SearchWide Global Assists Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky in CEO Search
June 22, 2021 – Retained executive recruitment firm SearchWide Global recently assisted in the placement of Brad Niva as the new president and CEO of non-profit Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky in Montana. Search firm vice president Nicole Newman led the assignment. Mr. Niva brings an extensive background in the outdoor and tourism industry. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the visitor’s association Travel Southern Oregon. Mr. Niva, who lived in Bend, OR, for 20 years, has seen and understands the impact that tourists, as well as locals, can have on outdoor spaces. “My goal is to support Big Sky in developing a destination management plan and make sure the Big Sky community has a robust tourism economy for years to come,” he said.
As CEO for Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky, Mr. Niva is responsible for the leadership and management of all daily operations of the organizations and the missions to brand, market and sell Big Sky as a destination resort. He is tasked with fulfilling the responsibilities of the role through unwavering superior organizational leadership, stellar financial oversight and development, collaborative advocacy and communication, and an integral member of the boards of directors.
Executive Recruiters & Talent Leaders
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The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit membership organization with over 400 members. Visit Big Sky is an additional non-profit designated as the official destination marketing and management organization for the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD). It is also a fiscal sponsor of the state designated Big Sky Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB), one of eight in Montana.
Experienced Recruiters
SearchWide Global, based in St. Paul, MN, is a full service executive recruitment firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management and experiential marketing industries. The firm specializes in C-level and director-level executive searches for companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to mid-sized public and private companies and associations.
SearchWide Global Finds CEO for Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
SearchWide Global placed Martha Sheridan as president and CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Mike Gamble, president and chief executive officer of SearchWide Global, led the assignment along with vice president Kellie Henderson. In coming to Boston, Ms. Sheridan became just the second woman, currently, to lead a first-tier market Convention & Visitors Bureau in the U.S.
The firm recently filled chief executive officer positions for Visit Aurora, Visit Baltimore, the Greater Newark Convention Center & Visitors Bureau, Visit West Hollywood, Kentucky State Fair Board, and the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. SearchWide Global is currently engaged in searches for top leaders at the Mobile Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Empire State Building Co., among others.
Ms. Newmann works in all sectors of the hospitality and travel industry. Her experience in group sales, catering and event planning, according to clients, gives her a unique perspective on executive level recruitment.
SearchWide recently assisted in the placement of Claude Molinari as the new president and CEO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB). Senior vice president Kellie Henderson led the assignment. “Claude is uniquely positioned to accept this new role,” said Christina Lovio‐George, chair of the search committee and DMCVB board member. “He knows the DMCVB business, he understands the role of tourism, meetings and conventions as an economic driver in the region, and he intimately understands the challenges the tourism and hospitality industry are facing now as it deals with the impact of COVID-19.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
