Brand USA has tapped Leah Chandler to become its Chief Marketing Officer, effective 17MAR.
Chandler, who’s held a Certified Destination Management Executive designation since 2014, is a travel and tourism industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in branding, advertising and destination marketing.
Brand USA is trying to capitalize on post-COVID inbound travel by augmenting existing marketing strategies. And it’s banking on Chandler’s track record—namely her last role as Discover Puerto Rico’s chief marketing officer, during which time she presided upon four years of record-breaking tourism growth—to achieve that objective.
“The opportunity to lead global marketing efforts for the USA—one of the most diverse and dynamic travel destinations in the world—is thrilling,” Chandler said in a statement.
Among her objectives, she added, is “[driving] meaningful economic impact.”
That’s indeed significant because, with Chandler at the helm, Discover Puerto Rico’s “Live Boricua” campaign, which celebrated its uniquely vibrant culture, piqued strong enough global interest to turn the tropical island into a hotspot.
Since Brand USA appointed Fred Dixon its CEO—he’s also its president—in July, stronger emphasis has been placed on expanding into the global market.
And Dixon believes Chandler will prove instrumental in realizing that ambition--and perhaps not a moment too soon.
“We’ve expanded focus on global communications, trade and product development, strategic partnerships, AI and innovation and the meetings and events sectors,” Dixon said.
“Bringing Leah on board completes our leadership team and prepares us well to advance our strategic approach to consumer marketing, content creation, partner programs and analytics.”
Chandler's appointment comes at a time when relations between the Canada and the U.S. have become uncharacteristically acrimonious. In addition to the U.S.’s imposition of punitive tariffs on Canadian goods, President Donald Trump has belittled Canada’s sovereignty, even suggesting it would be better off becoming the republic’s 51st state.
The sinking Canadian dollar is also impacting sentiment about traveling south of the border. A recent poll found that 48% of Canadians are less likely to visit the U.S. this year than they were last in 2024.
