Rashid Adam, Marketing Manager, Zara Tanzania Adventures
Africa native Rashid Adam grew up Tanzania but moved to Canada to earn his Bachelor's degree from Sheradan. While he worked in the digital film industry for many years, his heart was in Tanzania, where his sister Zainab Ansell started Zara Tanzania Adventures in 1986. Zara has evolved into Tanzania’s largest Kilimanjaro outfitter and one of the country’s largest safari operators, with daily departures and a choice of six routes up the mountain. Complementing the Africa office, Adam started Zara Tours with physical locations in Canada and the U.S. to expand the company’s reach in the travel community. Zara Tours books guest directly and through travel agents from countries all around the world to trek or safari, or both!

Rashid is well-known in the African Travel Ministry and often hosts leader from his country to initiate global travel, sustainability and charity efforts. Zara operates charities to work tirelessly in support of the African community in education, schools & centers for street children and orphans. Zara is a member of ASTA, Adventure Travel Trade Association, Sustainability Travel International, IATA, and Association of Travel Agents (ATA).

Bernie Blomquist MCC, CTC, Manager, Training Development, Cruise Line International Association
Bernie Blomquist is Manager of Training Development for CLIA, with varied responsibilities that include the scheduling of training seminars for organizations that want to acquire advanced sales and marketing skills for their members/employees, as well as assisting in the development of new classes and videos for CLIA’s ever-expanding roster of training courses. In addition, Bernie oversees CLIA’s Cruise Counsellor Certification Program. Bernie brings extensive travel experience to his position. Prior to joining CLIA in October 2000, Bernie held various key sales and marketing positions in the airline, cruise and tour industries with National Airlines, Pan American World Airlines, Regency Cruises, Premier Cruise Line, Club Med and North Atlantic Tours. Bernie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Economics from Wagner College and studies towards a Masters Degree in Marketing Management from St. John’s University.

Edie Bornstein, VP – Sales & Marketing, Azamara Cruises
Offering more than 25 years experience in the global cruise, travel, and technology industries, Edie Bornstein was appointed vice president of Sales and Marketing for Azamara Club Cruises in September 2009. Previously, Bornstein was Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for Carnival Cruise Lines. She also was a senior officer at Cunard and Seabourn Cruise Lines, where she developed profitable strategic plans and led partnerships with brands including Canyon Ranch Spa, Hermes, Chopard, Dunhill, Waterford, Wedgwood, Veuve Clicquot, Todd English, and more. She also served as vice president of Specialty Sales for Amadeus Global Distribution System, where she was instrumental in the implementation of automation solutions for the cruise industry and numerous other projects.

Bornstein will lead a small, brand-dedicated field sales staff, and will capitalize on the extensive global network of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) outside the US. A small, brand-dedicated marketing team also will be developed. Since its founding in 2007, Azamara Club Cruises – whose fleet consists of two elegant 694-guest ships: Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest – has been named among the World’s Top 10 Cruise Lines (#5) in Travel + Leisure magazine’s annual “World’s Best” readers’ poll; “Best Luxury Cruise Line” by Cruise One/Cruises Inc., received the “Smart Luxury Award” from Sherman’s Travel, and the “Best Premium Cruise Ship” award for Azamara Journey from Travel Weekly magazine.

Cynthia Cobb, Director of Northeast Sales, Royal Caribbean
Cynthia Cobb is Director of Northeast Sales for Royal Caribbean and brings over 25 years experience in corporate sales, marketing and promotional positions as well as international responsibilities in the Middle East and Scandinavia. In addition, Cobb comes from a line of hoteliers in Michigan and owned her own country inn in New England prior to joining Royal Caribbean in January of 2008. She is responsible for managing a team of 14 business development managers who call on travel partners in eight Northeast states.

Carmen Corvos-Roig, Director of Strategic Alliances & Key Accounts, Costa Cruise Lines
Carmen Corvos-Roig has been named Director of Strategic Alliances and Key Accounts for Costa Cruise Lines – North America. Most recently, Carmen was business development director for Carnival Cruise Lines, overseeing the Miami-Dade region of Florida. She began her career with Carnival 28 years ago in embarkation and reservations, working for the company while gaining a bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami. Upon graduation, she began her career in sales for the company as an outside sales representative for Northern Dade county and the west coast of Florida. Corvos-Roig quickly grew the territory and was promoted to sales manager followed by business development director. During her time with Carnival, she was named “sales person of the year” and was consistently ranked among the top 10 sales representatives for the company. She also worked closely with numerous Carnival top accounts, conducting training and seminars on behalf of the company.

