A team that listens to its markets rather than broadcasts from a single center
From its new home in Madrid, the World Travel & Tourism Council has quietly redrawn its own map — assembling a leadership team of 21 nationalities to speak for an industry that is itself borderless. The appointments, including a former Kenyan tourism minister and seasoned voices from aviation, hospitality, and technology, signal an organization rethinking not just who leads, but from where and with what experience. It is a structural wager that proximity to the world's diversity of perspective is, itself, a form of strategy.
- A global industry still finding its footing after the pandemic now has a council leadership that spans 21 countries and five newly created executive vice president roles.
- The appointment of Najib Balala — a decade-long architect of Kenya's tourism policy — to lead government relations injects real diplomatic weight into the council's advocacy ambitions.
- With regional directors now planted across the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Greater China, the organization is dismantling the idea of a single broadcasting center in favor of distributed listening.
- CEO Gloria Guevara and board chairman Manfredi Lefebvre are framing this restructuring not as a fix, but as the construction of architecture capable of shaping what comes next.
The World Travel & Tourism Council has reorganized its leadership from its new Madrid headquarters, drawing on talent from 21 countries in a deliberate effort to match the global scope of the industry it represents. The move signals a philosophical shift — from a body that speaks from one vantage point to one that governs through distributed experience.
Five executive vice presidents anchor the new structure. Esteban Velásquez, with over 25 years across travel, hospitality, and technology, takes charge of business development and membership. Najib Balala, who shaped Kenya's tourism policy for more than a decade as minister, steps into government relations and policy research. Maribel Rodríguez brings a quarter-century of aviation and destination expertise to managing the council's relationships with destination leaders. Sarah Jukes, returning from Burson's London office, leads strategic communications, while Julio Solvas oversees financial strategy.
The broader team extends into regional directorates covering the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, Greater China, and European and African destinations — a geographic spread that suggests the council intends to listen to its markets rather than simply address them.
President and CEO Gloria Guevara described the restructuring as a direct response to what the sector needs now and in the decade ahead. The organization is not claiming to have resolved the industry's challenges, but it has built, in its own framing, the leadership architecture to help shape them.
The World Travel and Tourism Council has assembled a leadership team drawn from 21 different countries, a deliberate move to position the organization for the challenges ahead as it operates from its new base in Madrid. The restructuring reflects a shift in how the organization sees itself—no longer a body speaking from a single vantage point, but one that draws on experience across continents and sectors.
At the center of this expansion are five new executive vice presidents. Esteban Velásquez, who brings more than 25 years working in travel, hospitality, and travel technology globally, now leads business development and membership strategy. His role encompasses the commercial direction of the entire organization and the cultivation of strategic partnerships. Najib Balala, who spent over a decade as Kenya's tourism minister, takes on government relations and policy research—a position that leverages his deep experience in shaping tourism policy at the international level. Maribel Rodríguez, with a quarter-century of work in aviation, hospitality, and destination development, now oversees the organization's relationships with destination leaders worldwide. Sarah Jukes, returning to the council from the London office of Burson, directs strategic communications and content. Julio Solvas leads the organization's financial strategy and administration.
Beyond these five, the leadership structure includes a broader tier of directors and regional heads. Christopher Imbsen oversees policy work. Lola Uña Cárdenas manages government affairs. Nejc Jus directs research operations. The organization has also appointed regional directors for the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Greater China, as well as a director responsible for European and African destinations. This geographic distribution of authority suggests an organization trying to listen to its markets rather than broadcast from a single center.
Gloria Guevara, the organization's president and chief executive, framed the restructuring as a response to what the travel and tourism sector actually needs now and in the years ahead. Manfredi Lefebvre, the chairman of the board, emphasized that the team brings exceptional experience from across the world, positioning the council to exert greater influence over how the sector evolves. The language suggests confidence—not that the organization has solved its challenges, but that it has built the architecture to shape them.
What emerges from this restructuring is an organization betting that diversity of perspective and geographic distribution of leadership will make it more effective. Whether that proves true will depend on how these leaders navigate the sector's ongoing recovery and the policy questions that will define travel and tourism in the next decade.
Citações Notáveis
The team reflects the current and future needs of the travel and tourism sector— Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and chief executive
The team brings exceptional experience from around the world, positioning the organization to play an even more influential role in the sector's future— Manfredi Lefebvre, WTTC board chairman
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that the leadership team comes from 21 different countries?
Because tourism policy isn't made in one place anymore. A decision in Madrid affects what happens in Bangkok or Buenos Aires. If your leadership only understands one market, you're blind to the others.
But isn't this just the normal thing organizations do—hire people from different places?
Not at this scale, and not with this intentionality. They're putting regional directors in charge of their regions, not flying everything through headquarters. That's a structural choice, not window dressing.
What does Najib Balala bring that someone else couldn't?
He actually ran a tourism ministry. He knows what governments need, what they fear, what they're willing to do. That's not something you learn in a consulting firm.
Is this about recovery from the pandemic, or something else?
Both. The pandemic showed how fragile the sector is when policy fails. Now they're building a team that can actually talk to governments in their own language—literally and figuratively.
Why move to Madrid?
Europe is where a lot of the policy conversation happens. It's also a tourism hub itself. You're not just administering from there; you're embedded in the market you're trying to influence.