PFM Executive Search Recruits Chief Marketing Officer for Tourism Victoria

April 17, 2017 – PFM Executive Search has placed Paul Hawes as chief marketing officer of destination marketing organization Tourism Victoria.

Mr. Hawes has more than 22 years of progressive tourism marketing and sales experience, and arrives in Canada after leading Destination New South Wales (Australia) to successfully expand its presence in the European market. He had overall accountability for marketing communications and sales for advertising, media and public relations, as well as travel trade sales and market activations in Europe.

Mr. Hawes brings a unique blend of experience and comprehensive perspective to the industry. He has worked in the private sector with small and medium-sized businesses, as well as with large corporate hotels and destination marketing organizations.

In addition, he managed multi-million dollar campaigns and complex partnerships with airlines, tour operators and media companies. He led Australia and New South Wales on sales initiatives into the U.K. and Germany, and negotiated integrated destination and airline partnerships with Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airway and Malaysia Airlines. Earlier in his career, he served for six years at the Canadian Tourism Commission where he was accountable for core markets marketing, U.S. leisure marketing and a special assignment to activate the Calgary Stampede’s 100th anniversary in 2012.


Power Shift to CMOs

As business becomes more global and complex, and power shifts from producers of goods and services to consumers, a CMOs responsibility of planning and coordinating an organization’s marketing activities has become much more challenging, according to recruiters specializing in the function. Today’s chief marketing officer often works with directly with the CEO to accelerate the organization and drive transformation. CMOs also collaborate with other members of the C-suite, especially with a company’s top HR executive to shape the company brand. As such, chief marketing executives are gaining rapidly in stature and influence in the C-suite ….. Here’s some further reading from Hunt Scanlon Media.

Chief Marketing Officers Gaining Momentum As Business Game Changers
Executive recruiters have a unique perspective that makes them ideally suited to understand the skills needed in C-level marketing roles. Executive recruiters have a birds-eye view of the role and can compare companies across industries, giving them a unique vantage point from which to identify companies that develop top C-level marketing leaders.


“I have known Paul Hawes for nine years, and his destination marketing, sales and distribution skills are exceptional,” said Paul Nursey, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria. “Paul builds well-researched marketing and sales strategies, executing them across all channels. Paul and I worked together at the Canadian Tourism Commission. He has taken his skills and career to the next level to truly become a world leading tourism marketer and thinker.”

“As Greater Victoria has more flights and more ferries to fill, a conference center to keep very busy and more demand to generate year-round, Paul is exactly the type of tourism professional we need to execute on our aggressive strategy,” Mr. Nursey added. “I know our Tourism Victoria team will learn a great deal from Paul Hawes.”

“I am delighted to be returning to Canada after two-and-a-half years in London — even more, to be marketing such an iconic destination. I’ve always loved Greater Victoria, and am looking forward to the lifestyle that comes hand-in-hand with the area,” said Mr. Hawes. “Working alongside the fantastic team at Tourism Victoria, under the leadership of Paul Nursey, we will be striving to achieve new targets.” Leading marketing efforts of the organization to drive more experiential travelers into the region year round will now be his focus, he said.

Tourism Victoria a not-for-profit industry association responsible for the development and promotion of tourism in Greater Victoria. Working closely with Greater Victoria’s tourism industry, it promotes and develops tourism throughout the area, to ensure the continued long-term growth of the $1.9 billion industry.

Based in Vancouver, PFM serves a wide range of industries, working with private, public and not-for-profit organizations to fill senior level executive roles. The firm has recruited a number of leaders for non-profit organizations, including the CEO for Creative BC, the executive director of Integrated Health Services, CEO for Fraser Health Authority, the chief medical health officer for Northern Health Authority, the chief financial officer at Capital Regional District (CRD)and the CEO for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

PFM is led by co-founder and partner George Madden, who is a 20-year veteran of the executive search industry. His professional accomplishments in communications, public affairs and management have made him a well-known figure in Canadian business.

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media

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