Menu
Get ready for an impactful CHIEF 2026! View our impressive roster of speakers for this year’s event will with new announcements happening on a rolling basis.
Dr. Bridget Baumgartner is co-founder and CEO of ReefStarter, a coastal resilience company developing submerged breakwaters that protect shorelines while creating vital reef habitat. A molecular biologist and experienced R&D leader, she has managed more than 70 conservation technology projects and directed $15 million in research funding. Her work now brings science, innovation, and climate adaptation together to help safeguard the coastal ecosystems and destinations on which Caribbean communities and hospitality depend.
Crescenzia Biemans is the Managing Director of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort and Tara Eco Supplies, the Secretary of Stimami Sterilisami Foundation, and of the Bucuti Tara – GMC Nature Preservation Foundation. Currently, she proudly serves on the board of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA), including its Environmental Committee, and is a Trustee of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism as part of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association.
Crescenzia holds a Master of Laws (LLM), Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Politics, Psychology, Law & Economics (PPLE), and a Minor in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Amsterdam, graduating Cum Laude in all disciplines. This extensive education equips her with a unique blend of different disciplines and expertise, which she integrates into her various roles.
April Andras Cantu is the Vertical Vice President of Sales for the PMS portfolio at Fullsteam. With more than 25 years of experience in hospitality SaaS, she brings deep expertise across product design, sales strategy, and operational execution. April works closely with hotel and resort operators to align technology with business outcomes—improving efficiency, enhancing the guest experience, and driving revenue performance. She is known for her practical, outcomes-focused approach and her ability to help hospitality organizations navigate an increasingly complex technology landscape.
William L. Clegg, Jr., CHA, is the regional director of development for WorldHotels and Best Western International in the Caribbean, a role he has held since joining BWH in 2018. He sources and guides prospective franchisees across the company’s 17 brands, spanning luxury to core segments.
A hospitality veteran who began his career as a Marriott bellman, Bill has held operations, sales, marketing, and leadership roles with Marriott, Sheraton, Best Western, and Choice Hotels. Before BWH, he served as Regional Vice President for Choice Hotels International, overseeing owner relations and performance-focused franchise service throughout the U.S. and Caribbean.
Bill holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech and the Certified Hotel Administrator designation. He has served on numerous industry panels and has been a long-time leader within the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, currently its Vice President, chair of its Membership Committee, and former nine-year chairman of the CHIEF conference.
Chris Davidson leads MMGY Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global’s research, data and insights division. He is responsible for the company’s broad portfolio of syndicated and custom research, including its Regional Portrait™ Series, TRAVELSAT™ Visitor Satisfaction products, DK Shifflet PERFORMANCE™ data products, and its custom solutions team. He oversees the organization’s substantial commitment to research and insights as the foundation for strategic planning to guide its global portfolio of clients.
Chris has 25+ years of experience in market research, strategic planning, brand strategy and integrated marketing communications. He is privileged to speak at numerous travel industry conferences and events each year.
A graduate of Princeton University, Chris received a bachelor’s degree in history. He also earned an MBA from Vanderbilt University with an emphasis in service marketing.
Sanovnik Destang is the Executive Director and a shareholder of Bay Gardens Resorts, a locally owned hotel group in Saint Lucia operating 233 rooms, seven conference spaces, and five restaurants. He is both a Chartered Accountant (CA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and began his professional career at KPMG in Toronto, where he spent four years before returning home in 2008 to help lead the family-owned business.
Under his leadership, Bay Gardens Resorts underwent a major transformation driven by a strategic digital marketing focus that increased direct bookings, improved profitability, and preserved employment levels. This turnaround resulted in multiple national and regional accolades, including the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award for two consecutive years.
Bay Gardens Resorts has maintained a long-standing relationship with the Bank of Saint Lucia and its predecessor institutions, including SLDB and NCB, spanning 31 years as a valued customer and partner. Sanovnik also serves as a Director on the Board of Bank of Saint Lucia Fund Management Company and BOSL Global Investment Fund.
Sanovnik is a past President of the St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and has played an active role in advocacy related to taxation, alternative energy, and the sharing economy. He has also served as Vice President and Director of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), where he led its Technology Task Force. In 2024, he assumed the presidency of CHTA and was recently appointed to the HFTP HITEC Advisory Board.
A graduate of the Schulich School of Business, Sanovnik has received numerous honors, including the CHRIS Rising Star Award, Caribbean Hotelier of the Year, and recognition as a Global Top 20 Hospitality Executive.
