DVC president Jim Lewis was apparently fired Friday, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The move comes just weeks before Aulani, the newest DVC property, opens in Hawaii. Mark Goldhaber offered an analysis of the situation in Monday's Walt Disney World Resort Update. Earlier today, Disney named Claire Bilby as the new Senior Vice President:
Global Sales Leader Claire BilbyNamed to Top Disney Vacation Club Role
CELEBRATION, Fla. (August 15, 2011) Walt Disney Parks and Resorts appointed seasoned global sales leader Claire Bilby as Senior Vice President of Disney Vacation Club, the companys vacation ownership business.
Bilby will lead all aspects of the business including evaluating new opportunities for this strategic part of the Parks and Resorts portfolio.
Claire brings to Disney Vacation Club an impressive track record in global sales, as well as an inspirational leadership style and innovative thinking, said Karl L. Holz, President of New Vacation Operations and Disney Cruise Line.
Bilby recently served as Senior Vice President of Distribution Marketing and Asia Pacific Sales. Among her responsibilities were leading all sales channel marketing for Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney Travel Company, Adventures by Disney and Disney Institute. She also served as the top sales leader for Disney Destinations Asia Pacific Region, with responsibilities for Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneys regional sales office in Tokyo and sales offices in Australia and China. Most recently, she led the sales organization at Disneyland Resort Paris on a temporary assignment.
In her new role, Bilby will report to Karl Holz, whose responsibilities include Disney Vacation Club, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Aulani, the companys new resort in Hawaii.
Bilby began her Disney career in marketing at Walt Disney World Resort in 1988 and relocated 10 years later to Disneyland Resort where she became Senior Vice President of Sales and Distribution Marketing. She returned to Walt Disney World Resort in 2009 to assume her most recent role. Her many accomplishments include helping to launch several Disney theme parks around the world and serving as a key leader in the successful 50th anniversary celebration for Disneyland Resort.
Disney Vacation Club revolutionized the timeshare industry when it debuted in October 1991 by offering a flexible, vacation point-based model versus the traditional fixed-week timeshare model. Twenty years later, more than 475,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and all 50 states have secured decades of quality Disney vacations through a Disney Vacation Club membership.
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