Celebrated Experiences, a company that specializes in personalizing travel experiences in the UK, Ireland and Italy – and soon France — has announced new members to its executive team.
Samantha Betancourt has joined as Chief Operating Officer. She brings 20+ years of experience in global supply chain management most recently as the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Strategy with UPS Healthcare. Betancourt will manage the day-to-day operations of Celebrated Experiences, leveraging technology and past experiences to create superior processes and efficiencies ensuring the company can better support its team and clients.
Industry veteran Chris Ward has also joined the team as Chief Partnership Officer and Director of European Operations. Based in England, Chris has a 25-year track record of developing and delivering award-winning, commercially successful hospitality brands in the luxury sector. He has held leadership positions at Orient Express Hotels (now Belmond), Chewton Glen, Cliveden House and Farncombe Estate.
Ward’s ultimate role is supporting the company’s destination partners, including its Celebrated Hotels, a curated, annually inspected collection of over 350 award-winning luxury properties in England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. Ward will also lead the company’s growth into France, launching later this year.
Travellers are invited to leverage Celebrated Experiences’ relationships and knowledge in booking hotels, drivers, guides, event tickets and other services. The company has been named by Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country Travel and wendyperrin.com to their lists of world’s Top Travel Specialists.
Betancourt and Ward join a leadership team alongside Ty Horn – Chief Revenue Officer, Neelam Karani – Chief Administrative Officer, Dana Welch – Chief Client Engagement Officer, and Zoltan Berger – Director of Finance. Jonathan Epstein, whose parents founded the company in 1990, joined the business in 2006 and is now Chief Executive Officer.
Dana Welch, in a previous role with Tourism Ireland. (Photo Credit: TravelPulse Quebec)
Welch is well known to the Canadian travel industry for her roles with Tourism Ireland and the European Travel Commission.
Over the past four years, Celebrated Experiences has doubled to 60 team members. The company says the growth stems from investments in client engagement, new revenue streams, and enhanced partnerships.
These include the acquisition of Guidelines to Britain, the launch of Celebrated Homes, the addition of dozens of new Celebrated Hotels to their curated portfolio, and the creation of a travel advisor recognition program: Celebrated Legends and Celebrated Heroes.
Jonathan Epstein, CEO, commented: “We are thrilled by this continued growth and excited to deliver even better service and travel experiences for our clients. Over 400 candidates from a variety of industries applied for the COO position, and Sam came out on top. She is one of the most impressive business leaders I have ever met as she brings significant experience in strategy, logistics, management, and process as we build for the future.”