Chris has 25+ years of experience in market research, strategic planning, brand strategy and integrated marketing communications. He is privileged to speak at numerous travel industry conferences and events each year.
A graduate of Princeton University, Chris received a bachelor’s degree in history. He also earned an MBA from Vanderbilt University with an emphasis in service marketing.
Janine Edwards is an accomplished tourism professional and entrepreneur whose distinguished career spans more than twenty-five years in tourism, property development, hospitality, and business consultancy. Widely respected for her dynamic leadership and her exceptional ability to connect people, ideas, and opportunities, Janine has made an enduring impact on Anguilla’s tourism landscape while championing entrepreneurial advancement, mentorship, and community development.
As a senior business executive with Sunset Homes, one of Anguilla’s premier property development companies, she provides strategic guidance and oversight for the award-winning Tranquility Beach Resort Anguilla and a portfolio of luxury villas. She is also the Founder and CEO of JanineConnects.com, a boutique consultancy advising investors, developers, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organisations.
As the long-standing moderator and host of Tourism is Key, the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association’s weekly Radio Anguilla programme – a CHTA-inspired regional awareness initiative – she has spent over twelve years making the business of tourism a household conversation within the community.
A committed mentor and board member across the spheres of tourism, business, education, and the arts, Janine remains keenly engaged in tourism advocacy, creating opportunities and contributing meaningfully to the continued advancement of the industry and to the quality of life in Anguilla.
Renatta Fielden is the Marketing & Reservations Director at True Blue Bay Boutique Resort, a family-owned, four-star boutique resort in Grenada. Having grown up in the hospitality industry, Renatta has developed a deep understanding of both the guest experience and the business behind it, and today plays a key role in the resort’s marketing, sales strategy and continued development.
Her work focuses on creating meaningful ways for guests and locals to engage with True Blue beyond accommodation, from dining, wellness and retail to events, cultural experiences and strategic partnerships. She is also involved in the Grenada Chocolate Festival and is Co-Founder and Director of Sargas Limited, a Grenadian company developing sustainable solutions that transform sargassum and organic waste into renewable energy and biofertilizer.
Renatta holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics. She is passionate about finding creative, commercially viable ways to diversify hospitality revenue while remaining authentic to a property’s identity, strengthening local connections and delivering experiences that guests genuinely value.
In 2024, Andrea Franklin assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), the national agency responsible for promoting Barbados as a premier travel destination and driving the island’s tourism growth strategy.
Franklin began her tourism career as an account executive for Air Jamaica in the 1990s. She later worked at the former Barbados Tourism Authority—now BTMI—holding the posts of Manager, Product Integration, and later Senior Business Development Manager in the New York office as part of the Sales Team. During that time, she built critical networks with key business partners, including airlines, travel agents, and tour operators.
Her experience with the Barbados Tourism Authority prepared her for her role as CEO of Caves of Barbados—now Chukka Caribbean Adventures.
In 2024, Franklin was also appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the region’s leading tourism development agency. Her tenure as CTO Chair, which concludes in 2026, has been marked by significant leadership in advancing regional tourism initiatives, fostering collaboration among Caribbean destinations, and strengthening the industry’s global presence.
Nicole Antonio-Gadsdon designs Human Magic Systems: the interconnected human and cultural systems that help organisations create, strengthen and protect what makes them unmistakable. Through Banana Pepper HR, her ALT-HR atelier, she works with founders and leadership teams as they build, open, grow and reshape hospitality and experience-led organisations from the inside out.
Her practice is rooted in more than 20 years in luxury hospitality, leading the People & Culture function through 12 openings and transformations across hotels, resorts and private islands in the Caribbean, including Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, Viceroy Anguilla and, most recently, Moon Gate Hotel & Spa in Antigua. Hospitality has been her laboratory and proving ground, where she learnt that what happens behind the scenes is ultimately felt out front — the human experience inside a business shapes the experience it creates for its guests.
Her book, Help Wanted: The Rule-breaking Guide to Hiring an Extraordinary Team of Hospitality Alchemists, positions hiring as an act of hospitality and culture design, reimagining conventional interviewing through the lens of Human Magic.
Nicole’s cross-disciplinary approach looks beyond conventional HR for fresh ways of understanding longstanding challenges in how organisations hire, lead, build culture and create the conditions for people to bring more of who they are and what they can contribute. She translates what she finds into practical approaches tested against operational reality — helping businesses bring their vision and culture to life in what their people and guests actually experience.
