February 13, 2014 at 5:51 p.m.
Karla Lacey appointed COO at Tourism Authority
Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) today announces that Karla Lacey has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective April 7. She will report to the Chief Executive Officer.
In the role, Ms. Lacey will be responsible for supervising all aspects of financial, technical and administrative matters for the Authority. She will manage all tourism appreciation and on-Island communications, the delivery of industry training and service standards and for Human Relations and related matters.
Ms. Lacey is a Bermudian with more than 25 years of experience in diverse fields, including corporate communications, marketing, programme and project management, human resources, event management and customer service. She has applied her skill set in a variety of industries including retail, education, telecommunications, banking, finance and non-profit administration.
She joins the Bermuda Tourism Authority from her current role as CEO of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute (BHI). With the BHI since its inception in 2010, she has led the organisation from a start-up to an effective and constructive industry partner. During her tenure at BHI she has established industry training and certification programs for students and adults; introduced a hospitality school program currently running in 14 public schools; and actively engaged stakeholders in identifying, developing and retaining Bermudians interested in hospitality careers.
Prior to joining the BHI, Ms. Lacey lived in California for seven years where she established Junior Chef Central, a culinary programme for children. The programme has educated more than 6,000 young people in the culinary arts across the United States and Bermuda through summer programs and within school curriculums with underserved populations; and has participated in grant funded academic research studies by major universities.
Before heading to the U.S., Ms. Lacey was Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Communications, at Butterfield Bank, responsible for establishing and implementing communication and organizational development plans across the bank’s five jurisdictions. Previously, as Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications and Official Company Spokesperson at BTC, she managed media and public relations and internal communications, and directed the first rebranding in the organization’s history.
Bill Hanbury, CEO of Bermuda Tourism Authority, says: “We are very pleased to welcome Karla as Chief Operating Officer. This role is pivotal to our success in implementing the National Tourism Plan and running our organization. Ms. Lacey’s background and range of expertise fits well with the dynamic and results-oriented character of the BTA. I look forward to working with her on the many exciting projects we have in store.”
Ms. Lacey says: “Joining the new Bermuda Tourism Authority is an exciting opportunity to make a long term difference to the land of my birth. I look forward to working with Bill, the Board of Directors and the team at the BTA to revitalize our beautiful Island as a premier tourist destination.”
Ms. Lacey is a member of the Bermuda College Board of Governors and Chair of the Academic & Student Affairs Subcommittee; a National Training Board member and Co-Chair of the Hospitality, Hotels, Transport & Communications Workforce Development Subcommittee; and a CHART member (Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers). Her education and training spans retail merchandising (FIDM) and executive training in World Financial Public Relations, Strategic Communications and Human Resource Management through Executive Management Programs at Harvard Business School, the London Business School and the University of London. She is also a published children’s book and cookbook author.
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