Testimonials
“I found Susan to have a deep knowledge and understanding of all elements of the travel industry. She is practical and communicates very well. She can be a very influential advisor to a corporate team.” November 4, 2009
Keith Voigts, Chief Financial Officer, iSeatz www.iseatz.com
“I had the pleasure of working with Susan for over a year and appreciated the knowledge, passion, and creativity she brought to the table! Susan is well-connected within the industry and has the respect of her peers. While she relies on her vast experience, she is informed and proactive in current practices and trends and always considers “what’s next” for her clients. She is open and honest and was a delight to work with throughout this project.” September 4, 2009
Eric Orwell, Manager, Fuelperks! Travel, Giant Eagle, Inc. www.gianteagle.com
“Susan Black has been moderating EyeforTravel events for about 3 years now and with her experience and industry contacts, I cannot think of a better person for the job. The delegates always give me excellent feedback. Her depth of knowledge from a travel standpoint means she fills gaps with valuable information, facilitates questions and effectively puts presenters on the spot. As well as chairing senior-level travel conferences Susan has also been an inspiration to me and continues to offer me crucial advice on the travel and conference business.” July 21, 2009
Helen Raff, VP North America, EyeforTravel Conferences www.eyefortravel.com
“There’s no doubt: when it comes to the travel biz, Susan knows her stuff. Her rolodex is a national treasure, and with her bright, easy and reassuring manner, Susan is a delight to work with. Go ahead; hire her.” July 14, 2009
Robert Kost, CEO, Portaga www.portaga.com
“Susan is one of the most knowledgeable and talented individuals within the travel industry. She is also one of the most well-connected. She is a skilled strategist, an expert marketer and a thought leader on emerging trends and leveraging new media. Her unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience, coupled with tireless energy and a drive to succeed, make Susan a huge asset to any organization.” April 14, 2009
John Walsh, Sr. Vice President, Goby www.goby.com
“”Connected” = Susan Black! I’ve known Susan for more than a decade, and never seen a moment when someone said “We need to find a speaker on (topic)” or “I want to reach someone at (company)” without Susan having an appropriate contact in her BlackBerry. If only we could Google her brain…!” April 13, 2009
Peggy Bendel, Senior Vice President, Development Counsellors International, www.theleaderinmarketingplaces.com
“I have known Susan for several decades. I have always been impressed with her leadership abilities as well as her knowledge of, and contacts within, the travel industry…particularly, when it comes to group travel. She is smart and gets things done. She is also great to work with- a real team player.” April 13, 2009
Peter Warren, Chairman, CEO, WKP Spier LLC http://www.wkpadv.com
“Susan is one of the most talented marketing executives I’ve ever met. She has an excellent understanding of customers’ behavior and how to take advantage of the technology they use. I admire her ability to find revenue in places, where most people would not even think to look.” April 13, 2009
Pawel Mastalerz, President, Blue T Group
“Susan is so knowledgeable and gets results in any project she takes on.” April 13, 2009
Bob Whitley, Executive Director, United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) www.ustoa.com
“Susan came in and worked with our team to help us sort through/shake out some strategic opportunities. She did a great job pulling all of the pieces together and providing us with some valuable feedback based on her detailed understanding of the internet travel landscape.” April 13, 2009
Eric Goldreyer, CEO, BedandBreakfast.com www.bedandbreakfast.com
“I’ve known Susan for many years and she is one of the few people in the industry who always stays a step ahead of the trends, as evidenced by her co-founding of Travelcom 10 years ago. She is a consummate marketer, and is one of the hardest working people I know, always going the extra mile for her clients and her colleagues. Susan “gets it” and is an asset to any company that she works for or with.” April 12, 2009
Flo Lugli, EVP Marketing, Wyndham Worldwide, www.wyndhamworldwide.com
“Working with Susan has been great. Not only is she a widely recognized expert in her field, she seems to know everyone and can open doors all over the industry! To top it off, she’s fun too!” April 11, 2009
Rob OConnor, Co-Founder, CIO, Travelscream www.travelscream.com
“Susan is one of the best minds that I’ve met in the online travel space. She has a remarkable understanding of the ethos of both of those businesses and is therefore able to help companies build/revise their online business models to be more successful.” April 11, 2009
Laurence Cohen, Owner, Northeast Media www.northeast-media.com
“I would very much recommend to anyone in the Travel Industry that when you need someone to help you define your market, analyze your opportunities, and introduce you to right people; Susan Black is the one. Her reputation is impeccable, she does a deep dive into your offerings and she knows everyone. If she believes in what you are doing, then she will be your biggest advocate and fan.” April 11, 2009
Tom Griffin, Co-Founder, CEO, Travelscream, www.travelscream.com
