50 Most Powerful People of 2023: Tourism & Transportation
Meet the most powerful people in the Tourism and Transportation category.
Tourism and transportation are the lifeblood of Central Florida, driving economic prosperity and connectivity. Our region’s world-renowned attractions and entertainment venues draw visitors from across the globe, stimulating job growth and business opportunities. Efficient transportation networks, including highways, airports, and public transit, facilitate seamless mobility, enabling residents and tourists alike to access our diverse offerings easily.
This synergy between tourism and transportation not only boosts our economy but also fosters cultural exchange and community development. Central Florida’s commitment to these vital sectors ensures that our region remains a hub of activity, a destination of choice, and a place where people and opportunities converge. Here are the Most Powerful People in Tourism and Transportation.
1. Jeff Vahle | President, Walt Disney World Resort
As one of the largest employers in Central Florida, Walt Disney World Resort has a big impact on the region and Orlando’s tourism industry. For President Jeff Vahle, there are three things that drive the company and make Walt Disney World tick: “guests, cast and community.” A 33-year Disney veteran, Vahle became president of the destination in early 2020 and focused on these three elements.
When it comes to visitors, he says, “Guests love Walt Disney World, and we work hard to keep it that way.” The entertainment giant is always adding something new and upgrading the resort. “TRON Lightcycle / Run launched this year and became an instant favorite,” says Vahle. “In our resorts, we’ve refreshed rooms, added restaurants and evolved the experience—all while keeping classic elements people love. And we continue to invest in other parts of the guest experience.”
As for the Disney cast, Vahle points out, “With our people, we offer development at all levels. We hosted a conference for salaried cast on leadership, business and wellness, and got a tremendous response. Hourly cast and employees have free educational benefits that more than 3,800 [including Disneyland] have used to earn vocational certificates and college degrees. And here at Walt Disney World more than 2,500 cast members were promoted into leadership in just the last year.”
Efforts to help the community are underway. “So far this year, Walt Disney World has provided more than $20 million in direct and in-kind donations to wish-granting organizations that support kids with critical illnesses and their families,” says Vahle. “This is a cause that lives very close to our hearts.”
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
2. Casandra Matej | President & CEO, Visit Orlando
Since joining Visit Orlando in February 2021, Casandra Matej’s focus has been on the recovery of Orlando’s tourism industry post pandemic by developing a solid team to take on the task. “We’ve intentionally focused on our people, as the foundation of everything we do and recently earned recognition as one of the best places to work in Central Florida,” says the president and CEO of Visit Orlando.
Under Matej’s leadership, the organization is responsible for the branding, marketing and selling of Orlando on a global scale and represents more than 1,400 member companies. In May 2022, Visit Orlando, in collaboration with Orlando Economic Partnership, launched a new global brand, “Unbelievably Real” that helped Orlando maintain its leadership position and strong visitation numbers. The success can be measured in numbers. In 2022 Visit Orlando’s efforts generated more than $87.6 billion in economic impact and drew 74 million visitors to Central Florida, a 25 percent increase over the number of visitors in 2021.
Matej points out, “The impact tourism makes on our economy is evident in households being taxed less and revenue generated to help pay for crucial community services such as education, public safety, infrastructure and environmental programs.”
The Visit Orlando CEO is especially proud of her team members who she says, “come to work every day ready to roll up their sleeves and champion for the No. 1 destination in the U.S.” Their unwavering commitment extends beyond the industry and into the community, with volunteer initiatives that include serving meals, student mentorship and charitable donations. “Ultimately, our team members are the heart of Visit Orlando’s many accomplishments. Their commitment and zeal are the driving force behind our shared success,” she says.
Photo by Roberto Gonzalez
3. Kevin Thibault | CEO, Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Kevin Thibault took over the reigns as chief executive officer of Orlando International Airport and Orlando Executive Airport in March 2022. Prior to assuming the CEO position, he spent 18 years at the Florida Department of Transportation in various roles, including serving as Florida’s Secretary of Transportation. All his experience, no doubt, has made him more than qualified to keep Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) moving forward on a path to becoming a multimodal hub.
As Thibault looks back over the past year or so, it’s the September 2022 opening of Terminal C, the largest construction project ever undertaken by GOAA, that’s most noteworthy. Focusing on the future, he comments about the development of the organization’s new Strategic Plan. “The last Strategic Plan Update was completed in 2013, and with the significant changes occurring not only in the industry, but here in Central Florida over the last 10 years, the implementation of new aspirational goals for the next 10 years centers around the evolution of this transportation asset.”
GOAA’s vision, a blueprint for the next decade, is designed to meet new challenges facing the transportation sector, with the goal of moving more people and goods than ever before. “From being a multimodal hub, to supporting over 13 million Florida residents within a two-hour radius, it is truly exciting to set a renewed vision for what the region’s mobility needs will be,” Thibault says.
Photo by Beverly Brosius
4. Mark Tester | Executive Director, Orange County Convention Center
Considered one of the largest exhibition-space venues in the United States, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) welcomes everything from medical technology conferences to boat shows to dinosaur experiences. At the helm of running this mega facility is Mark Tester. The executive director oversees OCCC’s 2 million square feet of exhibition space, plus meeting rooms, ballrooms, a theater, a lecture hall and outdoor space. Since joining OCCC in 2020, he’s responsible for the overall operations, planning, marketing and all activities at the convention center.