Adele Garbutt is an Owner and Director of Calabash Hotel in Grenada, where she is part of the second generation leading one of the Caribbean’s most recognised independent luxury hotels. Since taking an active leadership role in the family business, Adele has shaped Calabash’s continued evolution, with a focus on strategy, brand development, sales and marketing, guest experience and long-term investment. Her approach centres on moving the business forward while protecting the character, culture and deeply personal style of hospitality that have defined Calabash.
Today, the hotel is a member of Relais & Châteaux, holds Two MICHELIN Keys — the only hotel in Grenada to receive this distinction — and is consistently recognised among the Caribbean’s leading hotels. Adele is particularly passionate about leadership within family businesses, developing local talent, and demonstrating how independent Caribbean hotels can evolve and compete internationally without losing their identity or sense of place.
Gitti Hernández is an advertising professional and digital marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience in communications, brand strategy, and digital marketing. She currently serves as Digital Marketing Manager at Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic, where she leads the resort’s e-commerce and digital marketing initiatives, with a focus on strengthening direct channels, driving digital revenue, and building meaningful relationships with guests.
Before joining the hospitality industry, Gitti built her career in leading advertising agencies, with experience spanning creative writing, integrated marketing communications, digital strategy, and content development. Today, she combines this creative background with data-driven marketing to navigate the evolving digital landscape of luxury hospitality.
Her areas of expertise include e-commerce, direct bookings, CRM and email marketing, digital distribution, content strategy, social media, and the use of emerging technologies to enhance the guest journey. She is also a university professor specializing in Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Copywriting.
Today, the hotel is a member of Relais & Châteaux, holds Two MICHELIN Keys — the only hotel in Grenada to receive this distinction — and is consistently recognised among the Caribbean’s leading hotels. Adele is particularly passionate about leadership within family businesses, developing local talent, and demonstrating how independent Caribbean hotels can evolve and compete internationally without losing their identity or sense of place.
Kendra Hopkin is the Deputy Managing Director of Blue Horizons Garden Resort, a family-owned and operated sustainable resort in Grenada. A third-generation hospitality professional, she represents a family legacy that has helped pioneer and shape Grenada’s tourism industry.
After completing her education in Grenada, Kendra pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Western Ontario, a postgraduate diploma in Business Marketing from George Brown College in Toronto, and a Food and Beverage Management Certificate from Cornell University.
Before returning to Grenada in 2011, she gained valuable international hospitality experience in marketing, operations, and management with global brands including InterContinental Hotels Group and Hyatt Hotels. Since joining Blue Horizons Garden Resort, she has played an integral role in the leadership and continued development of the Green Globe Platinum certified property.
A mother, Caribbean tourism leader and advocate for sustainable development, Kendra is passionate about building a resilient tourism industry that creates meaningful opportunities for local communities. She joined the Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association Board in 2021, serving two and a half years as President from May 2022. She remains on the board as a Hotel Director and serves on the board of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association as the 4th Vice President continuing her advocacy for the growth, sustainability, and competitiveness of Grenada’s tourism sector.
Andy Ingraham, the visionary founder and esteemed president/CEO of the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD), established this influential organization in 2001 when there were no African American-owned branded hotels in the United States. With over 3500 hotels today in the membership association, NABHOOD stands as a cornerstone of support and empowerment for Black entrepreneurs and serves as a beacon of light in the Hotel & hospitality industry. His pioneering leadership and dedication to recruiting potential hotel investors & advancing opportunities for Black & Minority individuals in the hospitality industry has made an impact. Andy has been instrumental in opening the doors by fostering partnerships & joint venture opportunities among African American investors has left an indelible mark, shaping the landscape of hotel ownership and empowering aspiring entrepreneurs. NABHOOD completed its 30th Annual International African American Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit & Trade Show in July 2026.
Born in The Bahamas, Ingraham’s journey led him through schooling in Nassau, Jamaica, and the United States at Florida International University. Andy received his Doctorated from Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica. During college he started working in corporate America but became interested in becoming an entrepreneur like his parents and their parents in The Bahamas. He then formed a marketing company and was instrumental in expanding his expertise with special emphasis on African American, Multicultural and Caribbean tourism. Andy created programs for international, domestic, and Caribbean destinations including Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Country of St Maarten, and Anguilla who were all seeking to access the growing African American and multicultural tourism markets. Andy has collaborated with many clients to create conferences including the Vibe Music Conference, FUBU, Impact, and Revolt Music Conference. He was responsible for recruiting the American Tennis Association (ATA) to Fort Lauderdale, bringing the largest African American Music & Lifestyle festival, FUBU Y2K to St. Maarten/Saint Marten/Anguilla, and moving the Acapulco Black Film Festival from Acapulco, Mexico to Miami when they are today as American Black Film Festival (ABFF).