Carmen is active in the South Florida community. She currently sits on the advisory board of the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism of Miami-Dade County and was appointed by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners to serve as a public official on the Tourism Development Council. She resides in Miami Lakes, Florida, with her husband Jorge and two children.

David Crooks, Sr. Vice President, Product & Operations, World Travel Holdings (WTH)
David Crooks serves as Sr. Vice President, Product & Operations for World Travel Holdings (WTH), a multi-brand travel distributor and one of the nation's largest online and offline leisure travel companies. David is responsible for overseeing the growth and profitability of all WTH's cruise sales through its various distribution channels as well as overseeing all cruise supplier relationships. David began with the company at its inception in 1986 and has held a multitude of positions including Director of Sales and Training. David began his career in the travel industry beginning as a tour director for Paragon Tours and Travel and also served as their Director of Tour Escorts. He also worked for St. Moritz-on-the-Park in New York and served as member of the onboard cruise staff for Cunard Cruise Lines. David received his Bachelor of Science from Niagara University.

Drew Daly, VP of Sales Performance, CruiseOne® & Cruises Inc™
Drew Daly is a long-time member of the World Travel Holdings family. He joined the company as a travel agent and quickly moved up the ranks into sales management. In early positions with WTH, Drew managed the Virginia Beach call center and worked as Manager of Retail Sales, where he oversaw the operations of 26 retail locations. In 2002, Drew began creating what is now the nation's most impressive, comprehensive virtual sales network. Simultaneously over the past eight years, he has worked alongside WTH's leaders in turning travel industry trends into sales opportunities.

In his position, Drew oversees the Cruises Inc. Training and Business Development teams. He is responsible for managing the company's agent training programs and overseeing continuing education programs, including the Regional Training Program, Seminars @ Sea and annual National Conference. Drew also is responsible for creating new programs to maximize Business Development efficiencies and crafting internal campaigns that will help surpass the company's revenue goals.

As a valued member of the senior management team, Drew works closely with the company's agents and travel partners. He also collaborates frequently with various internal groups, including the Marketing and Communications Team, to orchestrate effective cross-promotional programs that ensure agents' success.

Lawrence Dessler CTC, Executive Director, Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NCMA)
Larry Dessler is a seasoned cruise industry veteran with a variety of experience in the field. He is president of Dessler Associates and executive director of the Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance, a consortium of 15 specialty cruise lines. Larry has been a regular participant and speaker at a variety of travel industry meetings including Seatrade Cruise Shipping conferences, ASTA World Congresses, and Cruise-A-Thon Leisure Travel Conferences for many years. He is an acknowledged expert in travel marketing and product development. As president of Dessler Associates, he provides marketing solutions to destinations, ports, cruise lines and tour operators around the world.

During his 12-year assignment with Holland America Line Westours Inc., Larry held positions involved with all segments of the marketing process. As Director of Product Development he oversaw the creation of new deployments, itineraries and on-board product improvements. Larry also served as the Director of Marketing, where his responsibilities included all aspects of product promotion and communications as well as responsibility for revenue generation.

Prior to Holland America, Larry was Cruise Industry Marketing Consultant to the Port of Miami, and was Director of Marketing at the Port Everglades Authority. Larry also served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Larry has an MBA degree from the Andreas School of Business and served as an Adjunct Professor of Marketing. He is also a fellow of the Seatrade Academy and has lectured at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife and two daughters.

Chris Doyle, Vice President, Adventure Travel Trade Association & Editor, AdventureTravelNews™
Chris Doyle is a long-time enthusiast of adventure travel who has gained immeasurable insights from the people he’s connected with on five continents, and the activities he’s experienced including whitewater rafting, fly-fishing, rock climbing, sky-diving, paragliding, backpacking, marathon running, sea kayaking, dog sledding, mountain biking and mountaineering. Since 2004, Doyle has played a key role in Adventure Travel Trade Association’s strategic direction and development. In addition to overseeing content for www.AdventureTravelNews.com and www.Adventure.Travel, he’s primarily responsible for the ATTA’s research, marketing, public relations and communications initiatives, and directs the content and execution of ATTA’s annual Adventure Travel World Summit, regional meetings and professional development programs.

For more than 20 years, he’s offered an array of strategic public relations and business expertise in the retail, technology, sports and outdoors, adventure travel, fashion, home furnishings and non-profit sectors. He’s managed corporate reputations and developed extensive national awareness campaigns for retailers and manufacturers, supported the launch of six Internet concerns, worked extensively with trade organizations and industry analysts, launched numerous private-label product campaigns and managed consumer affairs crises.

