 NEW YORK (January 31, 2011) – The Hospitality Sales
& Marketing
Association International (HSMAI) has selected Ric Leutwyler, COO of Pegasus Solutions and president of Utell Hotels & Resorts as one of
the
“Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing” for 2010. The
eighth
annual list recognizes the “best
of the best” in the hospitality, travel and tourism
industries, and the recipients will be honored during a private
ceremony
preceding the Adrian Awards Gala tonight, at the
New York Marriott Marquis, and will be recognized at the Adrian
Reception and
Gala.
The 2010 “Top 25” recipients were judged by a panel of senior industry executives for their recent work based on the following criteria: creativity and innovation; cutting edge sales or marketing campaigns; triumph in challenging situations; and sales efforts that resulted in dramatic gains. In his more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, Leutwyler has established an international reputation as an extraordinary mind in sales and marketing of hotels. At Pegasus, he is responsible for managing all product, sales, customer support and marketing, as well as strategic planning and continuous process improvement. He also leads Pegasus’ Utell Hotels & Resorts service, the leading hotel marketing, sales and representation services provider, which together make Pegasus the hotel industry’s largest third-party marketing and reservations provider. He joined Pegasus after six years with Best Western International, Inc. where he served in a number of senior executive positions working with more than 4,100 hotels in 80 countries and territories worldwide overseeing areas of brand quality, member services, eCommerce and field marketing, among others. Prior to joining Best Western in 2002, Ric held various leadership positions with Cendant Corporation, where he also served as general manager during his 11-year tenure. “The Top 25 is a 'hot list' that celebrates the sales and marketing leaders and innovators of our industry,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “The creative strategies, passionate dedication and sharp intelligence of these professionals have not only made a difference within their organizations but have also truly raised the bar for the hospitality industry as a whole.” Leutwyler will also be featured in an HSMAI publication and receive a personalized plaque. “It’s a real honor to be recognized in HSMAI’s annual list, and to share the spotlight with Pegasus’ and Utell’s two 2010 Adrian Awards – a silver for trade show marketing campaign and a bronze for email marketing series. The results we achieved in 2010 are a product of a great global team I have the opportunity to work with every day,” added Leutwyler. In addition to celebrating Leutwyler’s achievements, the Gala will recognize the top achievements in advertising, digital marketing and public relations in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries with the Adrian Award. In addition, lifetime achievement honors will be given to J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc., and Nancy Friedman, president of Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations. Tables and tickets for the HSMAI Adrian Awards Reception and Gala are on sale now. For more information on the HSMAI Adrian Awards, please contact Desiree LaFont at (703) 506-3297, email AdrianAwards@hsmai.org, visit www.adrianawards.com, or follow Adrian Awards news on Twitter at twitter.com/AdrianAwards. HSMAI HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at annual events, including HSMAI's Affordable Meetings®. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at www.hsmai.org. About Pegasus Solutions Inc. – Proud honoree of the InformationWeek 500, CIO 100 and InfoWorld Top 100  Pegasus Solutions is the
world’s leading provider of technology and services to hotels and
travel distributors,
supplying the award-winning RezView® NG central reservation system,
electronic
distribution services, advanced agency commission processing and
payment
services, and hotel marketing representation services. Founded in 1989,
Pegasus
created and launched the hotel switch, and today its customers include
approximately 90,000 properties around the globe as well as a majority
of the
world’s travel agencies. Additionally,
Pegasus’ powerful representation arm incorporates Utell® Hotels
& Resorts
and Utell Connect services that have been chosen by more than 6,000
member
hotels in more than 130 countries. Pegasus is the hotel industry’s most
experienced third-party marketing, sales and reservations specialist.
Pegasus
also powers the niche consumer Web site www.hotelbook.com™,
dedicated to promoting independent and boutique hotels throughout the
world.
Headquartered in Dallas, Pegasus has 21 offices in 12 countries,
including
regional hubs in London, Singapore and Scottsdale, Arizona. For more
information, please visit www.pegs.com
or www.utell.com. |