During its Global Conference in Panama, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) announced a distinguished list of global industry leaders that will serve on the SITE International Board of Directors and SITE Foundation Board of Trustees effective 1 January 2017.
SITE International Board of Directors 2017
Rajeev Kohli, CIS, joint managing director, Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi, India, has been elected as SITE Board President for a second term. “It is an honor to be re-elected to lead such a strong and diverse group of global incentive travel leaders and passionate advocates of SITE’s vision,” commented Kohli. “I am excited to continue working with the board, chapter leaders and members around the world to build on the progress achieved in 2016, continue to expand our membership and advance our strategic goals.”
Serving with Kohli as officers and returning directors are:
- President-Elect: Annamaria Ruffini, CIS, CMP, President & CEO Events In & Out, Rome
- Immediate Past President: Rhonda Brewer, CIS, Chief Sales & Operations Officer, RMC DMC, USA
- Vice-President Finance & Business Development: Philip Eidsvold, CIS, Account Director – Employee & Channel Loyalty, Aimia, USA
- Vice-President Education & Certification: Jennifer Glynn, CIS, Managing Partner, Meeting Encore Ltd., Canada
- Member-at-Large: Daryl Keywood, CIS, Managing Director & CEO, Walthers DBS, South Africa
- Ex-Officio: Kevin Hinton, CIS, SITE Chief Excellence Officer
- Olga Navarro, CIS, Executive Director, ITB DMC, Spain
- Eda Ozden, Director, Business Development, MEP Destination Business Solutions, Turkey
- Jonathan Richards, CIS, Sales Manager, North America & Europe, Corporate Gifts Division, Maui Jim Sunglasses & Zeal Optics, USA
- Julia Trejo, CIS, CMP, DMCP, Director of Special Projects, Terramar Destinations, Panama
- Alicia Yao, CIS, General Manager, IME Consulting Co., Ltd., China
Three new directors join the board in 2017:
- Kevin Edmunds, Vice-President, Hard Rock All-Inclusive Collection, USA
- Anne-Marie Rogers, Director of Meetings & Incentives, Direct Travel, USA
- John Iannini, CIS, CTC, Vice-President, Melia Hotels International and President-Elect, SITE Foundation, USA
SITE expresses appreciation and gratitude to Jacqueline Goldy, CIS, Vice-President-Incentive Sales, MGM Resorts International, for her leadership and service who will be leaving the Board at the end of 2016.
SITE Foundation Board of Trustees 2017
Rhea Stagner, CIS, division vice president sourcing and supplier relations, Maritz Travel – a Maritz Global Events Company, St. Louis, Missouri, USA will serve as SITE Foundation President 2017. “I am honored to be serving as president in 2017 working with our Board of Trustees, global industry executives who represent diverse disciplines within the incentive travel industry, who are committed to making the business case for incentive travel. In today’s business environment, the Foundation must be equipped to define our relevancy, respond quickly to shifts in the marketplace and translate new intelligence into strategies that will meet the needs of our customers and members.”
Serving with Stagner as officers and returning trustees are:
- President-Elect: John Iannini, CIS, CTC, Vice-President, Melia Hotels International, USA
- Immediate Past President: Denise Dornfeld, CIS, Chairperson, AlliedPRA, San Diego, California, USA
- Vice President, Finance: Carina Bauer, CEO, The IMEX Group, Regent Exhibitions, UK
- Vice President, Research and Education: Tina Weede, CRP, President, USMotivation, USA
- Vice-President, Fundraising: Lynn Pavony, Director of Incentive Sales, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, USA
- Padraic Gilligan, Managing Director, SoolNua, Ireland
- Martin Lewis, Managing Director, CAT Publications, UK
- Jimmy Romo, General Manager, Specialty Sales, Delta Airlines, USA
- Michele Samoulides, Senior Manager, Worldwide Reward & Recognition Programs, Microsoft Corporation, USA
- Chris Wheeler, Executive Director, Global Incentive Sales, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
- Aileen Zerbonia, CMP, Senior Manager Corporate Events, Informatica, USA
New Trustees include:
- Bonnie Boisner, Vice President, Event Management, Aimia, USA
- Anne DiGregory, Corporate Director, Intermediary Sales & Strategy, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, USA
- Terry Manion, Vice-President, Meridican Incentive Consultants, Canada
- Annamaria Ruffini, SITE President-Elect 2017
The Foundation pays tribute to Kurt Paben, CIS, President, Channel & Employee Loyalty US, Aimia and Jonathan Caplan, Vice President Sales & Field Marketing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide who are retiring their positions on the board. “I am proud of the work we have done over the last several years in delivering industry leading research and education. Our successful fundraising has created the largest volume of grant approvals for 2017 in the SITE Foundation’s history. Finally, I am so proud of the aligned partnership between the SITE Foundation Trustees and SITE International Board of Directors,” stated Paben.
