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Ninja Museum to open in Odawara Castle Park

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A new attraction complex “Odawara Castle NINJA Museum” in Odawara Castle Park will be open on April 20th, 2019. This complex will utilize a refurbished exhibition area of the former museum “Rekishi-Kenbunkan Museum,” offering visitors a hands-on experience to play the role of feudal-era secret agent “Fuma ninja.” Fuma ninja is said to have served the five successive lords of the Odawara Hojo clan known as “Hojo Godai” during the warring states period in the 15th to 16th centuries.

Odawara Castle NINJA Museum Overview

Through an experience-based exhibition utilizing visual displays and digital technologies, this new facility can be enjoyed by a variety of visitors from children to foreign tourists.

In the entrance, you will learn about the history of Odawara Castle and will grasp the mind-set of Fuma ninja through wall illustrations and tool displays.

In the first zone called Warring States Theater, while learning the history and achievement of the Hojo Godai through a 3-minute movie, you will be handed a mission to save Odawara Castle from the warlord Toyotomi using ninjutsu (ninja skills).

In the second zone Ninjutsu Experience, you will enjoy a number of attractions including how to quickly walk across lotus leaves on an artificial pond, then sneak into a “karakuri yashiki” (ninja trick house) with secret doors, stairs, swords, walking as quietly as possible through the corridors. In the “hiding tactic” attraction, you will enjoy the method to hide yourself so that enemies are unaware of your presence with “konoha-gakure (hiding behind tree leaves),” “kusaba-gakure (hiding behind grass),” and “uzura-gakure (quail hide).”

In the final zone Fighting, you will fight enemy ninjas appearing on a screen and prove your skills from what you have learned in the previous zones by using on-screen shuriken (throwing stars).

Odawara Castle NINJA Museum

・Open Date: April 20th, 2019
・Business Hour: 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m (Admission until 4:30 p.m). Closed on December 31st, January 1st.
・Address: 3-71, Odawara Castle Park, Odawara-City, Kanagawa, Japan
・Access: 10-minute walk from Odawara Station East Exit

Odawara City is in southwest Kanagawa Prefecture, a short train trip from Tokyo. It is best known for the beautiful Odawara Castle, where the Hojo family, rulers of the Kanto region during the Sengoku Period (the warring states period) resided. Odawara is a compact seaside city with a rich history, many cultural sites, and delicious foods to experience. Odawara is also a transportation hub for the area, where major railways such as the JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line, the Odakyu Line, and Hakone Tozan Line all meet. It is also the gateway to the Hakone hot springs resort area, and the Fuji-Hakone National Park.

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The next big thing in global tourism

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Enchanting tourist attractions, unique diplomatic stature and a thriving airliner have placed Ethiopia, Land of Origins, on top of the world when it comes to tourism growth.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review, the country saw the highest tourism growth in the world (48.6%), surpassing the global average growth rate of 3.9% and the African average of 5.6%. During the period, the sector supported 2.2 million jobs and contributed US$7.4 billion to Ethiopia’s economy, an increase of US$2.2bn on 2017.

The timeless charm of Ethiopia’s natural, cultural and historical tourist attractions has been driving an influx of tourists from far and wide. As the land where mankind, coffee and the Blue Nile trace their roots, Ethiopia has always been a fascinating destination for holidaymakers.

The country’s UNESCO-registered heritages including the majestic obelisks of Axum, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the fortified historic town of Harar, among others, have always remained tourist magnets, drawing visitors in droves. And add to this the magnificent scenery and the unique wildlife riches, some of which are found in the country only.

As the Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing & Exhibitions (MICE) tourism blossoms around the world, Ethiopia is also uniquely positioned to reap the benefits, owing to its unique place in Africa’s diplomatic landscape. Ethiopia today the city stands among the top capitals in the world, hosting major regional and global conferences.

As the main hub of the Pan-African carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia also enjoys convenient air connectivity with multiple destinations in Africa and the rest of the world, making travel to the country easier than ever before. The connectivity options the airline offers to travelers has made Ethiopia ever more accessible to the whole world, and has facilitated the influx of tourists.

The airline’s catalyst role has never been more impactful, especially in promoting tourism, as alluded to by Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council concerning the exceptional growth of Ethiopia’s tourism. “Ethiopia’s Travel & Tourism boom was one of the great success stories of 2018. It has exceeded our sector’s global and regional comparisons to record the highest level of growth of any country in 2018”, Gloria Guevara notes. “This has been driven by the very strong performance of aviation in the country and the development of Addis Ababa as a dynamic and growing regional hub.” Africa’s largest carrier today spreads its wings to 120 destinations throughout the world, with half the destinations in Africa. Thanks to Addis Ababa’s strategic location at the center of the East-West lane and the ever-expanding service of Ethiopian Airlines, the city has emerged as the major gateway into Africa surpassing Dubai.

