Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond announced in early January the hiring of T. Cahal Mowery and Robert Leff and the promotion of Eric Kincaid to fill critical leadership roles on the Choose Chicago sales team. Mowery, Leff, and Kincaid are talented sales professionals with over 40 years of combined experience working at destination marketing organizations and hotels. Mowery, Leff, and Kincaid will be key members of the team selling and marketing McCormick Place Convention Center and the City of Chicago under the leadership of Dustin Arnheim, senior vice president of sales and services.
”I am so excited to welcome Cahal, Robert, and Eric to leadership roles on the Choose Chicago sales team,” says Osmond. “They bring high levels of expertise and leadership to our organization, and these hirings will play a huge role in ensuring that we continue to attract and retain trade shows, conventions, and events to the largest convention center in North America.”
T. Cahal Mowery joined the Choose Chicago sales team as vice president of sales in January. In this role, Mowery works with Dawn Young, also vice president of sales, to promote Chicago as a premier meetings destination by managing the daily sales activities of the organization including developing and implementing strategic sales plans.
Mowery joined Choose Chicago directly from Visit Denver, where he served as director of convention sales for the past four years. He led a team of 13 sales and meeting professionals and administrative staff. Prior to Visit Denver, he held positions as director of sales and catering for JW Marriott Houston for three years and sharpened his craft working several years at Visit Houston as a national account executive, convention sales.
Eric Kincaid has been promoted to associate vice president of sales. Kincaid has worked at Choose Chicago as senior director of convention sales since 2021 and has over a decade of experience in sales at destination marketing organizations and hotels, most recently as a national account director at Destination DC before joining the Choose Chicago team in 2021.
In his new role, Kincaid will be supervising and leading Choose Chicago’s mid-Atlantic sales team. Collectively, Young, Mowery, and Kincaid will be responsible for leading the sales team by implementing new systems and procedures and coaching the team in the day to day.
Robert Leff joined Choose Chicago last November and serves as the director of business development and sales strategy. In this role, Leff is responsible for attracting new mid-to-large-scale meetings and events to Chicago.
Leff most recently worked for Visit Pittsburgh as their senior national sales director for the past nine years. Prior to Visit Pittsburgh, Leff held leadership positions at Gaylord Hotels and Meet Minneapolis and has previously worked at the Hilton Minneapolis, the Hiltons of Chicago, and the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport.
Leff currently serves as president of the CVB Representatives of the West (CReW). CReW is comprised of 40 plus convention bureau/destination marketing organization representatives across North America that work with business event professionals in the Mountain and Pacific time zones.
“Chicago is the one of the best, most authentic global destinations for meetings and events,” says Arnheim. “We are building a best-in-class destination marketing organization, and it starts with our people. That is why I am thrilled to promote Eric and welcome Cahal and Robert to these important leadership positions. They bring with them invaluable experience and expertise that will make certain Chicago continues to be a leading destination now and into the future.”
Since becoming president and CEO of Choose Chicago six months ago, Osmond has prioritized building a robust sales and services team to ensure Chicago remains the premier destination for trade shows, conventions, and events. Arnheim was brought on board last July to lead this important team, and these latest hirings are the next step as Choose Chicago continues to build a strong and successful sales team under Osmond’s leadership.
