Global Travel Collection has appointed Albert Herrera as chief commercial officer, effective April 12. In this role, Herrera will be responsible for managing the company’s relationships with partners to maximize their offerings to the organization’s leisure, corporate and entertainment travel advisors. Herrera will report to Global Travel Collection president Angie Licea.
Herrera joins Global Travel Collection from Virtuoso where he most recently held the role of senior vice president of global partnerships. In the leadership role, he connected the network’s product portfolio with its advisor membership. For the last nine years, Herrera also managed cruise, tour, land and tourism board relationships after transforming the hotel program upon joining Virtuoso in 2004.
Herrera’s appointment will not affect Global Travel Collection’s relationship with Virtuoso. (Following the restructuring of its high-service, premium and luxury travel brands, Global Travel Collection selected Virtuoso as its sole travel consortia partner in September 2020.)
Herrera’s career spans more than 30 years. His expertise includes sales and marketing, identifying key market segments, recruiting and training strong sales and marketing teams, and increasing the customer base for travel providers of all sizes and in varying markets.
Previously, Herrera worked at The Carlyle, which he joined as director of sales and marketing after Rosewood Hotels & Resorts acquired ownership. He previously led Rosewood’s New York office, and prior to joining the company in 1998, he served as sales and marketing director at The Oriental and as director of sales at The Regent, both in Singapore. Additionally, he has held sales posts with Four Seasons in San Francisco and New York, as well as at The Manila Peninsula in the Philippines. He currently serves on the board of directors of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association.
As for Virtuoso, the network announced that in the wake of Herrera’s departure, Brad Bourland, chief operating officer, will assume interim responsibility for the leadership team already in place through vice president of global partner relations Beth Butzlaff, vice president of global member relations Cheryl Bunker, and director of global network development and engagement Karyn McCarthy, with support from Matthew D. Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso.
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