The new director general and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association is Jeff Vasser, who has served as head of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority since 2002.
Vasser's appointment, which takes effect Nov. 18, ends months of speculation about who would succeed Alec Sanguinetti, who retired at the end of 2012 after a 52-year career in the Caribbean tourism industry, including 19 years with CHTA, nine as director general/CEO.
Vasser also will be tasked with co-directing the Caribbean Tourism and Development Co., a marketing entity jointly owned and operated by CHTA and the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
According to Richard Doumeng, CHTA president, Vasser was selected after a comprehensive search from a field of 100 candidates.
"We have only had two CEOs in our 51-year history [John Bell was the first], so the selection process was very important," Doumeng said.
Prior to joining the Atlantic City CVA, Vasser held positions with Choice Hotels International, Laventhol & Horwath, Four Seasons Hotels, Cipriani International and Deloitte & Touche Consulting Group.
Vasser will preside over CHTA's annual Caribbean Travel Marketplace, Jan. 12-14 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Follow Gay Nagle Myers on Twitter @gnmtravelweekly.