Hosts Global, the alliance of destination marketing organizations, has hired industry veteran Kurt Paben to fill a newly created role: president of global sales. When he begins the job on September 9, Paben will join the company’s senior leadership team alongside Jennifer Patino, DMCP, CEO, and Marty MacKay, president, Global Alliance.
Paben’s resume includes positions as president Americas at Aimia, senior vice president at Carlson Marketing, and two terms as president of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence Foundation. In the new position, he’ll be based primarily out of Hosts’ Chicago office, with responsibility for driving sales through both its global alliance of DMCs and its Hosts-owned offices, and ensuring consistent service worldwide.
“My decision to join Hosts was based on personal passion, the company’s tremendous reputation, and growth potential. And, most importantly the cultural fit,” Paben said. “We’re aligned in our core beliefs that taking care of people and having fun along the journey equates to good business for all.”
Patino calls Paben “a tremendous asset for our customers and our company,” noting that his understanding of “clients’ unique needs will bolster our services and enable scalability across the enterprise.”
