Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc has announced the appointment of a new chief executive officer, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

BTMI has appointed Jens Thraenhart to the role, effective Nov. 1. 

The news comes after Thraenhart was selected from what BTMI said was a pool of 178 candidates. 

Thraenhart will help lead BTMI’s transition to a more “commercial” marketing enterprise, the organization said. 

“The team at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. has done a great job of reopening markets, using their knowledge and experience and established trade relationships,” said Roseanne Myers, Chairman of Barbados Tourism Marketing. “We believe that coupled with Jens’ international tourism experience, proven track record in strategy execution and entrepreneurial perspectives, the BTMI will emerge from this period of the pandemic, a much stronger, high-performing destination marketing company that brings increased benefit to our industry and the wider economy.  We undertook the challenge to find the best candidate for the CEO position to help shape the way forward, and we are exceptionally pleased to have done so, after a thorough and transparent process. We welcome Jens to the Barbados team.”

Thraenhart succeeds Craig Hinds, who had been serving in the role on an interim basis; Hinds had been preceded by Petra Roach, who had served in an interim basis as well before being named CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority. 

— CJ