North American Travel sector. In this role, Rob oversees the strategy development and profitable growth of integrated and innovative advertising campaigns. His group serves some of the largest Web and brick-and-mortar travel brands in the US. Prior to joining Google, Rob was Vice President of Strategic Hotel Partnerships at Expedia.com. During his seven-year career at Expedia, Rob managed a team that had Global responsibility for 30 strategic accounts, generating gross bookings in excess of $2 billion.
Kristin Zern
KRISTIN ZERN
Executive Director
ATME

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ATME EVENT CALENDAR



Sept 22, 2010
ATME 2010 Travel Marketing Issues Forum
New York, NY