It was a star-studded affair as some of travel’s best, brightest – and most senior – came together on Wednesday night at TravelBrands offices in suburban Toronto to salute President and CEO Frank DeMarinis’ storied career.
The last of the three DeMarinis brothers to retire, Frank is joining Enzo and Joe on the fairway. Frank’s thoughtful, sociable and professional sides were all on display as he reminisced about his 34 years in the industry. Greeting some of the industry’s most seasoned and C-suite execs — clearly friends as well as business partners — with handshakes and hugs, he demonstrated the likeability and approachability he is known for.
“I am leaving on a high note with a great balance sheet. And also leaving a great runway for Nathalie Tanious, our COO,” he said. “I’ve been preparing for this moment for the last four or five years.”
DeMarinis also reflected on his history in the industry and the 700 current employees of TravelBrands — an empire with both extensive retail and wholesale brands, now owned by publicly-traded H.I.S. of Japan.
“I started Belair Travel with Enzo and Joe 34 years ago. We were three young Italians coming into the travel industry and ‘taking over.’ What was our secret? Every deal we made sure we fulfilled 110 per cent, and great things followed. The industry has been great to us, and even during the hard times we were there for our employees, maintaining and sustaining them.”
The “Belair boys,” as everyone came to call them, were also were among the first to embrace technology, giving them a leg up on many others in the business.
So, what happens on 01AUG when retirement officially kicks in?
DeMarinis says he plans to spend more time with his family, to make up for all those nights when he worked late. One exec told me that “We haven’t seen the last of him,” but when Frank proudly showed me a photo of his 10 month old granddaughter, it sure seemed like he was looking forward to that family time.
Following DeMarinis's departure, Nathalie Tanious, the former COO, will take over as the CEO, as Open Jaw reported. Tanious's leadership skills, extensive industry knowledge and shared vision has led to a phenomenal career and Open Jaw salutes Frank for having the foresight to bring such a capable woman into the top ranks of travel.
Tanious told Open Jaw: “I’m most excited to continue Frank’s work – there are a lot of projects, both B2B and B2C coming down the pipe.”
So stay tuned for more developments from TravelBrands!