Besides its wide connectivity and multi-award winning signature services, the flag carrier’s cutting –edge technologies are adding a definite wow factor that is enabling the influx of tourists savor the beauty of the nation and designate the east Africa’s nation as a home away from home! Ethiopian Mobile App enables international travelers secure eVisa within 4 hours and elevates travelers to a high degree of personalization and end to end travel experience through mobile devices.

Global passengers can apply e-Visa and book their flights, pay online using credit or debit cards, mobile money, e- Wallet and bank transfer. They can also check-in and issue boarding pass as well as self-board. Passport and Ethiopian App suffice all the way to experience seamless travel to and from Ethiopia. The excellence of Ethiopian is also manifest in its hospitality and award winning service. The carrier has been certified by SKYTRAX as Four Star Global Airline.

As Ethiopia keeps leveraging its edge as a destination of choice for holidaymakers, and as Addis Ababa continues to augment its place as the diplomatic capital of Africa and the flourishing hub of Ethiopian Airlines, the sky will be the limit to its tourism growth in the years to come.

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Wings Travel Management Appoints Chief Operating Officer: Asia Pacific based in Singapore

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Wings Travel Management , a leading global travel management company providing business travel services to clients in the finance, construction, security, energy and marine sectors, has appointed Sonja Hamman to the newly-created role of Chief Operating Officer – Asia Pacific, based at the company’s office in Singapore. The move reflects the importance of the region and its potential for growth, since Wings established an operation in Singapore in early 2018 after acquiring Olympia Travels & Tours.

Sonja Hamman first joined Wings in 2001, and her impressive 18-year career with the global travel management company has spanned diverse operational, senior management and project-led roles in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Nigeria and Angola.

Most recently, she has held the London-based position of Director of Global Strategic Partners & Yield Management during which time she has been instrumental in expanding Wings global supplier relations portfolio, focussing on supplier negotiations, NDC solutions and content..

Prior to this role, Hamman was Director of Global Projects, managing major initiatives such as the launching the Wings’ wholly-owned operation in Lagos, Nigeria; the acquisition and integration of Michelle’s Travel in South Africa; and establishment of Wings’ IATA and ticketing functionality in Angola – a non BSP region.

Her robust understanding and experience of Wings’ business has also been honed by setting up the company’s UK operation in 2002 in the role of Director – Operations – UK & Europe. This was Wings’ first office outside South Africa, where the company was founded in 1992. Hamman grew the UK business from the ground up, to a total of three offices. From here she moved to become Director – Oil & Gas Division with the remit to grow and expand Wings’ global energy business. While in this role, she also worked closely with the company’s Learning and Development team to establish the Energy Academy™, a unique in-house educational programme giving Wings’ travel consultants an in-depth understanding of how the oil and gas sector operates, in order to service their clients more insightfully.

“I am delighted that Sonja has taken up this strategic role – her extensive experience in opening and operating new regions coupled with her Wings DNA, places her as the perfect candidate to consolidate our operations in Singapore, and build a platform to grow our business in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Tony Sofianos, CEO, Wings Travel Management

“Wings is strategically and uniquely positioned to service existing global customers, but also capitalise on the growth opportunities across the corporate, energy and marine sectors thanks to our unique value proposition and wholly owned global operations” added Sofianos

Sonja Hamman stated: “I am very pleased to be joining Wings’ Asia-Pacific region as it’s such an exciting market with many opportunities. As well as ensuring the Wings brand becomes a recognised market leader in Singapore, I also look forward to driving the development and execution of our growth strategy for Asia-Pacific.”

