GOGO Worldwide Vacations President Michelle Kassner has just named Susan Black Executive Vice President of Marketing. Black, a 20-year travel industry veteran with expertise in publishing, e-commerce and more, will spearhead marketing and product development for all of GOGO’s destinations and initiatives, in addition to serving as a member of the company’s executive committee.Prior to joining GOGO, Black founded and co-chaired the Travel Commerce Conference Expo, which she will continue to work with as a member of its Advisory Board in addition to chairing its Executive Women’s Forum. ÊBlack was also a founding partner of Travel Executives Forum and the Black & Wright Group. ÊFurther, Black launched Audience Results in 2001, which produced e-mail newsletters, education seminars on e-mail marketing, and 30-day e-mail optimization programs for travel marketers. ÊTo round out Black’s lengthy list of accomplishments, in 1994 she was responsible for launching one of the first travel Web sites, The Official Tour Directory’s Vacationpackager.com.

In addition, she has been a frequent speaker and moderator at the ATME (Association of Travel Marketing Executives) conference and Executive Think Tanks, the Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization marketing conference, USTOA’s Annual Marketplace and GIANTS’ annual conference, to name a few.

Black served as General Manager and Publisher of Thomas Publications’ Travel Group from 1990-2000, which produced the official Tour Directory and Vacaitonpackager.com. ÊPrior to that, she served as National Sales Director for Gralla Publication’s Corporate Travel Magazine and as Senior Editor of Meeting News Magazine.

Black holds a Masters degree from University College London and a BA from Rutgers University. ÊShe lives with her husband and two children in New Jersey.
——-