In mid-October, Visit Detroit President and CEO Claude Molinari promoted four employees to the organization’s senior leadership team. Visit Detroit is the official destination marketing organization for the tricounty region of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties and the city of Detroit. Ken Hayward has been named Visit Detroit’s chief operating officer (COO); Harriet Carter was promoted to senior vice president of services, partnerships, and events; Andrea Cadotto was named associate vice president of sales; and Sheila Neal was elevated to associate vice president of strategic alliances.
“I am excited to announce the promotions for Ken Hayward, Harriet Carter, Andrea Cadotto, and Sheila Neal during a critical period of growth for Visit Detroit and the Detroit Sports Commission,” says Molinari in a prepared statement. “All four leaders have helped us capitalize on Detroit’s momentum and will continue to push our organization forward into the future.”
Hayward is being promoted to COO after most recently serving as Visit Detroit’s executive advisor of government and community affairs. Hayward has enjoyed an illustrious career in hospitality, including 35 years as the executive vice president and managing director at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. He also served as the vice president and special assistant to the CEO for community relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from 2020 to 2024.
Hayward will report directly to Molinari and oversee Visit Detroit’s sales, strategic alliances, services, partnerships, and events departments. Detroit Sports Commission Executive Director Marty Dobek and his team also will report to Hayward.
Carter recently celebrated her 36th anniversary at Visit Detroit, having joined the organization in 1989. In her elevated role, Carter will continue to manage the services and partnerships teams, along with the newly established events department.
The centralization of all three functions will allow Visit Detroit to maximize resources, create cohesive customer and partner experiences, and highlight southeast Michigan’s position as an ideal destination for meetings, conventions, and ancillary events.
Carter recently became a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME), the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement that prepares senior executives to thrive in a constantly changing environment.
Cadotto has been elevated to associate vice president of sales following a 13-year tenure at Visit Detroit, most recently serving as the senior director of sales strategy. Her career in hospitality sales spans more than 25 years, specializing in destination marketing, sales management, and strategic planning to her new leadership role.
Cadotto will lead Visit Detroit’s growing sales team, including sales managers and staff members located in Detroit; other areas of the Midwest; and Washington, D.C. The team will continue to focus on strategic selling and securing large special events, meetings, and conventions throughout the Metro Detroit region’s hospitality ecosystem.
As associate vice president of strategic alliances, Neal will lead the activation and growth of Visit Detroit’s partnerships in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Neal has enjoyed a 25-year career at Visit Detroit, including her most recent role as senior director of sales and strategic alliances.
Visit Detroit serves as a strategic partner with several industry organizations, and sponsors programming at numerous events on an annual basis. Neal will lead the engagement of partnerships with the American Society of Association Executives (Washington, D.C.), Informa CONNECT (London), the Professional Convention Management Association (Chicago), IMEX Group (Hove, England), the U.S. Travel Association (Washington, D.C.), Destinations International (Washington, D.C.), and more.
Neal also will lead the organization’s engagement efforts with the Diversity Executive Leadership Program in partnership with the American Society of Association Executives, including the annual reunion in Detroit. She also is Visit Detroit’s primary liaison to the Customer Advisory Board.
