Joel Hanson
The Travel and Meeting Society has named industry veteran and longtime CWT executive Joel Hanson its new executive director, the association announced.
Hanson succeeds Phyllis Tess, who announced her departure in January. Fresenius Medical Care senior director and head of travel and meetings Colleen Kearney, a TAMS board member, had been serving as interim executive director in recent months.
Hanson will lead the organization's strategic initiatives, operations, partnerships and member engagement, according to TAMS.
Hanson joins the nonprofit organization after more than 18 years at CWT, where he held several senior leadership roles, including senior director of innovation business development. In that role, he worked with emerging technologies and new business models before leaving the company in 2023.
Over the past three years, Hanson has advised travel technology startups through Silicon Valley's Plug and Play Tech Center and served as an advisor to Alo Index and Tripism.
"Joel's background is uniquely aligned with the direction that TAMS is taking," said TAMS board chair Kerin McKinnon in a statement. "As travel continues to evolve, we believe Joel's experience, curiosity, and collaborative leadership style will help our community unlock new opportunities and create lasting value."