Ziemer Tapped For Prez As Tanner Emerges
<H1> Ziemer Tapped For Prez As Tanner Emerges</H1>Minneapolis - Longtime Carlson executive and Travis Tanner partner Douglas Ziemer has taken on the new role of president of Carlson Wagonlit Travel-Americas, giving him responsibility for operations in the United States, Canada, and Central and South America.
Ziemer has been working with Tanner since he recruited him for Carlson in 1985 from Republic Airlines, when it was being purchased by Northwest. Zeimer was then in Carlson's corporate human resources department.
He said he and Tanner are "best of friends and good business partners as far as our complementary strengths and weaknesses are concerned. It's like working with a brother."
When Tanner went to Disney in 1989, Ziemer followed. When Tanner announced his return to Carlson in 1993, Ziemer said, "It was a surprise to me because I had become vice president of Walt Disney World Travel, vice president of the reservations center, and of human resources for the resorts. It was a great job."
Nonetheless, he followed Tanner back to Minneapolis. Since his return, Ziemer has served on Carlson's executive committee and has been responsible for its government and military division, as well as its largest corporate account, General Electric. Ziemer, who most recently held the post of executive vice president, administration, first came to work for Carlson Companies in 1978 and was part of the transition team for the Ask Mr. Foster acquisition.
Tanner, in making this appointment, frees himself to conclude the merger and assume full leadership of the global travel agency. Toward that end, Carlson Wagonlit filed a non-binding letter of agreement last month allowing the merger of the Minneapolis and French-based travel agency holdings to enter the final due-diligence stage, which means that final merger papers could be signed by the end of the year.
Ziemer confirmed that Tanner, currently co-president and co-CEO with Hervé Gourio, is set to head the merged company. Gourio will stay in Paris as president of Carlson Wagonlit Travel-Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Meanwhile, Ziemer said Atlanta is not the only site being considered for the new international headquarters. Dallas, New York, London and Washington have not yet been ruled out. Ziemer will remain in Minneapolis.