About Wings Travel Management:

Wings is an award-winning global travel management company which has carved a niche in the market as a trusted travel provider for clients in the finance, construction, security, energy and marine sectors where travel is an integral part of their business model. Founded in 1992, Wings’ global reach spans North America, South America, UK/Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, where the company has wholly owned and managed regional offices. Wings Travel Management employs over 400 people around the world and has a global turnover of around US$325M. Wings is known for its unique expertise in navigating complex and challenging business travel, as well as generating cost savings without compromising on traveller safety. The company’s advanced, customizable technology solutions are all seamlessly accessible over a standardized global platform. www.wings.travel

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Brexit uncertainty, but LHR is doing well

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Despite Brexit uncertainty, Heathrow remains a bright light for the UK, with the role we play in keeping people and products moving evident. Our new domestic connections will be pivotal in linking more regions and nations to global opportunities, benefiting all corners of this great country and we look forward to announcing many more of these as part of the expansion programme,”  Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said

  • Heathrow’s passenger numbers continued to climb in March, with over 6.5 million passengers travelling through the UK’s only hub airport, ringing in the 29th consecutive month of record growth for the airport. Notable spikes in the previous month were St Patricks and Mother’s Day, attitudes towards travel remain strong despite ongoing uncertainty around Brexit’.
  • Africa performed especially well over the past month, increasing by 6.2% compared to the same time last year. Domestic connections also saw a slight uplift (+0.2%) with British Airways launching its 2nd service to Inverness and Flybe growing their loads by more than a fifth (23%) with an inaugural flight to Cornwall on March 31.
  • More than 149,000 metric tonnes of cargo travelled through the UK’s biggest port by value, further demonstrating the importance of Heathrow in a post Brexit world.
  • Both Latin America and Africa saw remarkable double digit growth with the former up 23% on 2018 due to additional services to Brazil and increased volumes to Mexico. Freight to and from Africa grew by 11%, thanks to Virgin’s growth on routes to the continent.
  • Two of Heathrow’s Terminals made it into the top five globally, with Terminal 5 taking top spot. In addition, Heathrow was voted amongst the world’s top 10 airports overall and won “Best airport in Western Europe” and “World’s Best Airport Shopping”.
  • In March, Heathrow launched the airport’s new Innovation Prize to fund ideas and solutions addressing aviation environmental impact. The prize is sponsored by Heathrow’s new Centre of Excellence for Sustainability, which connects experts and offers Heathrow as a living laboratory to test and develop ideas that encourage sustainable aviation.
  • The expansion project reached another significant milestone, as the names and locations of the 18 shortlisted sites in the running to become offsite construction centres for Britain’s new runway were revealed. Shortlisted sites will now pitch to airport bosses for their chance to become one of the final four construction centres, to be announced early next year.
  • Heathrow announced the launch of their 10th domestic route. The route is operated by Flybe and links the hub airport to Cornwall in Newquay for the first time since 1997.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:

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Spain-Holiday.com has new owners

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The Spanish holiday rental platform, Spain-Holiday.com, has new owners from the 1st of April. The company’s founder and sole owner until the end of March, Claus Sorensen, will be sharing ownership in equal conditions with Jan Dal Lehrmann, Kenneth Andersen and Jannich Friis Petersen.

  • Jan Dal Lehrmann, Kenneth Andersen and Jannich Friis Petersen have become the new co-owners of the holiday rental platform together with Claus Sorensen, founder and former sole owner, owning 25% shares each.
  • This ownership change will strengthen the activity of Spain-Holiday.com in the Spanish holiday rental industry thanks to the input and knowledge provided by the new co-owners: experience in digital businesses, unique know-how and strategic vision.

For Claus Sorensen this is a step “that will strengthen Spain-Holiday.com’s ability to set a strategy for strong performance in the coming years. With the incorporation of Jan, Kenneth and Jannich to the company we will be able to strengthen our brand value and attribution in Spain and we’ll have the opportunity to develop a more ambitious expansion plan”.

Each one of the new owners provides an important professional value to the management of the company and share the same objective of achieving the long term goals planned for Spain-Holiday.com. The four of them add up many years of experience in managing online businesses in Europe, the knowledge of developing niche and new markets and the development of B2B-B2C strategies.

The new owners of Spain-Holiday.com

Jannich Friis Petersen is 45 years old and is the current CEO for Spain-Holiday.com and with this acquisition, he states that “I have defined even more my commitment and dedication to this company that now has even more potential to offer the best holiday homes in Spain for European travellers. We’ll live exciting years in the holiday rental industry and Spain-Holiday.com will make a landmark”.

Jan Dal Lehrmann is 50 years old and has, after successful exits of Bilbasen (Co-founder) and Benjamin Media (Investor and CEO) devoted the past 8 years of his life to investing in startups, helping them with everything from common sense, strategy, scaling and internationalization via an active non-executive role. Previous investments and exits include Bilbasen, Autobutler, Bazoom and Benjamin Media. For Jan, “the potential of Spain-Holiday.com attracted me since the first time I spoke to Claus and I am sure that we will take the company to the next level”.