Bo Fridsberg, Vice President of Sales, Hurtigruten
In his position as Vice President of Sales for Hurtigruten – formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyage – Bo Fridsberg assumes full responsibilities of sales development for North America, together with his team of five regional sales directors. A native of Sweden residing in New York for the past 25 years, Fridsberg, is a 30-year veteran of the travel and hospitality industries. The diversity of his career includes experiences ranging from airlines to hotels with emphasis on sales.

Richard Goodman, Director of Hospitality, Cruise North Expeditions
Richard Goodman, Director of Hospitality for Cruise North Expeditions, got involved in the travel industry three years ago directly out of university. Starting out in business development at a major Toronto-based travel agency, Richard learned all about the travel trade. Since this start Richard has begun working with Cruise North Expeditions, an Inuit-owned Arctic Cruise Company. Richard has recently been promoted to the new position of Director of Hospitality, where he is responsible for budgeting and upgrading the hotel experience onboard the ship. Richard spends time during the cruising season onboard the ship in the Canadian Arctic as well as running operations from the Toronto head office in. Richard has developed a love of the Canadian Arctic which he enjoys sharing.

Max Hartshorne, Editor, GoNOMAD.com
Max Hartshorne is both editor of GoNOMAD.com, a leading travel content website, and owner of the GoNOMAD Cafe, a traveler's cafe in South Deerfield MA. Since 2001, GoNOMAD.com has provided “inspiration and links to plan your trip.” New articles are published daily, emphasizing unusual destinations and active vacations, and the site is ranked 119,700 out of all websites, receiving about 345,000 unique visitors each month. Writers from Washington Post, New York Times, LA Times and Guardian have contributed stories over the years.

Sean Keener, CEO, BootsNAll Travel Network
Sean Keener grew up in Chicago and began his journey in 1994 with a year of study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. His studies and travels there inspired him as he met travelers from all over the world. He quickly learned that a holiday can be more than one week next to the pool in warm weather. Following his return to Chicago and graduation from University, he departed 1996 on a whirlwind tour of England and Scotland with three Australian friends.

He has since continued his journey alone through countries such as Ireland, France, Greece, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, India, Nepal, Tibet, Kazakstan, and his native United States. Sean is known for his limitless enthusiasm, voracious appetite for learning, an uncanny resemblance to Silent Bob, and a habit of exposing his bollocks in public places. Sean's boots are "Dexter's" and have proved amazingly resilient to the point of having to be re-soled, twice.

Scott Koepf CTC, MCC, President, National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA)
Now serving as the President of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA), Scott Koepf has been in real estate sales, worked overseas as an entertainment director for Club Med and was a P.E. Teacher in Africa. Although Scott and his wife were cruise ship entertainers, his primary experience for the last 20+ years has been in retail travel. He has owned and operated two travel agencies and has been an executive with various retail groups. He was president of Cruise Holidays International and NACOA, and served as General Manager of Jurni Network Consortium and Nexion. He has trained thousands of travel agents as well as sales teams of major cruise lines and tour companies. Scott also has continued performing and his entertaining is now an integral part of the seminars, training programs and motivational speaking he provides.

Alex Kyle, Product Manager - Travel Agent Service Fee Program, Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)
Alex Kyle is a nineteen-year Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) veteran who has served the travel agent community in several capacities but for the past fifteen years has administered ARC’s highly successful credit card settlement product, Travel Agency Service Fees (TASF). In this role Alex and his staff assist travel agents with the acceptance of credit cards to meet their revenue goals as well as helping them navigate the murky waters of disputes and chargebacks. Alex grew up in rural Nebraska and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Hanover College in Indiana. Alex resides in suburban Washington, D.C. with his wife Debbie and two young daughters, Anna and Erin.

Larry McCarthy, Director of National Accounts, Globus Family
A 25-year veteran of the travel industry, Larry McCarthy joined Globus in 1984 as part of the original sales team. During his tenure, he has held several positions with the award-winning company. As the director of national accounts for the Globus family of brands, he has had ample opportunities to test his theory that everyone has a travel story to tell, engaging in conversations with hundreds of travel agents across the nation. A travel educator, McCarthy enjoys sharing his personal and professional travel experiences while providing others insight into the breadth and depth that Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and Avalon Waterways each offer travelers.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Springhill College and a master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, McCarthy became a Peace Corps volunteer in Korea. While there, he spent time working with the Swiss International Red Cross, Seoul National University and Seoul City Children’s Center.

Mike Murphy, Manager Sales, Northeast, JetBlue Airways
Mike Murphy joined JetBlue Airways in January 2009 as Northeast Sales Manager located in Boston. With JetBlue’s continued commitment to Boston, his duties include working with corporate clients and partners to help promote JetBlue’s Boston expansion. His background is well established in sales and the transportation industry, where he managed sales teams in Boston and New York City. During this time, his duties ranged from inside sales to managing business development. As Business Development Manager for Zipcar in New York City, he expanded their service into corporate travel programs.

