YTB has replaced Bob Dickinson. As I expected, word of Dickinson's departure would be masked in the appointment of a new member. Here is the release. As of last night, other blogs were saying the departure of Dickinson would open the door for another heavy hitter in the travel industry. Well, maybe next time!
YTB International, Inc. Appoints Paul Hemings to Board of DirectorsSo out with the old and in with the new. Heming is apparently in sales for Energizer Holdings (the Energizer Bunny). No travel experience so far as I can tell, and nothing on the Energizer Holdings website about him.
WOOD RIVER, Ill., May 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- YTB International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: YTBLA) ("YTB" or the "Company"), a provider of Internet-based travel booking services for travel agencies and home-based independent representatives in the United States, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Canada, today announced the appointment of Paul Hemings to its Board of Directors, effective as of May 1, 2008. Mr. Hemings will be the 11th member of the Company's Board.
In addition to serving on YTB's Board of Directors, Mr. Hemings is a Group Director of Sales for Energizer Holdings, Inc., where he is responsible for $200 million in annual sales. Prior to his appointment as Group Director, Mr. Hemings served as Energizer's Director of Business Development, leading the annual business planning process. Before beginning his tenure at Energizer, Mr. Hemings held several sales and sales management positions at Procter & Gamble.
Following the announcement on April 30th of his acceptance of a seat on the Board of Directors of YTB International, Inc., Robert H. Dickinson has reconsidered his decision. "Upon further review I have respectfully decided not to accept a Board position with YTB. After careful consideration of my personal and retirement objectives, I determined that I should not commit to that appointment," said Dickinson.
YTB's Chairman, Lloyd "Coach" Tomer commented, stating, "We are pleased to have recruited a Board member of Paul's experience and talent. Paul will make an excellent addition to our Board, and we look forward to learning from his extensive sales and marketing experience at Energizer Holdings and Procter & Gamble." Mr. Tomer continued, "We understand Bob's decision to reconsider joining our Board in order to address other personal opportunities and wish him the very best in his endeavors. He is a friend and supporter of YTB."
Coach--is Bob really a friend?
Uhm, what did they do, put a want ad in the local paper?
ReplyDeleteWanted: Board Member. Good pay, occasional use of private jet, experience not necessary, but if you know how to spell "travel" that is a good thing. Scruples and morals not necessary. For more info please call 1-800 COACH 4 U
FYI -
ReplyDeleteHere's what Bob Dickinson said to Travel Trade regarding YTB (prior to the Carnival B of D frowning on his seat on YTB's B of D)
It is worth repeating to the TTAs who are in love with sleazy Peter Stilphen:
"Dickinson told Travel Trade that the YTB model is a logical progression for cruise sales that very much resembles direct buy organizations that are popular with consumers for a whole range of products.
Dickinson likened YTB to Mary Kay, the multilevel marketer in cosmetics, and said that while YTB has the structure of a multilevel marketer it is also a Host agency providing a significant amount of training and marketing support, including Web sites.
YTB also incorporates a subtle form of viral marketing with its referral agents marketing to friends and relatives and people they know in their social spheres.
Asked about criticism of YTB from the agent industry, Dickinson said that any new model in terms of distribution, and of cruise distribution in particular, always has been criticized by the status quo. But in time all new models have been accepted once they have proven to be productive, said Dickinson.
He recalled the time when cruise-only agencies were pariahs - "They were illegal, immoral and fattening," said Dickinson.
There was also a time when the industry railed against at home agents who are now accepted because they have proven they can produce, as have Host agencies, said Dickinson.
A YTB model, he added, will get more than its share of criticism because it is new to travel in this iteration.
Some agents say YTB agents don't know travel and that is legitimate observation, said Dickinson, but that comes down to training.
At the end of the day, he said, it is up to the customer to decide which model succeeds. YTB agents, he said, know their customers - they don't have to spend a lot of time qualifying them because they probably know them from high school. The challenge for them is to book the product."
Yes . . . Bob Dickinson is a friend to YTB.
Welcome to Paul Hemings.
And YTB did not bury Dickinson's departure in their press release. It was a part of the heading of the Hemings announcement.
More websites, more travel . . . and on to the American Stock Exhange.
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
He siad YTB agents don't know travel and it was a legitimate observation. Most of us have read that interview with TT. I did not see anywhere where it was a Carnival decision or pressure for him to jump ship...did you see something anonymous?
ReplyDeleteAnd CCL was busy appointing a new head of sales today as well.
JOhn--I like the "bob" on his back!
Yes . . . Bob Dickinson is a friend to YTB.
ReplyDeleteCoach--is that you. I am honored but I would have expected you to perhaps post under your real name. Can I have the next seat on the Board?
Well gee Dougie if Bob was so enamored of YTB why did he leave?
ReplyDeleteGo shoo and hang out with your other sleazy pals...
Ya know my little girl was planning on going to camp this summer, but I'll bet she could free up some time for the YTB board. And she probably knows more about the travel industry than Heming does.
ReplyDeletetravel & real travel professionals-a great mix!
kate -
ReplyDeleteJust curious . . . Was that your husband jumping up and down on the coach on Oprah?
I like the fact that Hemings has a background in sales development.
And the Energizer reference fits YTB well.
We keep going and going . . . regardless of the TTAs and JFs of the world and there little whinefest.
And speaking of sales . . .
That's what we do here at YTB.
We sell travel websites that sell travel.
And it all adds up to millions and millions of dollars of travel.
And we've done it all without needing the Kate Holmes of the travel world.
YTB and TRAVEL: A Great Mix!
"And it all adds up to millions and millions of dollars of travel."
ReplyDeleteLet's see the figures Doug and NOT the convoluted ones YTB sends out.
Trading on addiction for another.
John,
ReplyDeletethe dishonest reporting continues.
You "post" the press release about hemmings appointment saying how they conveniently masked the withdrawal of Dickinson. Well, new news did come, but in the press release was a subtitle right at the top that you conveniently left out.
IT said.
Robert H. Dickinson respectfully declines appointment to YTB's Board in order to pursue other opportunities
THAT WAS THE SECONDARY TITLE OF THE RELEASE. IT WASN"T LEFT OUT>
YOU LEFT IT OUT.
Here is the link so honest readers can see.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080502/nyf080.html?.v=101
I do see it is in that one. THe original one I quoted did not include that. Do you really think I am so foolish as to link to a source and then misquote it?
ReplyDeleteJohn said..."I do see it is in that one. THe original one I quoted did not include that. Do you really think I am so foolish as to link to a source and then misquote it?"
ReplyDeleteI say "YES, I do"
Let's read between the lines - Dickinson likens YTB to a "buying club" - he makes it clear that RTAs are not Travel Agents - I have posted here before about Dickinson - he is itching (or was) to go to a net environment, meaning NO COMMISSION, with CCL and has been for years. Buying Clubs survive because members pay a fee to have access to wholesale or "net" pricing. This is why he finds YTB attactive......
ReplyDeleteSo RTAs - be aware - Dickison is not your friend - he's a friend of the REPs....