Andy’s diverse background uniquely positions him to drive NABHOOD’s mission to increase African American ownership, investment, and operation of hotels. Ingraham’s leadership has forged crucial partnerships with industry giants like Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Choice, Wyndham, ACCOR, Best Western, Red Roof, ESA, and many others industry partners, including a significant collaboration with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). Andy currently resides in South Florida with his Family.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Kalina Kennedy is the General Manager of Margaritaville Vacation Club St. Thomas, Elysian Beach Club, and Limetree Beach Club, bringing over a decade of leadership experience within the Travel and Leisure family of resorts. Known for her commitment to operational excellence and people-centered leadership, Kalina has built a strong reputation for driving performance while creating exceptional guest and associate experiences.
Before joining Margaritaville St. Thomas, Kalina served as General Manager at Club Wyndham Patriots’ Place in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she oversaw all aspects of resort operations. During her tenure, she successfully reduced turnover rates, improved owner satisfaction, and implemented innovative processes that enhanced both operational efficiency and team engagement. Prior to that, she was Assistant General Manager at Club Wyndham National Harbor, where she played a key role in financial management, staff development, and strategic process improvement.
Kalina holds a Master’s Degree in Sports, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports, Event, and Entertainment Management from Johnson & Wales University.
As a leader, Kalina is passionate about developing teams, inspiring excellence, and creating meaningful guest connections. Her leadership philosophy centers on empowerment, collaboration, and continuous improvement—principles that have guided her success in the dynamic world of hospitality management.
Reynaldo Malik is Chief Operating Officer of Muy’Ono Resorts, Belize’s largest hospitality management company, and President of the Belize Hotel Association (BHA).
At Muy’Ono, he leads operations across six properties and 105 rooms, a 140-acre farm, a tour company and a marina, with 222 team members throughout Belize. He joined the company in 2018 as Project Manager and rose through resort and operations leadership roles to become COO in 2024. Along the way he built the systems and standards that tie accommodations, food and beverage, tours and guest experience into a single offering.
Elected BHA President in 2022, he represents an industry that contributes an estimated 55% of Belize’s GDP. He leads the Association’s advocacy on tourism taxation, fiscal incentives, legislation and air lift and he also recently pioneered a group health, life and critical illness insurance program for Belize’s hospitality workforce.
Before moving into hospitality, Reynaldo spent more than a decade in business process outsourcing. He rose to Vice President of Operations at Infotel International, where he led customer service, quality assurance and outbound marketing teams in the US and Belize.
Reynaldo is also Director and Co-Owner of Old Capital Sports Management Limited, which owns the basketball team The Belize City Defenders. That role, along with his postgraduate training in sports management, informs his interest in sports tourism, where events rather than rooms are the reason people travel.
Marie McKenzie is Senior Vice President of Government & Destination Affairs at Carnival Corporation, bringing more than 29 years of cruise industry experience. Since joining the company in 1996, she has held leadership roles across operations, finance, sourcing, and destination affairs.
For the past nine years, McKenzie has led strategic engagement across the Caribbean, the company’s largest cruise market. Working on behalf of Carnival Corporation and its eight cruise brands, she collaborates with governments and community organizations to support operational development and strengthen destination partnerships.
Previously, as Vice President of Global Destinations, Services & Sourcing, McKenzie led sourcing processes across more than 720 ports worldwide. As Vice President of Global Financial Planning and Analysis, she played an integral role in preparing the executive team to shape the company’s overall financial direction. She also held several leadership positions with Carnival Cruise Line, including her first vice president appointment overseeing onboard financial operations across the fleet.
Marie began her career at Arthur Andersen LLP. Originally from Jamaica, she holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Howard University and a master’s degree in international business from Florida International University.
She currently also serves as Chair of the FCCA Operations Committee, supporting regional industry collaboration.
Manny Melendez is a seasoned hospitality professional with over twelve years of experience in the industry. Since joining Amadeus more than a decade ago, Manny has immersed himself in the dynamic world of hotel online booking and direct-booking technology. Throughout his tenure, he has built strong relationships with hundreds of hotels across more than twenty countries, from Quebec, Canada to Patagonia, South America.
