MEET OUR PANELISTS | Tourism Development - Finding the Right Product Mix!
Our panel consists of three professionals who have extensive experience in the region with a deep seated interest in tourism development. Each panelist will present a 15 minute segment on one aspect with a Q & A session there after. Be part of the discussion - Register now!
Mr. Russell Harrigan
Chairman, BVI Tourist Board/ CEO,
Oyster Global Marketing Group
Russell Harrigan is Founder and CEO of The Oyster Global Marketing Group, which he established in 1997. The Oyster Global Marketing Group roster of clients includes a number of the leading tourism and corporate entities operating in the territory. Russell served as Director of Tourism in the BVI 1989 – 1997 a period, which saw the destination established as a global tourism brand using the Nature’s Little Secrets positioning. His tenure as Director also saw significant national planning and strategy development in the yachting and cruise tourism sectors and the development of a National Tourism Strategy.
He also served as Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board 2003 - 2007 a period which saw the expansion of tourism to its highest level of arrivals up to that point in all sectors including the development of two new resorts. His second tour of duty as Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board was effective December 2011 - 2015 with a focus on repositioning BVI tourism after the 2008 global recession. He is currently on his third tour of duty as Chairman of the BVITB. Harrigan is widely recognized regionally and internationally for his tourism, marketing and promotion acumen. Russell’s background is in tourism and marketing and he has completed numerous tourism consultancies in the private and public sectors in the BVI and overseas. Harrigan is a graduate of Florida International University.
Russell is also Chairman and CEO of Oyster Publications established in 2006 and published Business BVI. The magazine contributes significantly to the soft power and branding of the territory globally. Now in its 11th year, the magazine is a well designed, curated and highly respected, quality publication positioned to promote the British Virgin Islands as an attractive jurisdiction for international business and investment. Now published two times per year, the magazine has a global footprint via a print circulation of 30,000 and an online edition - Business BVI Daily. Business BVI also convenes a number of global conferences designed to bring relevance to the magazine and showcase the jurisdiction. These events include the annual BVI Business Outlook Conference, the annual Business BVI Asia Regional Conference in Hong Kong, Business BVI London Forum and Conversations with Business BVI. See www.oysterbvi.com
Ms. Daly Mariatte
1st VP and General Manager of Sales and Marketing
Ladera Resort
Daly Mariatte brings nearly 20 years of customer service and airline and hotel operations experience as VP & General Manager of Sales and Marketing of the ultimate Caribbean Luxury Resort, Ladera Resort. Daly recently transitioned into this role after serving as General Manager of said resort from 2016. As the General Manager Daly was successful in maintaining the coveted Forbes 4-Star status as well as achieving record sales.
Throughout her career, Mariatte has had the pleasure of working with household names in the hospitality and airlines industries throughout the Caribbean. Before joining Ladera, she served as the Operations Manager at Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort, where she oversaw all front of house operations for the large 301-room resort. During her seven-year tenure with the company, Mariatte worked hard to streamline operations and build a team that would surpass luxury and company standards.
Mariatte also worked with Virgin Atlantic, an international British airline both in Saint Lucia and London where she held various roles at London Heathrow Airport and the head offices in London and Barbados. Responsibilities included training and development of airport operations processes for all employees of Virgin Atlantic Caribbean stations. She was directly involved in the opening of new stations in the Caribbean and oversaw all training of the new employees as well as provided support to station managers across the region.
As a passionate Hospitality Professional, Daly has conducted workshops for the local taxi associations and local Secondary Schools on Customer Experience and Tourism. She recently officiated as an online guest lecturer at Widener University, USA.
Born in Vieux-Fort, Saint Lucia, she holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Business Management, Sales and Marketing from Edinburgh Napier University. In addition to certifications as a CHSP (Certified Hospitality Sales Professional) from the American Hotel and Lodging Association and CM (Certified Manager) from Institute of Certified Professional Managers.
Mr. Sylvester Clauzel
Managing Consultant,
Scribal Consultancy Services Inc.
Sylvester Clauzel has establish a distinguished career in applied-research, practice and management in sustainable tourism development throughout the English-Speaking Caribbean over the past 20 years.
He has worked on various projects across the sub-region; developed and lectured a post-graduate course entitled “Tourism Planning in Developing Countries” at the University of the West Indies; and also worked as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute. He has served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology (2012-16) where he managed one of the more impactful energy transition strategies in the Eastern Caribbean in recent times. He manages his own consultancy firm Scribal Consultancy Services Inc., providing services in sustainable development planning with a focus on tourism and energy transition planning.
He serves as the Project Manager and Regional Stakeholder Coordinator under the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project, being implemented by UN Environment and executed by the Travel Foundation in collaboration with the Saint Lucia Department of Tourism.