New York City-based travel agency First in Service Travel (F1S) has announced that three travel industry veterans are joining its leadership team: Shay Harrington, vice president, sales and partnerships; Tammy An, director, marketing and partnerships; and Tatjana Pandza, senior director, accounting operations. Additionally, F1S has announced the internal promotions for three of its leaders to vice presidential roles: Suzanne Halama, Wonnie Baik and Johanna Diaz.
“With First in Service poised for a resumption of accelerated growth, the vital leadership of these six extraordinary women will be focused squarely on growing the three primary segments of our business: corporate, luxury leisure and entertainment travel. These leaders personify our ongoing commitment to reflect the exceptional, outsized role that women have historically played in our industry,” said Fernando Gonzalez, F1S CEO, who co-founded the company with his sister Erika Reategui in 1991.
Harrington has 30 years of travel industry experience and will lead the development and growth of leisure sales specifically with cruises, DMCs, tour operators, ground transportation and insurance. Her travel industry journey began as a teenager in 1992 helping to build and organize a brochure library for an agency in her community. In 1997, she became a leisure sales specialist at Tzell, where she continued for 25 years in roles including manager of leisure development and director of leisure operations. Harrington has also worked in the hotel sector.
An has 10 years of industry experience, and will oversee and execute marketing strategies on a global level to advance F1S partners among its advisors and clientele. She joins F1S from Cuvée where she was director of strategic partnerships. She came to Cuvée from Airbnb, where she handled agency business development for its Luxury Retreats unit. An began her career with Shangri-La Group, where she was director of business development in the regional sales office.
Joining the agency with two decades of industry experience, Pandza will focus on the F1S accounting processes, including supplier reporting. She also brings Canadian experience as F1S continues its growth in the country. Prior to joining F1S, Pandza worked at Travel Edge North America (United States, Canada and Bermuda), where she served as senior director of accounting operations for eight years. She began her travel industry career with a 12-year stint at The Travel Network, most recently as its director of accounting and finance.
The three F1S leaders who have been promoted include: 21-year travel-industry veteran Halama, who has been elevated to the role of vice president of operations; Wonnie Baik, who began her travel industry career with Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and Mandarin Oriental, and will now serve as vice president, sales and partnerships (with a focus on hotels, resorts and villas); and Johanna Diaz, who now serves as vice president, finance to oversee planning, growth and strategy for F1S.
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