Kenneth Andersen is 47 years old and founder and owner of several online businesses, having a portfolio of more than 50 websites. Former Head of motors in eBay Classifieds Northern Europe and CEO of Bilbasen.dk, the leading motors vertical in Denmark. Has been working with building digital business since 1999, both as CEO and investor. Has been a member of the board in Spain-Holiday.com since 2017.

Claus Sorensen is the founder of Spain-Holiday.com and, until the end of March, its sole owner. Currently, he owns 25% of the company and since 2018 he has been developing other new projects in Denmark and Spain.

This change will not affect the normal activity of Spain-Holiday.com, which has its headquarters in Malaga (Spain) since 2002 and has 35 employees. Now, the four owners of Spain-Holiday.com will focus on providing the platform user with a unique experience when renting out or booking a holiday home in Spain, consolidating its activity in the tourism industry and setting up future expansion plans.

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Date set for the opening of the Vatican secret archives

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On March 2, 2020, Pope Francis will open the secret archives of the pontificate of Pius XII on the Second World War.

The announcement during the audience to the staff of the Vatican secret archives was, “The Church is not afraid of history, indeed it loves it.” And on the reading of the Pontificate, he said: “In the criticisms against Pius XII prejudices and exaggerations.”

Pope Bergoglio’s Tweet from March 4, 2019 said, “I decided that the opening of the Vatican Archives for the Pontificate of Pius XII will take place on March 2, 2020, exactly one year after the eightieth anniversary of Eugene Pacelli’s election to the Soglio di Pietro.”

Thus the Pope in the audience with his superiors, as well as the employees and collaborators of the Vatican Secret Archives, whose “constant and not slight commitment,” said Francesco, “allows me today, in memory of that significant anniversary, to announce my decision  to open to the consultation of researchers the archival documentation pertaining to the Pontificate of Pius XII, until his death, which took place at Castel Gandolfo on 9 October 1958.

Regarding the Pope’s decision, “I assume this decision,” the Pontiff explained, “having heard the opinion of my closest collaborators, with a serene and confident spirit, confident that the serious and objective historical research will be able to evaluate in its right light, with appropriate criticism, moments of exaltation of that Pontiff and, undoubtedly also moments of grave difficulties, of tormented decisions, of human and Christian prudence, which to some may have seemed reticence, and which instead were attempts, humanly even much fought, to keep on, in the periods of more thick darkness and cruelty, the flame of humanitarian initiatives, of hidden but active diplomacy, of hope in possible good hearts’ openings.

“The Church is not afraid of history, on the contrary, she loves it.”

In explaining his decision, the Pope recalled that “the Church is not afraid of history; indeed, loves it and would like to love it more and better, as God loves it! So, with the same confidence as my predecessors, I open and entrust this documentary heritage to researchers.”

“While I thank you again for the work accomplished,” he added to the staff of the Vatican Secret Archives, “I wish you to continue the commitment to assist researchers – scientific and material assistance – and also in the publication of Pacellian sources that will be deemed important, as you have already been doing for some years.”

The Union of Italian Jewish Communities (UCEI) is good to reconstruct the role of the Church during the Holocaust, stating, “We welcome with great appreciation the decision of Pope Bergoglio to open the secret archive related to the figure of Pius XII. It is positive that we want to make this opening, because it will give way to all those that deal with research to access material of unpublished interest to be able to reconstruct with even more clarity the position of the Church also in the period of the Shoah.”

This was underlined by the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Noemi Di Segni, and also the president of the Jewish community of Rome, Ruth Dureghello, who commented on the news: “The hope now is that we can clarify the role played by Pius XII during the Second World War.”

“Unfortunately we will have to wait for 2020, in a year and a half,” he underlined. “Better late than never. It is positive news from which we hope to obtain clarity on that historical period and on the role played by the Pope.”

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Benchmark names Angel Quiles Director of Facilities, The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark

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Benchmark hospitality company has named Angel Quiles, CEOE, director of facilities for The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark. The Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property is located in Monticello, New York, within the breathtakingly beautiful Catskill Mountains, and includes 1,600 wooded acres, the site of the Resorts World Catskills entertainment complex. David Kohlasch, general manager, made the announcement.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Angel to The Kartrite,” said Mr. Kohlasch. “He comes to us with a vast background in facilities management, having worked at leading brand properties. I am very pleased to have him as part of our leadership team.”

Angel Quiles most recently served as director of engineering for the Great Wolf Lodge of Scotrun. Pennsylvania. Previous to this he was the senior director of engineering at the Grand Hyatt New York, where he began in the role of director of engineering. Earlier in his career, Angel Quiles held engineering positions for properties within the Hyatt Regency, Park Hyatt, Crowne Plaza and Marriott brands.