Mike coupled his account management and new business experience when joining JetBlue Airways. He currently manages and consults JetBlue’s business travel relationships, meetings and convention clients, as well as relationships with Convention and Visitors Bureaus, Business Travel Associations and MPI Chapters in the Northeast region with a key focus on Boston. He also facilitates key relationships in upstate New York. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and currently resides in Jamaica Plain, MA.

Kirk Neal, Regional VP of Sales – Northeast Region, Carnival Cruise Lines
A 21-year cruise industry veteran, Kirk Neal’s cruise industry career began as a Carnival Cruise Lines shipboard employee, working first as a junior purser in 1987. He was soon promoted to chief purser and in 1992 was named hotel director – at the time the youngest person to hold the position in the cruise industry. Neal moved shoreside in 1995, serving as the company’s business development manager for the Sacramento region and was named business development director for Northern California and Northern Nevada six years later. In 2007, he repositioned to Tampa where he was responsible for sales and marketing efforts in that territory as a business development director. A year later, he was named to his current position as vice president of sales - eastern region.

In this capacity, Neal oversees a team of 16 business development managers in eight eastern U.S. states who provide sales and marketing assistance and training opportunities to thousands of travel agents within the region. Neal is also a member of Carnival’s CareTeam, which responds to guest and crew emergencies, primarily medical-related situations, at various locations throughout the company’s cruising regions.

Nigel Osborne, President, Virgin Vacations
Nigel Osborne is President of Virgin Vacations, the leading vacation arm of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, providing life-enriching vacations to London, UK and beyond. Osborne was Executive Vice President of Key Tours International and Chief Business Development Officer of Dynamic Leisure. Prior to that, he was President of Destination Europe, Package Division of Auto Europe LLC, the leading U.S.-based car rental broker to Europe. Osborne also was President of Insight Vacations, a leading European tour company, where he executed successful turnaround strategies that included tripling annual revenues, reducing expenses, and improving the bottom line by more than $1 million over a four-year period. He started his career with Trafalgar Tours in 1975. Osborne attended Oxford Polytechnic Hotel School in Oxford, UK and has a degree in Hotel Management and Tourism. He is married with 6 children, and travels extensively.

Sheri Pasternak, Director of Sales, Northeast, Celebrity Cruise Lines
Sheri Pasternak has 20+ years of professional experience in the travel and cruise industry. She started her career by selling consortium memberships to travel agents nationwide and soon climbed the corporate ladder by building very successful marketing and training programs for GEM and Cruiselink – now known as Vacation.com, one of the leading consortiums in the country. She began her cruise industry sales career as Key Account Manager in 1999 for Royal Caribbean International and was promoted to Director of Sales for their sister brand, Celebrity Cruises in 2007. In her role, she leads a sales team of 12 sales managers to develop creative campaigns to build new cruise business with the travel agency community in nine states throughout the Northeast Region.

Monique Peragine, Owner/Agent, TripsAPlenty Travel
Monique Peragine has been in the travel industry for 10 years and created TripsAPlenty Travel with a love for travel from the ground up, especially in designing Destination Weddings and Honeymoon Travel. In 2009, Monique unveiled www.USTravelAgentStore.com, which features proprietary marketing software for travel agent use, including YOUR Honeymoon Registry TM, which was created with input from brides to make their honeymoon a magical experience.

Elyse Reilly, Sales Manager NY & New England, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
Elyse Reilly of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection started in the travel industry as a Liberty Travel agent on Long Island. From there she became a Regional Service Manager with the consortium Travelsavers in Oyster Bay, NY. Elyse has been with Uniworld since 2001 as a Sales Manager (with the exception of the time she took off to have a child) and covers the NY and New England area.

El-Sayed Khalifa, Consul-Director, USA & Latin America, Egyptian Tourist Authority
El-Sayed Khalifa has been an effective representative of Egypt throughout his career, and has worked within the Egyptian tourism industry for 20 years. Khalifa has served as the Egyptian Tourist Authority’s Consul-Director for USA and Latin America since 2007, based out of New York City. Other positions have included First Undersecretary – Vice Chairman, Undersecretary for Planning and Follow-up, Director General – Technical Office, and Director of the Los Angeles Egyptian Tourist Office.

Robert Weiss, Publisher, Travel New England
Robert H. Weiss has been editor of Travel New England for more than 20 years. He purchased the Boston Airport Journal at Logan Airport and then expanded its operations, first as Travel New England for the travel trade and, then moving the consumer circulation into Boston’s North and South Station terminals. He is also a travel correspondent for WBZ Radio with weekly reports on aviation, travel and tourism. He lives in Boston.