Exploring Depth, Character & Spirit with Visit Pittsburgh's Jerad Bachar

"The game has changed - we have got to make sure destinations continue to adapt and are serving the communities they represent," says Jerad Bachar, President & CEO at Visit Pittsburgh as he joins The Tourism Academy's Stephen Ekstrom for this episode of the Business Class podcast. 
Together, they discuss the new meaning of work-life balance and how that manifests in company culture. Jerad shares the impact his first trip had on him and the similarities he sees between his work in the midwest, Middle East and mighty Allegheny. 

About Jerad:
Jerad Bachar has close to thirty years of tourism and economic development experience in an array of countries and business environments. He has worked in both developed and emerging markets in the areas of destination branding and marketing, economic development and diversification, and workforce development.

Jerad began his tourism development career at VisitPITTSBURGH in 2004.  In 2008, he became Director of Business Tourism for the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing where he led the development of the city’s strategy for business, sports, and leisure events.  In 2015, Jerad became an Executive Director at the Bahrain Economic Development Board where he was responsible for economic development of the travel, healthcare, education, and real estate sectors. 

Jerad returned to Pittsburgh in January 2019 as the Executive Vice President of VisitPITTSBURGH, and as of May 2020 became President and CEO of the organization.  Jerad holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool.

Business Class is brought to you by Learn Tourism, the nonprofit academy - harnessing the power of science, business psychology and adult education to advance the tourism industry and build sustainable economies. Learn how to engage your community, win over stakeholders and get more visitors at learntourism.org. 

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