Pegasus Solutions’ Ric Leutwyler One of Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing

[HD videos below] The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) has selected Ric Leutwyler, COO of Pegasus Solutions and president of Utell Hotels & Resorts as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales and Marketing” for 2010.

The eighth annual list recognizes the “best of the best” in the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, and the recipients were this week honored during a private ceremony preceding the Adrian Awards Gala, at the New York Marriott Marquis, and at the Adrian Reception and Gala.

The 2010 “Top 25” recipients were judged by a panel of senior industry executives for their recent work based on the following criteria: creativity and innovation; cutting edge sales or marketing campaigns; triumph in challenging situations; and sales efforts that resulted in dramatic gains.

In his more than 20 years in the hospitality industry, Ric Leutwyler has established an international reputation as an extraordinary mind in sales and marketing of hotels. At Pegasus, he is responsible for managing all product, sales, customer support and marketing, as well as strategic planning and continuous process improvement. He also leads Pegasus’ Utell Hotels & Resorts service, a leading hotel marketing, sales and representation services provider, which together make Pegasus the hotel industry’s largest third-party marketing and reservations provider.

 He joined Pegasus after six years with Best Western International, Inc. where he served in a number of senior executive positions working with more than 4,100 hotels in 80 countries and territories worldwide overseeing areas of brand quality, member services, eCommerce and field marketing, among others. Prior to joining Best Western in 2002, Ric held various leadership positions with Cendant Corporation, where he also served as general manager during his 11-year tenure.

“The Top 25 is a 'hot list' that celebrates the sales and marketing leaders and innovators of our industry,” said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI. “The creative strategies, passionate dedication and sharp intelligence of these professionals have not only made a difference within their organizations but have also truly raised the bar for the hospitality industry as a whole.”

“It’s a real honor to be recognized in HSMAI’s annual list, and to share the spotlight with Pegasus’ and Utell’s two 2010 Adrian Awards – a silver for trade show marketing campaign and a bronze for email marketing series. The results we achieved in 2010 are a product of a great global team I have the opportunity to work with every day,” Leutwyler said.

At the ITB Asia in Singapore last October, ASIA Travel Tips.com had the opportunity to interview Mr. Ric Leutwyler and ask him in one interview about the role Social Media plays in the travel industry as well as a more general interview about Utell and Pegasus Solutions.

The Future of Pegasus Solutions / Utell

Social Media and the Travel Industry

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