Preferred Travel Group announces new global leadership positions
Preferred Travel Group – the family-owned company that operates global travel and hospitality brands Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Beyond Green, Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, PTG Consulting, and Beyond Green Travel – has announced three strategic appointments within its global and regional leadership teams.
The appointments come as part of Preferred Travel Group’s development strategy for portfolio growth and loyalty marketing: Stephanie Dowling has stepped into the newly created position of senior vice president of corporate communications and public relations; Gladys Camphuijsen (pictured) has been named as vice president of sales and new business development for Europe, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa; and Jennifer Munro has been appointed to vice president of loyalty. The company also promoted Simone Mariote to executive vice president for South America from Vice President of Global Sales for Latin America. These appointments come at a time of significant development for Preferred Travel Group – which recently rebranded from Preferred Hotel Group to strengthen its identity as a travel and hospitality company – and are designed to accelerate the growth of its family of brands.
“It is truly exciting to announce this series of key appointments as new opportunities continue to materialise across all travel segments,” said Cheryl Williams, chief revenue officer for Preferred Travel Group. “Our company has always embraced change and pursued growth, and these talented executives embody this spirit, bringing with them significant expertise and fresh perspectives to further accelerate the development of our brands, cultivate loyalty among new and existing audiences, and drive revenue to our hotel and destination clients. I am delighted to welcome their skilled and thoughtful leadership to the Preferred Travel Group team.”
With more than 25 years of brand management, public relations, and marketing experience, Stephanie Dowling leads communications efforts for Preferred Hotels and Resorts, Beyond Green, and PTG Consulting as Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Communications. Leveraging the collective talent and regionalised expertise of the company’s public relations, social media, and corporate communications team located across the United States, London, Beijing, and Tokyo, to scale up the implementation of communication strategies globally and expand the company’s client base.
Dowling started her career at NBC Nightly News, where she earned two Emmy award nominations, before deciding to pursue her passion for hospitality, which led to progressive senior public relations for Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Hawaii and French Polynesia and a tenure as Chief Marketing Officer and Deputy Director for the Arizona Office of Tourism. Most recently, Dowling headed up Strategic Communications, Brand Management and Public Relations for Black Hills Energy.
With a focus on new route-to-market objectives for Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Beyond Green, Amsterdam-based Gladys Camphuijsen has been appointed to the position of Regional Vice President, Sales & New Business Development, Europe, South Asia, Middle East, and Africa. In this role, Camphuijsen has strategic oversight of sales operations and new business development, which includes identifying tools and resources that support the company’s sales teams across these regions. Her broad hospitality management experience and proven record in luxury sales, marketing, and event management saw her profile rise at Lore Group where she served as Director of Sales & Events for Pulitzer Amsterdam before her promotion to Commercial Director for the group’s hotels in London, Amsterdam, and Washington D.C. Her prior experience includes senior sales and marketing roles for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in the Netherlands.
Jennifer Munro is named Vice President of Global Loyalty for Preferred Travel Group and will lead strategy for I Prefer Hotel Rewards – the world’s largest loyalty program for independent hotels with over 4.5 million members globally. Munro is responsible for setting a vision for the program’s evolution and directs all operations and delivery initiatives, encompassing marketing, brand partnerships, and program extensions to drive profitability across engagement channels.
Munro joins the company with over 20 years of experience honed at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation where she held various global and divisional roles across loyalty operations, digital, and marketing communications, including serving as the principal liaison to hoteliers for loyalty processes and performance and leading member communications. During the Marriot-Starwood merger, she played a pivotal role in the integration of the Starwood Preferred Guest traveler program.
Additionally, Sao Paulo-based Simone Mariote, who has held various sales leadership roles at Preferred for over 20 years, has been promoted toExecutive Vice President, South America. In this newly created role, Simone leads development and retention efforts in the region through expanding the company’s portfolio presence in addition to intra-continental and outbound sales from South America.
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