Among the new OCCC projects debuting in the last year under his guidance is the Orlando Health Virtual Care Center. The health facility is staffed by Orlando Health team members who can connect attendees in need to a medical provider via a virtual visit in a private room. The virtual physician can evaluate medical conditions from cold and flu symptoms to skin rashes, sprains and other minor health issues, as well as write prescriptions.
Tester is excited about OCCC’s first autonomous security robot, designed to provide 360-degree video surveillance as it monitors crowds. Its video stream connects directly to OCCC’s Security Command Center. The robot is also equipped with thermal imaging capabilities that can detect fire, and it has a help button that attendees can utilize if needed.
Tester says, “We look forward to introducing this incredible technology to The Center of Hospitality,” adding that “we are eager to see the enhanced service the robot will provide to the nearly 1.5 million guests we welcome each year.”
Photo Courtesy Of Orange County Convention Center
5. Karen Irwin | President & COO, Universal Orlando Resort
Since beginning her career as a member of the opening team for Universal Studios Florida in 1990, Karen Irwin has been on board in several leadership roles that contributed to the entertainment company’s tremendous growth and expansion. Now as the president and COO, she’s responsible for oversight of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks, Volcano Bay water park and CityWalk entertainment complex.
This past summer, Irwin welcomed guests to the all-new Minion Land on Illumination Avenue attraction, which she and the Universal team worked to bring to fruition. “This immersive and captivating new addition to our destination was brought to life in a partnership with our colleagues at Illumination and puts our guests into the heart, and villainous minds, of this diabolically fun franchise. This rich new environment has so much for all our guests to enjoy,” she says of the project.
Looking toward the future, Irwin is already engaged in developing the new DreamWorks land, scheduled to debut at Universal Studios in 2024. It will feature characters from popular franchises like Shrek, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda.
She’s also been focused on Universal’s work force and improving wages and benefits. Earlier this year, Universal increased the minimum wage and made improvements to its 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement programs, and compassion and parent leave. And that’s not all. Irwin and her team are set to welcome a brand-new theme park to Orlando in the summer of 2025, Epic Universe.
Photo by Kevin Kolczynski
6. Harris Rosen | President & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts
Harris Rosen is an icon in the Orlando community. Described as a visionary leader in the hospitality, philanthropy and healthcare industries, Rosen has impacted Orlando in a positive way for almost five decades. What began with the purchase of a small 256-room Quality Inn became—with time and hard work—Rosen Hotels & Resorts, a collection of seven Orlando-area hotels with 6,500 guestrooms and suites.
His philanthropic endeavors are numerous. “In the context of our companies’ success spanning nearly 50 years, we have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams.” Rosen says, noting the company will mark its 50th anniversary on June 24, 2024. “Our success in business provides me with an opportunity to give back and I remain focused on doing so in perpetuity.”
Rosen supported the University of Florida’s work with the ReMission Alliance Against Brain Tumors with a $12 million gift. He also established the Rosen Medical Center, A Place for Healing and Wellness.
Photo by Roberto Gonzalez
7. Patrick Goddard | President, Brightline
For years, the inter-city high-speed passenger rail that would link Central Florida with South Florida seemed like a dream yet to become reality. However, this fall Patrick Goddard and his team welcomed the train to its spanking-new Brightline station at Orlando International Airport. An accomplishment worthy of a standing ovation.
Since October 2016 when Goddard joined Brightline as COO, and the following year when he became president, his objective has been to connect the two regions, with a goal of getting cars off the road and providing people with a faster, safer and more convenient way to get from Central Florida to South Florida.
Goddard has nothing but praise for the 50-member team led by Michael Cegelis and Scott Gammon. “First let me say, it’s never about an individual, it’s always about the team,” continuing, he adds, “And I just think that that team demonstrated an extraordinary level of resilience in getting this herculean task accomplished on time and on budget. Rides begin Sept. 22.
Photo by Roberto Gonzalez
8. Nicole Martz | President & CEO, Sanford Airport Authority
With a vision that goes beyond just serving air travelers to the Orlando Sanford International Airport, Nicole Martz has made an impact on Seminole County.
“I am extremely proud of our airport team as we continue to capitalize on the success of a $72 million expansion and redefine ourselves as an economic driver for the entire region,” she says. Elaborating on the airport’s role in the county, she continues, “It’s not just a major transportation hub, but a center of commerce with a $3.5 billion impact on Florida’s economy. With 530 acres available for development, it’s my job to seek out partners who want to take advantage of the last sizable greenfield development sites in Seminole County.”
The airport has become the first choice for millions of travelers who enjoy non-stop access to more than 70 destinations in the United States and Canada, many of those towns not served by other airports.
Photo by Courtesy Sanford Airport Authority
9. Maria Triscari | President & CEO, International Drive Resort Area Chamber Of Commerce
A powerhouse on I-Drive, Maria Triscari has been at the helm of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce since it was established in 1989. Her biggest accomplishments over the last year is moving forward the proposed Sunshine Corridor program, which will create an east-west mass transit route from OIA to I-Drive and provide an I-Drive station for both SunRail and Brightline to service the I-Drive corridor.
“In 2020, when Brightline was planning to bypass the I-Drive corridor, I led a very successful campaign to oppose this route that did not include service to I-Drive. Through my relationship with Universal Orlando, we were able to join forces, and the Chamber and Universal created and lobbied for the proposed Sunshine Corridor program,” she says. Triscari’s held numerous meetings with I-Drive stakeholders and elected officials, successfully uniting Brightline, SunRail and officials on this game-changing initiative.
