Marriott Vacations Worldwide said on Thursday that CEO Stephen Weisz will retire at year-end and that current president, John E. Geller, Jr., will assume the role of president and CEO on January 1, 2023.
Weisz served in the role of CEO since the company spun out in 2011. He notably led the 2018 acquisition of ILG and the rollout of a guest loyalty program.
Geller has been president since 2021 and was previously the company’s chief financial officer. He also helped lead the spin-off of the company from Marriott International in 2011 and played a key role in the acquisition of ILG.
Craig Bonnar resigned this month as CEO of Travelodge. and yesterday the UK’s second-largest hotel chain after Premier Inn, appointed Jo Boydell, its one-time chief financial officer, to the top role.
Bonnar had been the top boss of the budget hotel chain since late 2020, steering the company through the turbulence of the pandemic.
Boydell has been with Travelodge since 2013 in a variety of finance roles.
Travelodge’s new CEO is Jo Boydell. Source: Travelodge
Visit Philadelphia has announced it’s appointed Angela Val to serve as its president and CEO, making her the first Black woman ever to run the organization.
Val, who will start her new roles on June 27, has extensive experience in Philadelphia’s tourism and hospitality industry. She is making her return to Visit Philadelphia, where she worked for 17 years before leaving to become chief administrative officer at the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position she held for four years. Val is the current chief operating officer at Tempest, a marketing agency that helps destination marketing organizations work with local communities.
She also recently concluded her role as the executive director of Ready. Set. Philly!, an initiative between the City of Philadelphia and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia that was launched to spark the city’s economic recovery from the pandemic.
“I am thrilled to return to Visit Philadelphia as president and CEO, so I can give back to a city and organization that has given me so much,” Val said in a statement.
“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, I look forward to working with our partners to build back the tourism industry, reinvigorate the economy and restore the vibrancy of Philadelphia, which is so essential to attracting leisure travelers.”
Val will succeed Jeff Guaracino, who passed away last December following a battle with cancer.
