A thirty-four year veteran of the Travel & Tourism industry, Amir leads the entire team responsible for the development and execution of all facets of this premier travel and tourism market research consultancy, from program development to customer acquisition and retention.

He joined Longwoods in 2015 from his previous role as Vice President, Partner Engagement with Brand USA, the public-private partnership serving as the destination marketing organization dedicated to increasing international visitation to the US. He led the team responsible for helping to increase Brand USA’s partnership base and ensuring that participants received excellent service throughout Brand USA’s deployment of joint marketing programs. During his tenure, Brand USA grew its base to 475 partners, comprised of destination marketing organizations, convention and visitor bureaus, attractions, travel brands, airlines, and tour operators.

Prior to joining Brand USA, Amir served as Director of the Ohio Office of Tourism. Under his leadership, the state’s marketing programs realized a tremendous return on investment and contributed to the growth of the state’s $40 billion tourism economy. The programs he developed leveraged industry and non-traditional partnerships that generated $14 in new state and local taxes for every $1 invested and included active participation by thousands of Ohio’s tourism-related businesses. He has also served as Executive Vice President of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, Assistant Director of the Ohio Tourism Division, and Sales & Marketing Manager with the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau.

He has been recognized with a number of Industry honors including: Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing award (2014) by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI); The Ohio Tourism Industry’s Highest Honor, The Paul Sherlock Award; and The State of Ohio Distinguished Service Medal. Amir regularly volunteers his time on behalf of the travel & tourism industry and is an active member of the U.S. Travel Association’s Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Destinations International Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Amir’s thought leadership in tourism is often quoted by media, and he has appeared in dozens of interviews among many national media outlets including: CNBC, MSNBC, Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, etc…

Amir holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Dayton.