Manny began his career supporting web services, where he developed deep expertise in leveraging digital platforms to drive hotel performance. Over the years, his dedication and results-oriented approach led him to take on broader strategic responsibilities within Amadeus. Today, he plays a pivotal role leading initiatives that elevate hotel direct bookings, overseeing key components of Amadeus’ CRS iHotelier and associated web and distribution systems.
Manny is also an international speaker and the author of Factory Reset: Renewed Thinking That Drives Results, where he empowers leaders to rethink mindset and execution in a rapidly shifting industry. As a fully bilingual English–Spanish presenter, he speaks frequently across the Americas and Europe, bringing a practical, energetic style rooted in real-world hotel success stories.
With a passion for helping hotels maximize revenue through direct channels, Manny remains a driving force in shaping how the industry approaches digital strategy, guest engagement, and online reservations.
James McAnally is a hospitality executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience across luxury hotels and resorts in the Caribbean and the United States. As Regional Managing Director for Sandals Resorts International’s Northern Caribbean and Curaçao portfolio, he provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple properties, with responsibility for performance, guest experience, service standards, and the development of high-performing teams.
During more than a decade with Sandals Resorts International, James has progressed from Executive Assistant Manager to Hotel Manager, General Manager, and Regional Managing Director. His earlier career included general management roles at luxury resort properties in Utah and Colorado, following 12 years in operational leadership with Hyatt Hotels. This breadth of experience has given him a practical perspective on how hospitality organizations can balance commercial performance, brand consistency, innovation, and the human connection that defines memorable service.
Beyond resort operations, James serves as President of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, having been a member of its Board of Directors since 2018. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Turks and Caicos Chamber of Commerce. Through these roles, he contributes to conversations that connect tourism growth, public-private collaboration, workforce readiness, and the long-term competitiveness of Caribbean destinations.
For this panel discussion, James brings an operator’s view of the trends reshaping hospitality and the positions that will define its future. His perspective spans changing guest expectations, technology-enabled service, leadership capability, talent attraction and retention, and the need to equip emerging professionals with adaptable skills for increasingly complex hotel and resort environments. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration.
Dominica-born Gregor Nassief is a longtime entrepreneur and businessman. Exposed to hospitality early on, Nassief officially began his hotel career in 2011 when his vision to create a lush, family home evolved into the first luxury resort on the Caribbean’s Nature Island—Secret Bay. With a penchant for design, art, architecture and customer service, Nassief established GEMS Holdings Limited in 2016, which includes a portfolio of world-renowned owned and managed properties including Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort and Secret Bay, and most recently, The Residences at Secret Bay, the company’s initial foray into luxury real estate. Prior to entering the hospitality space, Nassief studied software engineering and finance at New York University. He went on to launch Cerca Technology in Latin America, building a new technology and pioneering an untapped market. Nassief continues to lead Cerca, which now has offices in five countries and customers in over 20. Nassief is married to contemporary artist Sandra Vivas, with whom he has two kids, Manuela and Gaston.
Jack Newkirk is a Senior Enterprise Account Executive at Revinate and a hospitality professional with more than 20 years of experience spanning hotel operations, guest experience, and hospitality technology.
Today, Jack works with independent luxury hotels and resorts to uncover revenue opportunities hidden within the demand they already have. He specializes in using guest, reservation, and voice-channel data to identify where high-intent demand is being lost, quantify the financial impact, and develop practical strategies to capture more of it.
Drawing on his experience both inside hotel operations and advising hospitality organizations, Jack focuses on a simple question: before spending more money to generate demand, how much revenue could a hotel create by converting the demand it already has more effectively?
His work combines data analysis with technology, process, and sales culture to help hotel owners and commercial leaders turn existing demand into measurable revenue growth.
Dr. Kerriann Peart, Ph.D., is a Caribbean organizational psychologist, executive coach, and founder of Peart Consulting LLC. She works alongside global organizations and leaders to strengthen human systems and guide culturally intelligent change in the complex realities where they operate, not just the stable conditions they may hope for.
Her doctoral training in international and organizational systems psychology, together with her expertise in global public health communications, shapes more than twenty years of cross-cultural and cross-sector experience across nonprofit, international development, healthcare, and private-sector settings. Dr. Peart has delivered keynotes, workshops, and board-level engagements for organizations including the Inter- American Development Bank, the Pan American Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the Caribbean Risk Management Association, and the University of the West Indies.