Mr. Quiles is a graduate of the Technical Career Institute in New York, and of the American Hotel & Lodging Association where he earned his Certified Engineering Operations Executive designation. He resides in the Pocono Mountains in Eastern Pennsylvania.

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Malaysian airline Firefly signs agreement with Sabre

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Sabre Corporation today announced a new content distribution agreement with Firefly, a leading regional carrier in Southeast Asia, and a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines. As average tourism growth in Southeast Asia continues to exceed international averages, Firefly will take advantage of Sabre’s extensive global travel marketplace to enhance their presence throughout the region.

“Firefly plays an instrumental role in introducing travelers to the wonders of Southeast Asia. Joining Sabre’s leading Global Distribution System (GDS) will enable us to reach our growth objectives, and to improve our distribution metrics, beyond the markets where we’ve been operating in recent years,” said Philip See, CEO, Firefly.

Based out of the Penang and Subang hubs in Malaysia, Firefly provides connections to various points within Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Under this agreement, Firefly will further strengthen its alignment with the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) agenda, a cooperation initiative to accelerate economic and social transformation across the three countries. The increased presence that Firefly will enjoy by joining the Sabre GDS will certainly deliver benefits to international travelers and travel agents alike.

“Sabre is pleased to develop a strategic alliance with Firefly, who have selected us as their first GDS. By connecting the airline to our rich global travel marketplace, reaching over 425,000 Sabre-connected agents around the world, this new agreement will directly contribute to expanding the airline’s presence across the region and the globe,” said Rakesh Narayanan, vice president, regional general manager, South Asia and Pacific, Travel Solutions Airline Sales.

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United Airlines Chief Digital Officer named one of 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology

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Today, United Airlines Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, Linda Jojo, was recognized by the National Diversity Council as one of the 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology. This prestigious list recognizes women who are shaping the future of technology with their insight and leadership. Jojo is the only airline executive to receive this award.

Since joining United in 2014, Jojo has played a critical role in differentiating the company’s operations and customer experience by using innovative data analytics, digital products and e-commerce. Under her leadership, United has issued over 60,000 mobile devices to its pilots, flight attendants, gate agents and technicians to increase mobility and arm employees with real-time data in order to provide more personal and caring service to its customers while improving the airline’s operation. Her team has also recently redesigned united.com and released a new, upgraded mobile app to provide intuitive assistance along every step of their journey. These enhancements have maintained United’s status as the number one downloaded app in the industry and delivered accelerative revenue growth through digital channels.

“The entire United family is incredibly proud of Linda for being recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology,” said United’s Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Munoz. “This award is a true testament to her outstanding leadership abilities and the impact she is making not only at United, but across the corporate landscape. She has accomplished a lot in her time at United, and I look forward to all she and her team will do in the future as our airline continues to grow and excel.”

Jojo was selected for the 2019 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology Award based on the following criteria:

• Top leader in her organization and profession
• Directly contributes to business growth or strategic direction of the organization
• Effective role model who inspires other women and is active in mentoring
• Operates with the highest integrity and ethical behavior
• Demonstrates a commitment to corporate citizenship

In addition to her work at United, Jojo is passionate about preparing young people for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). She is vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, an organization with a mission to connect young people to STEM fields through exploration of space and the stars. She is also a member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute board of trustees. Jojo holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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Benchmark appoints new Regional Director of Revenue Management

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Benchmark has appointed Michael Botha regional director of revenue management. Eric Gavin, Benchmark’s chief sales officer, made the announcement.

“I am very pleased to welcome Michael to Benchmark,” said Mr. Gavin. “He comes to us with an impressive revenue management pedigree, and vast experience with maximizing revenues of independent hotels and resorts. Michael is a terrific addition to our revenue leadership team.”

Michael Botha previously held the position of regional director of revenue management for Pyramid Hotel Group of Boston, Massachusetts. He has served as area director of revenue management for Nobel House Hotels & Resorts, and earlier in the same role for Dolce Hotels and Resorts.

Mr. Botha is a graduate of the University of Johannesburg Hotel School where he earned his National Diploma in Hospitality Management. He is the recipient of numerous professional honors including the Kyalami Castle Award for Best Experiential Learner; Southern Sun Award for Best Overall Experiential Learner; and Distinctions in Hospitality Management, Law, Financial Management, Operations, Food & Beverage. He resides in Cumberland, Rhode Island, where he will be operating out of a regional office.

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