Executive Appointments at CWT

(19 Nov 2021)  CWT has appointed Nick Vournakis as EVP and Chief Customer Officer, and Derek Sharp as EVP and Chief Traveler Experience Officer.

Both positions, effective 1 December 2021, will report to Michelle McKinney Frymire and serve as a members of the company’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT).

Nick Vournakis

“I am sad to announce that Niklas Andreen will be leaving CWTMs,” said Michelle McKinney Frymire, CWT’s CEO. “The transformation that he and his team have achieved positions us for ongoing success and I extend my thanks and deep gratitude to him for his friendship, leadership and contributions to CWT. I speak for us all when I wish him the warmest of best wishes for the future.”

Immediately prior to this appointment, Nick Vournakis was Managing Director, Global Customer Development, before which he was President, US Military & Government.

Nick joined CWT in January 2000 and his other senior roles in the company have included responsibility for North American Air Solutions, and managing CWT’s Canadian operations.

Nick spent four years with EY Global Consulting services having been awarded a BA in Economics at Miami University.

Derek Sharp

Derek Sharp was Chief Operating Officer for RoomIt, CWT’s global hotel platform, prior to this appointment, and previously ran CWT Meetings & Events.

He spent eight years at Travelport in various senior management, strategy and consulting positions, as he has with HP Enterprise Services, EDS, UPS and Bain & Company.

Derek holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a BA in Political Science from Texas A&M University.

“I am thrilled to have Nick and Derek join the ELT, having so successfully led the customer and RoomIt teams respectively,” said Michelle. “Separating Customer and Traveler Experience into distinct functions will flatten our leadership structure and bring greater focus to our strategic initiatives moving forward. This also aligns the business units with our recently announced investment plans. Nick and Derek’s breadth and depth of experience and leadership talents make their appointments a natural fit for our team.”

CWT will celebrate 150 years in travel in 2022.