Darya Camacci, senior vice president of operations, will take over the day-to-day running of Travel Counsellors' U.S. operations when the company’s current president, Peter Rasmussen, steps down this fall. Camacci will be responsible for driving the U.S. business forward as well as further increasing the number of Travel Counsellors in the U.S. She will be based in New Jersey and report to CEO Steve Byrne.
Joanie Ogg, Travel Counsellors' senior vice president of global sales and industry relations, is leaving the company. Ogg, a well known industry veteran, joined Travel Counsellors earlier this year. She is the former head of the National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) and one of the industry’s top educators.
“We are extremely grateful to both Peter and Joanie for what they have contributed to Travel Counsellors," said Byrne. "Peter has done exactly what we needed in establishing the business in the USA and in finding a great person in Darya to take the business forward, while Joanie has made a huge impact in her short time with us.”
Industry veteran Rasmussen was brought into the U.S. operation to establish a U.S. headquarters and to build an experienced management team with proven travel agency and supplier experience to succeed him, Byrne said in a statement.
“Having worked with Darya for a number of years, I knew she would be the ideal person to take the business forward and, having now settled into the role, I am convinced that she can take the company to a new level," Rasmussen said. "It has been a great experience for me and I am pleased that I have completed successfully the brief time that I was given to establish Travel Counsellors as a credible business in the USA.”
Commenting on her new role, Camacci said, “I know that Travel Counsellors will be a huge success here in the U.S. and am delighted to have been given this opportunity to build on what has already been achieved by Peter and the team.
“Each of our Travel Counsellors is building their own long-term, sustainable travel business by providing the ultimate in personal service to their clients, supported by the global strength and cutting edge technology of the world’s most innovative home-based travel organization,” she said.
Travel Counsellors also reported that its international expansion is continuing. The UK-based host agency franchiser said it launched operations in Canada last month. Travel Counsellors now operates in eight countries and has 950 counselors. The company said its sales are expected to exceed $500 million (£250 million) for the financial year ending October 31, 2008.
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