“Susan is one of the most thoughtful and connected people in the travel industry I know. She is one of the few people with grounding in traditional travel that “gets it” about where travel is moving in the age of digital lives and social media.” April 10, 2009
Jeff Glueck, Former CMO, Travelocity.com www.travelocity.com
“Susan is that rare character that you feel you have known your whole life. She is savvy, articulate and has a knack for revenue and messaging that makes most McKinsey consultants jealous, yet she is as personable and caring as a familial relation. I have collaborated with Susan on several projects and have always found her to be prepared and ready for business. She is focused on creating opportunities and enabling the right people and business plan to emerge and flourish. I trust and believe in Susan and her abilities without question. Susan is a true professional and now a friend.” April 10, 2009
David Chestler, Sr. Vice President, Birch Street Systems www.birchstreet.net
“Susan is a clear thought leader in the travel industry. She has an amazing grasp of travel distribution and how new media and marketing tools can be used to optimize channels and ultimately drive success. I would not hesitate to recommend Susan for any company looking to break into the travel vertical or improve their competitive position.”April 10, 2009
Brad King, Managing Director, BlueKai Channels, www.bluekai.com
“I have know Susan for well over 10 years and been consistently amazed at the level of knowledge she contains about not just the travel industry, it’s business models and the travel consumer, but also the level of knowledge she has for who is in the industry and what motivates them AND travel marketing prowess. An engagement with her will bring you up to speed extraordinarily quickly and help you go further with our business.” April 10, 2009
Monique Elwell, Partner, Conversify, www.conversify.com
“In a world full of posers, Susan is the real deal. Smart, savvy, informed, well-connected, sincere and funny. I’ve had the good fortune of knowing and working with her for over 20 years and would recommend her to anyone looking for a wise and intelligent view of where the travel marketplace is and where it’s headed.” April 10, 2009
Gary Leopold, CEO, ISM www.ismboston.com
“Having worked with Susan on more than one project, and having known her for several years, I am in a position to absolutely recommend her to any and all organizations needing her skills. She has a fantastic and hard to find combination of deep industry knowledge, high integrity and creativity that makes her an ideal candidate to help unlock value in any organization.” April 10, 2009
Jeff Wasson, CEO, Gusto.com, www.gusto.com
“Intelligent, intensive, hard-working and very well connected. Susan understands your business challenges and value. She is able to define realistic goals and help you get there. She is in for the long term.” January 27, 2009
Elliot Cohen, Founder and CEO, TripCart, www.tripcart.com
“Susan is a great asset to any company looking to find out what the latest trends are and how they should appropriately respond. She has her pulse on many aspects of the travel industry and her insight is invaluable!”September 17, 2008
Christine Iuliano-Alestra, Director, Partnership Marketing, Collette Vacations www.collettevacations.com
“Susan has provided valuable insight into our business and her results have exceeded our expectations. She forced us to look at Fodor’s and fodors.com in a different and creative way.” September 16, 2008
Tim Jarrell, Publisher, Fodor’s Travel at Random House, www.fodors.com
“Susan Black is one of those rare individuals you only meet once in your lifetime if you are lucky. She is dynamic, knowledgeable, on target with her marketing skills, just brilliant. A dedicated and conscientious marketer that gives you 110%. I am always in awe of Susan, and do know that she is the best at what she does.” September 15, 2008
Jacqueline Johnson, President, CaribbeanWeddingAssociation.com/MarryCaribbean.com www.marrycaribbean.com
“Susan is the most highly energized person I have ever worked with! She is creative and intuitive and has a FANTASTIC rolodex! Anyone working with Susan will see she is a whirlwind of ideas!” May 8, 2008
Dawn Jeffrey, GM, JD Events www.jdevents.com
“Susan is a very knowledgeable marketer and incredibly hard working. I’ve worked with her on association boards, conferences, and as her supplier, when she was in a senior Marketing role at a tour company. I was consistently impressed with the quality of her thinking, her creative product and her breadth of knowledge.” May 8, 2008
Frank Camacho, SVP – Marketing, Hertz Corporation, www.hertz.com
“Susan is a dynamo. She is personable, engaging, and a very sharp marketing professional, once of the best I know. Susan is a terrific speaker and moderator for panels, but she’s best at brainstorming ideas and looking for innovative ways to reach the customer. Susan also gives generously of her time and expertise to help ATME, the professional travel marketing organization. Susan is an asset to any organization.” September 27, 2007
Joel Chusid, General Manager, North America, Hainan Airlines Company Limited www.global.hnair.com
“Susan couldn’t be more connected or more blunt. She knows everyone and tells it like it is. Her success is based on a unique combination of professional skills and personal attributes that make you want to be with her, work with her, all the time. Her insights are on the mark, her ideas are out of this world and her execution and commitment are on the money. We have worked on mountains of projects together and continue to collaborate and cohort. I have her on speed dial.” September 12, 2007