Her proprietary frameworks, including GALE for organizational change and ROOTED for leadership coaching, bring together behavioural science and lived Caribbean experience. She is currently developing a Change Lab experience for CEOs and HR professionals, extending her consulting methodology into a practical coaching and advocacy offering that supports the people shaping the future of work.
Tamar Severin is a hospitality leader with more than 25 years of experience in the Caribbean tourism industry, specializing in Food & Beverage operations, people development and service excellence. Beginning her career in frontline service, Tamar progressed from frontline service through multiple levels of hospitality management, gaining firsthand experience of the opportunities and challenges leaders face at every level. She currently serves as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa, A Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection.
Tamar holds an Executive Master’s in Advanced Studies in International Hotel Management from Les Roches Marbella and has just been appointed an official Les Roches Alumni Ambassador for the Caribbean. She is also a member of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s Young Leaders Forum 2024–2026 cohort and contributes to the CHIEF Program Planning Committee.
Passionate about developing emerging leaders, Tamar advocates for continuous learning, accountability, opportunity and people-centered leadership that strengthens both individuals and organizations.
She is currently writing a book for C-suite leaders and business owners focused on results-driven hospitality leadership and how effective leadership can improve organizational culture, employee retention, customer experience and business performance.
In this inspiring keynote, Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures and pioneer of community tourism, will explore tourism’s role and responsibility in creating a better world. Drawing on more than 35 years of challenging the traditional tourism model, Bruce will share how travel can create meaningful economic opportunities for local communities, empower people to shape the tourism that takes place in their own destinations, and give travellers transformative experiences in return. From founding G Adventures in 1990 to building community tourism initiatives across more than 100 countries, Bruce has demonstrated that tourism can be a powerful force for good when communities have a genuine voice and a meaningful stake in its success. His keynote will offer an inspiring perspective on how destinations, businesses and travellers can work together to build a more inclusive, responsible and sustainable future for tourism.
Albert Vasquez is Vice President of Sales, Americas, at Triptease, where he leads efforts to help hotels across the region grow their direct booking revenue. Based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Albert has built a reputation for turning sales teams into strategic, high-performing units—moving them beyond instinct and into data-driven, consultative selling.
With over 15 years of experience in the SaaS industry, including more than a decade in advertising and marketing and 5+ years focused on hospitality, Albert brings a well-rounded perspective on how technology and strategy intersect to drive growth. He has deep experience in software sales and a strong track record of developing talent at every level.
At Triptease, Albert works at the intersection of hospitality and technology, helping hotel teams understand how smarter direct-booking strategies can transform their bottom lines.
Timothy Williams is a Caribbean hospitality executive, General Manager of Blue Horizon Hotel Barbados, and hospitality asset strategist with experience across Caribbean hotel and resort operations, commercial performance, guest experience, and property repositioning.
He has a particular interest in the practical application of artificial intelligence and automation within hospitality, exploring how emerging technologies can improve operational decision- making, workforce productivity, financial controls, guest experience, and commercial performance. Through independent consultancy and business ventures, Timothy has also worked across hospitality advisory, real estate, and asset strategy, fashioning a unique perspective to better serve his teams and community.
A First-Class Honours graduate in Tourism Management from The University of the West Indies, Mona, Timothy approaches AI from the perspective of the hotel operator and business leader, examining how hospitality organizations can adopt technology strategically while preserving the human experience at the heart of the industry.
Luigi Wix is the General Manager of Radisson Blu Aruba, where he has led the resort since its opening in 2021. An Aruban hospitality professional with extensive experience in hotel operations and management, Luigi has built his career around strong operational performance, commercial strategy, and developing local talent.
Under his direction, Radisson Blu Aruba has established a strong position within Aruba’s highly competitive hospitality landscape while being led by an all-local management team, a distinction that reflects Luigi’s commitment to creating opportunities and developing hospitality leadership from within the island. The resort is also LEED certified, reflecting its commitment to more sustainable building and operating practices.
Luigi has received multiple recognitions from Choice Hotels, including being named General Manager of the Year for the Caribbean and Latin America in 2025. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association (AHATA). His leadership approach combines operational expertise with data-driven decision-making, using insights around profitability, distribution, channel mix, and the true cost of acquiring revenue.
COPYRIGHT 2026 © CHTA
An event hosted by
