Governor Rosselló receives the new chief executive officer of the DMO at La Fortaleza

(March 14, 2018 – La Fortaleza, San Juan) Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, congratulated the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for appointing Brad Dean as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the private non-profit corporation responsible for the promotion of the Island as a tourist destination abroad.

The chairman of the DMO Board of Directors, Jon Borschow, announced the appointment today and informed that Dean will begin his duties at the end of April.

The DMO is an entity created in 2017, in charge of the design and development of strategies for the promotion of the Island as a tourist destination; and it is led by the private sector of this industry.

"Brad Dean is a highly respected professional in the industry with about 25 years of success in the marketing of tourist destinations. He lived in Puerto Rico some time before and we are sure that the Board of Directors of the DMO made the best decision to have him back in Puerto Rico, to be able to count on his experience and promote our Island in an effective way," said the chief executive.

Borschow stressed that “Dean’s experience, talent, vision, and broad industry connections prepare him to lead the brand-new Puerto Rico DMO. He has an impressive track record of destination marketing, product development, and team-building, both in the public and private sectors”.

Dean holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Illinois. He also worked for several years as the CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce in South Carolina.

Dean has been an active member of boards of directors of renowned organizations such as the US Travel Association, Destinations International, the National Advisory Committee on Travel and Infrastructure, and the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board of the United States Department of Commerce.

After his appointment was announced, Dean expressed that “I am honored to return to Puerto Rico and build a world-class Destination Marketing Organization with a powerful global brand. Puerto Rico is a special place with wonderful people and unrivaled potential.”

The new CEO of the DMO added that “The Island’s recent past has been challenging but the future is bright for Puerto Rico and its tourism industry. I look forward to the opportunity of using the transformative power of travel and tourism to help launch Puerto Rico, its residents, and its businesses forward”.

Meanwhile, the interim executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (CTPR, for its Spanish acronym), Carla Campos, said that "we are working aggressively in the transition from marketing abroad responsibilities to the DMO, and the arrival of Mr. Dean, who has our full support, is instrumental in achieving an uninterrupted transition".