Pamela Johnston, CMO, @aquila, www.ataquila.com
“When you need to stand out from the crowd, when you need innovative marketing, when you need results from your marketing spend call Susan. Susan understands the market, your competitive set, will listen to your needs and create a marketing strategy for you that generate success, grows your business and gives you a lead on the competition. I have known Susan for a number of years now as an industry contact and have also had the privilege of working with her. Susan is a “must have”. He who hesitates comes in second, don’t wait – you need Susan now.”August 21, 2007
Danny Hudson, Director, Travel and Hospitality, Keane www.keane.com
“I can absorb more business and marketing savvy from Susan in a five minute conversation that anyone I know. As an advisor to the travel industry publication (TDR) I manage, Susan brings industry perspective and unbridled creativity to the team. She’s a fearless force, able to brainstorm a handful of lucrative opportunities, sketch realistic future scenarios, outline proposal ideas, and suggest key partnerships — all in a single bound.” July 24, 2007
Kimberly Gilbert, Managing Editor, Eli Research www.travelresearchbureau.com
“Susan Black is among the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the travel industry today. Not only does she understand the whole dynamic of marketing in an incredibly complex and competitive environment, she has the uncanny ability to know what works, and what doesn’t without missing a beat. Your business will be better for working with Susan Black.” July 18, 2007
Susan Lindner, President & Founder, Lotus Public Relations Inc www.lotus-pr.com
“Susan is extremely creative and an “out of the box” thinker. She has done consulting projects for me in two organizations, and the results were excellent. She delivers on time, on budget.” July 17, 2007
Peggy Lee Vice President Expert Travel Services www.expertflyer.com
“One the best and the brightest in the travel industry. Deep understanding of everything from online marketing to distribution channel partnerships to high level strategic planning. Simply a joy to work with.” February 7, 2007
Jonathan Spitz, Vice President, Travelscream www.travelscream.com
“Susan is the consummate professional and always adds value to her clients’ efforts. She translates key industry trends into solid enterprise strategies. Susan is viewed as an industry leader and collaborates effectively with investors, company executives, and a variety of industry resources.” May 4, 2009
Jerry R. Myers, Managing Director, Chimney Rock Capital Partners, LLC www.chimneyrockpartners.com
“I wholeheartedly endorse Susan. Not only is Susan personable, articulate, and curious, she is one of the most knowledgeable professionals in the travel space, from financing to supply chain to branding to advertising — Susan has a grasp on it all and quickly becomes an indispensable part of her clients’ strategy.” April 14, 2009
Mark Schroeder, Cofounder and CEO, Home & Abroad www.homeandabroad.com
“Susan draws from a gifted blend of intuitive gifts and practical wisdom from hands-on experience to improve clients’ marketing execution excellence and business performance. Susan’s long-term, win-win approach to engagements is a refreshing consulting model.” April 10, 2009
Barry Kaplan, Owner, Group IST, www.groupist.com
“Susan is an industry expert that can really help your business to focus on the things that will bring success! She is an asset to anyone’s team and is a trusted advisor that will bring great results.” April 10, 2009
Mike Hulley, President and CEO at Navtech Inc. www.navtech.com
“Susan was hired as a marketing consultant for one of Giant Eagle’s new business ideas, and initially was only retained for a 2-day work session. Now, after almost a year of her assistance, she has significantly affected the strategic vision of fuelperks! Travel, and is a primary reason for the advances made to date. Her expertise, creativity and problem-solving are second to none. She is able to not only leverage her past experience and contacts, but more importantly, she quickly understands the unique needs of her clients, and adapts the knowledge shared and advice to meet those needs. She has been the most valuable consultant I have had the pleasure of working with in my career.” November 12, 2008
Christopher Marshall, Director, fuelperks! Travel (Giant Eagle) www.gianteagle.com
“Susan is one who has set standards for the leisure travel industry. She understands the vast relationships that drive this business and has a very strong understanding of the marketing process and the underlying tools and technology.” March 25, 2008
Brian Robb, SVP Corporate Development, the Mark Travel Corporation (Related companies include Trisept Solutions, Mark Net World, Funjet) www.marktravel.com
“Susan is a true expert in her field. She has skills in the area of Travel Supply Chain which are unparalleled. I would recommend Susan as a part of a team or a sole contributor.” March 9, 2008
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, Managing Partner, T2Impact Ltd www.t2impact.com
“Susan Black has extensive knowledge in both the travel and publishing industries. Her network of contacts are invaluable in assisting companies in their pursuit of business development and product planning. Susan continues to be a great resource, and we look forward to working with her on future projects.” March 2, 2008
