Brand USA Appoints Chief Marketing Officer
Yvonne La Penotiere to Lead America’s Top Destination Marketing Organization
Brand USA, the public-private partnership responsible for launching the United States’ first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing effort, today announced the appointment of Yvonne La Penotiere as chief marketing officer.
La Penotiere will lead the overall marketing efforts to promote the United States as a premier travel destination. In this key leadership role, she will develop the strategies and direct the implementation of Brand USA’s strategic marketing plan and programs including oversight for global partnership development, marketing and services, global research and analytics, and consumer marketing.
“A highly regarded marketing executive, Yvonne brings with her a wealth of experience in marketing travel and consumer goods for world renowned brands,” Chris Thompson, Brand USA CEO. “ Her extensive resume and well documented rise at the Carlson Companies, examples her ability to deliver solid results for our stakeholders.”
La Penotiere, has represented such brands as Lipton, Nabisco, Pillsbury, Schwan and The Carlson Companies (now Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group), one of the world’s largest hotel companies. During La Penotiere’s nine years with Carlson, she received several promotions—expanding her responsibilities from vice president, sales and marketing for Country Inns & Suites, to executive vice president of brand marketing, to president of the Americas, to chief branding officer for Carlson Hotels Worldwide. While at Carlson, La Penotiere also gained extensive international experience—managing the company’s relationship with Brussels-based master franchisee Rezidor and leading the company’s global branding efforts across 994 hotels in 70 countries.
Prior to Brand USA, La Penotiere was chief strategy and marketing officer for Comuniquest, a communications consulting company that works with organizations, including leading Fortune 500 companies seeking to increase sales, reduce costs and build brand image.
“I believe in the power of building enduring brands by creating strong, high performance teams. My passion for people is equaled only by my passion for travel and tourism.” La Penotiere noted. “I am proud to have visited all 50 of our United States, as well as 60 other countries spanning all seven continents and I believe that travel is the catalyst for all human understanding and empathy.”
La Penotiere earned a bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University and an MBA from Rutgers University.
For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit www.TheBrandUSA.com. For information about travel to and around the United States, please visit Brand USA’s consumer website at www.DiscoverAmerica.com
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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.