The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has announced it will be searching for a new secretary general to replace Hugh Riley, who has announced his retirement as secretary general after 10 years at the head of the regional tourism development agency.
CTO said this week that Riley, who was appointed to the top post in August 2009 after acting for a year, has gone on pre-retirement leave ahead of his departure at the end of June this year.
The organization’s director of finance, Neil Walters, will act in the position until a successor is appointed, CTO said.
“The secretary general is the public face and chief spokesperson of the CTO, and provides the organization with visionary leadership, strong direction and clarity to its policy development. The holder of the post is responsible for implementing the vision of the organization based on the strategic direction set by the council of ministers and commissioners of tourism and the CTO board of directors,” the CTO said.
As secretary general and chief executive officer, CTO said Riley oversaw CTO offices in Barbados, North America and Europe, and led the organization’s initiatives to strengthen the Caribbean brand worldwide.
His overall responsibility was to deliver CTO’s mission as the Caribbean’s tourism development agency, providing specialized services and technical support to over 30 governments and a variety of private sector members.
Services included research and statistics, advocacy/public affairs, information technology, marketing communication, human resource development, media training, public relations, project funding, and sustainable tourism development.
Riley joined the staff of CTO New York in 2002 as director of marketing for the Americas, after having worked for his native Barbados in several senior tourism positions in the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