David Loy, CEO, Founder, Epitourean www.epitourean.com
“Susan is a Travel Industry visionary. She is highly respected for her management style, can do attitude and adoption of leading edge technology. She has most recently become a social media rock star as an example of her leadership.” September 16, 2009
Susan Kidwell, Vice President, Amadeus, www.amadeus.com
“Susan is an outstanding marketing leader; one who has the ability to identify the need, set the strategy, and execute on plans that produce results. She is a dynamo of creativity, and a true pleasure to know and work with. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Susan again at any time.” April 22, 2009
Steve Matise, Director, Travelport www.travelport.com
“If you are looking for results and a creative thinker, Susan is the best. A team player, always enthusiastic and solution driven. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Susan and I would again in a heart beat!” April 17, 2009
Laurie Palumbo, Chief Operating Officer, Island Destinations www.islanddestinations.com
“I have worked with Susan both as her role as a consultant and when she was with Liberty Travel/ GOGO WWV. Susan is a knowledgeable professional who works hard to reach her customer’s expectations even when it is out of her control. Susan is creative, talented and very experienced in the travel industry and Ecommerce, specifically. It is a joy to know Susan and to have worked with her. I hope to have the pleasure of working with Susan again!”November 25, 2007
Anne Marie Powell Moebes Executive Vice President at Acclaim Meetings, www.acclaimmeetings.com
“Susan is a true maven of the travel industry. She has worked in many different facets of the industry and is widely known and highly respected as a result. But Susan doesn’t confine herself to travel–she is a voracious reader and follower of trends, and this natural curiosity combined with her extensive experience give Susan an innate ability to think outside the box. Susan is a master at creating comprehensive strategic plans that leverage partnerships and fresh ideas to deliver results for her clients and employers. She is also a lot of fun to work with–a meeting with Susan in the room is never dull or unproductive.” May 21, 2007
Dwight Sholes, Principal/Co-Founder, Quotient Marketing www.fishbowl.com
“I have had the privilege of working with Susan Black in more than one scenario. In each situation I found her to be a leader, insightful, and most importantly a visionary. She is someone who isn’t afraid to take risks. Susan always holds herself accountable for successful results.” September 17, 2007
Christine Brosnahan, VP Distribution and Reservation Services, Carlson Hotels www.carlsonhotels.com
“I worked with Susan as a member of the advisory board for the original TravelCom conference. Rarely have I seen someone with such passion for the travel industry — backed by a solid mastery of the industry and specifically marketing. She was a driving force in the success of the conference including the launch of the highly regarded Executive Women’s Forum.” September 13, 2007
Jeff DeKorte, Former Vice President/GM Travel, America Online, Inc. www.travel.aol.com
“The success of eTravelWorld was largely due to Susan’s efforts. First of all, she knows everyone who’s anyone. More importantly, though, she was able to turn those relationships into value for all parties — for the participants, for attendees and for the company. Lastly, she is an absolute delight to work with, exhibiting a can-do attitude and positive disposition.” July 16, 2007
Jonathan Yarmis, Research Fellow at Ovum/Datamonitor, www.ovumkc.com
“I have the utmost respect and admiration for Susan both as a marketing/biz dev guru in the travel and conference industries and as a colleague. It is rare to work with someone who is so dynamic and achievement-oriented, yet is also down to earth and wonderful to be around. She is top-notch and one of my favorite people!” July 19, 2007
Richard Pulliam, Director, Mashery www.mashery.com
“Susan Black is not only a consummate professional but she is extremely knowledgeable, energetic, driven to succeed. And, she is a pleasure to work with. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Susan in many various capacities over the past 14 years. I always look forward to her innovative ideas and enthusiasm.” December 31, 2007
Cyndi Zesk VP Sales and Marketing at American Canadian Caribbean Line, www.accl-smallships.com
“Susan and I had worked together on industry projects in the past, when I was with Michelin Publications. When I moved to AAA, I asked her to develop a strategic presentation to increase market penetration while increasing efficiency. In Spring, 2002, she did just that, and some of the ideas she developed helped change the sales culture for the better.” July 17, 2007
John Coerper, Manager, Retail Programs, AAA Publishing www.aaapublishingnetwork.com
“Susan is an extremely energetic member of the travel and tourism community. She embraces new ideas and new directions with enthusiasm, and is generally one of the most effective people to know in the travel business.” July 17, 2007
Christopher Schutte, Former Vice President, PhoCusWright Inc. www.phocuswright.com
“Susan provided innovative solutions to us to better market Switzerland to the travel industry through using her products. They were the first to use the web complementary to print solutions to reach and communicate with our key target audience.” July 16, 2007
Joe Buhler, Former Director, North America, Switzerland Tourism, www.myswitzerland.com