P.R. Destination Marketing Organization appoints industry veteran as CEO
From left: Gov. Rosselló, John Borschow and Brad Dean.
The Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization announced the appointment of Brad Dean, a seasoned executive with nearly 25 successful years in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, as the organization’s CEO.
Jon Borschow, the PRDMO Chairman of the Board said this appointment is one of the key steps on constituting a successful structure to lead the efforts to position Puerto Rico as a prime global destination.
“Dean is a well-respected industry leader and has lived and worked in Puerto Rico before. Dean’s experience, talent, vision and broad industry connections prepare him to lead the brand-new Puerto Rico DMO as the Island evolves into a global destination,” said Borschow.
“He has an impressive track record of revenue growth, destination marketing, product development and team-building, both in the public and private sectors,” he added.
Dean holds a Bachelor Degree in Accounting & Finance from the College of Business at the University of Illinois. Prior to accepting the position in Puerto Rico, he was the CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention & Visitors Bureau in South Carolina, where he was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of this $54 million nonprofit association.
Under his leadership he secured annual increase in public and private funding for tourism promotion and publicity, increased group/business travel and led several pro-business, pro-tourism public policy initiatives at local, state and federal level, among others.
Dean is an active member of several Boards of Directors of organizations such as the U.S. Travel Association, the Destination Marketing Association International, the National Advisory Committee on Travel and Infrastructure, and the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“I’m honored to return to Puerto Rico and build a world-class Destination Marketing Organization with a powerful global brand. Puerto Rico is a special place with wonderful people and unrivaled potential,” Dean said.
“The Island’s recent past has been challenging but the future is bright for Puerto Rico and its tourism industry. I look forward to using the transformative power of travel and tourism to help launch Puerto Rico, its residents and its businesses forward,” he added.
The PRDMO, created by law in 2017, is a newly established private, nonprofit enterprise whose mission is to make Puerto Rico visible to the world as a premier travel destination.
It is responsible for all offshore marketing, sales and promotion of the destination and must work collaboratively with key local governmental and non-governmental players throughout the Puerto Rico tourism industry and visitor economy as a whole to design, and develop consensus around, branding and actionable marketing strategies.
Dean will be moving to Puerto Rico in the coming weeks and officially take charge of his position at the end of April. T
Borschow said Dean’s appointment is the first on a series of positions they will be filled in the following months.
“Our goal is to have the DMO set and running by July 1st,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, commended the DMO’s selection, saying “Brad Dean is a highly respected professional in the industry with about 25 years of success in the marketing of tourist destinations. He lived in Puerto Rico some time before and we are sure that the Board of Directors of the DMO made the best decision to have him back in Puerto Rico, to be able to count on his experience and promote our island in an effective way.”
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Tourism Co. Interim Executive Director Carla Campos, said “we’re working aggressively in the transition from marketing abroad responsibilities to the DMO, and the arrival of Dean, who has our full support, is instrumental in achieving an uninterrupted transition.”
