Executive Vice President

Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

The Executive Vice President (EVP) serves as the strategic architect of the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau’s integrated sales and marketing ecosystem and reports directly to the President & CEO. The EVP oversees conventions, sports and leisure sales and service, brand evolution, data and technology strategies, community engagement, and media relations. The role leads the execution of the long-term Destination Strategic Plan, translating it into measurable economic outcomes for Wake County by leveraging organizational talent, public sentiment, public-private funding, and emerging technologies. The EVP leads most internal GRCVB departments and their senior leaders, sets performance frameworks tied to the annual business plan, and guides annual goals, budgets, assets, staffing, and visitation targets. The role advances convention, sports, and leisure business; develops new tourism initiatives and market segments; strengthens relationships with convention, sports, hotel, attraction, restaurant, and other community partners; and advises the President & CEO and Board of Directors with data-backed analysis. The EVP also represents the bureau in community and industry settings and fosters an inclusive, ethical, high-performance culture. The GRCVB is the official destination marketing organization for Wake County. It has 35 full-time team members and an operating budget of $12.3 million for fiscal year 2027. The role requires a national industry profile, extensive executive leadership experience, and the ability to communicate complex strategic, financial, and statistical information clearly. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Marketing, Tourism, or a related field.
At least 10 years of supervisory management experience.
At least 10 years of successful experience influencing convention, sports, and consumer markets, including leadership of large teams in the hospitality sector.
Hands-on leadership experience in convention group sales, sports and services, destination marketing and brand management, omnichannel media relations and public affairs, tradeshow and client event development and budgeting, and automated account management systems (CRM/CMS).
Microsoft Office Suite and CRM proficiency.
Comprehensive knowledge of convention group, sports, and leisure markets, including customer segmentation, distribution networks, strategic planning, and negotiation.
Strong understanding of digital marketing, web and marketing automation, AI-driven data tools, predictive data modeling, audience targeting, and campaign ROI.
Operational understanding of hotels, convention centers, sports and attraction facilities, booking cycles, yield management, and partner objectives.
Strong budgeting, resource allocation, ROI measurement, and complex financial problem-solving abilities.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to deliver persuasive presentations and clearly explain complex strategic, financial, and statistical concepts.
Strong quantitative analysis skills and direct experience with complex, multi-party contractual negotiations.
Experience evaluating return on investment for departmental initiatives and grant programs for meetings, sports, and festivals.
Direct experience using advanced digital marketing applications and navigating customer markets in the United States and abroad.
Ability to build intradepartmental partnerships for organizational alignment, forecasting, goal achievement, and staff accountability.
Ability to thrive amid shifting priorities and manage a demanding workload that includes irregular evening and weekend hours and frequent travel.
Integrity, transparency, commitment to public trust, collaborative communication, a mentoring approach, openness to innovation, and skill in building relationships with public officials, civic leaders, tourism partners, and community stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and manage most internal GRCVB departments and establish KPI frameworks tied to performance tracking, measurement, execution, and the annual business plan.
Translate the long-term Destination Strategic Plan into actionable annual goals and deploy budgets, assets, and staffing efficiently to achieve visitation targets.
Oversee convention, sports, and leisure sales and service initiatives, brand evolution, data and technology strategies, community engagement, and media relations.
Drive regional prosperity by overseeing departmental KPIs, including hotel room-night generation, direct economic impact, destination market share, social media, metadata, earned media, and groups serviced.
Accelerate performance across convention, sports, and leisure sales segments in line with the Destination Strategic Plan and convention center expansion planning.
Champion data-driven planning and integration of marketing technologies, including AI and data analytics.
Strengthen strategic sales and marketing relationships with the Atlantic Union Bank Convention Center, Lenovo Center, attractions, restaurants, hotels, and other partners.
Direct innovative tourism initiatives and entry into new market segments, including next-generation tradeshows, esports, and visitor festivals and events.
Work with the President & CEO to achieve strategic plan objectives and provide data-backed counsel to direct reports and the GRCVB Board of Directors.
Represent GRCVB at community events and activities to build understanding of the bureau and tourism among stakeholders, partners, and residents.
Represent GRCVB at national and international industry meetings, tradeshows, and professional organizations.
Serve as principal advisor to the President & CEO on organizational structure, processes, strategic planning, market conditions, risks, and competitive positioning.
Prepare and present executive reports, forecasts, and strategic analyses for GRCVB leadership, the Board of Directors, and hospitality stakeholders.
Ensure fiscal responsibility, evaluate return on investment for departmental initiatives and organizational grant programs, and navigate complex negotiations.
Champion the bureau’s mission, vision, ethics, and confidentiality standards while fostering an inclusive, high-performance workplace.