VIRTUOSO® ANNOUNCES STAFF PROMOTIONS AND ADDITIONS:



BECKY POWELL (L) PROMOTED TO V.P., MEMBER SALES & SERVICE, U.S. & CANADA;
KAREN GOLDBERG (R) JOINS AS DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING, HOTELS & RESORTS

NEW YORK (December 17, 2010) – Leading luxury network, Virtuoso®, announces new appointments to two prominent positions within its organization. Becky Powell has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Member Sales and Service, U.S. & Canada, overseeing the relationships with the network’s 249 elite travel agency Members, with 427 locations, throughout both regions. As of December 1, 2010, Virtuoso also welcomed hospitality veteran, Karen Goldberg, as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Hotels & Resorts Program.

Following more than four years as Managing Director of Member Sales & Service, Powell will take over the role of V.P. as of January 3, 2011, from Cathy Holler, who is leaving the organization for personal pursuits. In this capacity, Powell will be responsible for all business plans and benefits, as it pertains to agency Members; the advisor education program, Virtuoso Trust; development and mentoring programs including NextGen and Advisor Development; and, the management of Virtuoso’s Regional Sales Directors and inside sales support. Powell, based in Los Angeles, CA, will serve on Virtuoso’s Senior Leadership team and report to Virtuoso President, Kristi Jones.

“Virtuoso is extremely fortunate to have Becky Powell, with her 25 years of industry and member sales experience, assume this important role,” said Jones. “With our new Member agreements firmly in place for 2011, we are confident Becky’s leadership will help us to continue delivering the sales support, tools and training assets that make our Members the most successful agencies in the industry.”

Karen Goldberg joined Virtuoso as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Hotels & Resorts Program, effective December 1, 2010. A beloved and well respected industry veteran, Goldberg brings nearly 30 years of hospitality experience, including her established tenure at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, New York, where she served as Director of Sales & Marketing for the past 12 years. In her new role, Goldberg oversees the strategic planning and management of the Hotels & Resorts Program, with product that covers 886 hotels in 93 countries, and manages the sales teams in New York, NY and Seattle, WA. Goldberg is based in Virtuoso’s New York office and reports to Albert Herrera, Vice President of Hotels, Destinations & Tours.

“We are very pleased to have someone of Karen’s caliber and reputation joining our team,” commented Herrera. “She brings a deep understanding of travel sales, as well as extensive experience working in international markets such as Brazil, providing a global perspective to the needs of the Virtuoso network with our Member agencies in 22 countries.”

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About Virtuoso
Virtuoso® is the industry’s leading luxury travel network. This by-invitation-only organization comprises over 300 agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel specialists in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as over 1,000 of the world’s best travel providers and premier destinations. The network’s member agencies generate over $5.1 billion annually in travel sales, making the group the most powerful in the luxury travel segment. Their relationships with the finest travel companies provide the network’s affluent clientele with exclusive amenities, rare experiences and privileged access. Virtuoso is the exclusive network of travel services and benefits provided by MasterCard® for participating World Elite MasterCard® programs.

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Media Contact:
Misty Ewing, CTA
Virtuoso – Director, Public Relations
Office: (212) 588-8242 / Mobile: (206) 484-8022
E-mail: mewing@virtuoso.com