Gay Nagle Myers
As Puerto Rico continues to recover from the September hurricanes, the new CEO of the Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) already has plans for marketing strategies and initiatives.
Brad Dean, who will take up the reins in late April after he transitions from his duties as president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, faces a host of challenges as CEO of the DMO, which was created a year ago through a merger of the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. and Meet Puerto Rico.
"Up until the creation of the DMO, the tourism leadership in Puerto Rico had been conducted in silos by two separate organizations," he said. "We need to transition beyond that, and my long-term vision is to implement an iconic global plan."
The first order of business is to build "an all-star team," according to Dean. The focus is on hiring a CFO, chief marketing officer and chief sales officer. "Puerto Rico is remarkable, and it needs a remarkable marketing strategy," he said.
Brad Dean
Leading Puerto Rico in the tourism arena means leading the recovery story. "We have to jump on this quickly," he said. "We want the one-year anniversary of the hurricanes to be a story of rebuilding and recovery rather than one of disaster." Key to the marketing efforts is to address consumers' perceptions of Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the hurricanes, according to Dean. "We need to understand the needs and desires of our customers and be able to cater to travelers who already know the destination and to encourage new travelers to visit."
He said: "We will do everything we can to accelerate the destination's recovery. We'll focus on what we can control and focus on getting better."
Dean comes to his post with strong ties to Puerto Rico, both personal and professional.
"My first job after graduating from the University of Illinois was with General Electric," he said. "I was sent to Puerto Rico for six months, traveling all over the island to various manufacturing plants. I loved it, loved meeting all sorts of people."
One of those people was his wife, whom he met in San Juan. They married in Carolina near San Juan and honeymooned on the island.
When GE wanted to transfer Dean to New York, he turned down the transfer and stayed on in Puerto Rico for two more years. "This was a real epiphany for me," he said. "I realized that a job was really about people."
Leaving for Puerto Rico after 20 years in Myrtle Beach, 15 of which were as head of the Chamber of Commerce, means "leaving a great gig. The easy road would have been to stay where I was, in a job I loved and in a community my family and I loved, but I believe that every step of my career has prepared me for this next chapter," Dean said.