Hard Rock Names Tara Hippensteel National Sales Manager
Hard Rock International recently announced a realignment of the regional sales and marketing support team in North America for 2015.
Tara Hippensteel will now take on the role of national sales manager, Tour and Travel North America. Hippensteel will focus directly on the tour and travel market and work closely with cafe teams across the nation to grow their national account business. Additionally, she will help manage the group menu segment and serve as a liaison within the tour and travel industry in North America. Hippensteel joined Hard Rock more than ten years ago as a sales and marketing manager for Hard Rock Cafe Detroit, and most recently held the position of regional sales and marketing manager for the Central United States.
"Tara has been a part of the Hard Rock family since 2003 and has a true passion for the tour and travel industry," said Calum MacPherson, North America Area Vice President of Cafe Operations. "She has leveraged her hospitality experience to drive sales as the regional sales and marketing manager for the Central U.S. and we look forward to her taking on this new role."
As part of the realignment, Gonzalo Del Rio, formerly sales and marketing manager for Hard Rock Cafe Miami, will join Tara in the sales capacity as the international sales manager for North America. Del Rio will work closely with inbound international travel accounts and dedicate his time to the development of new business in that sector. He will leverage his experience of more than twenty-five years in the international restaurant, hotel, and sales industry to generate business and partnerships from key markets around the world.
Additionally, Tirey Thomas, Regional Sales and Marketing Manager – West, will expand her role within the company and oversee sales and marketing efforts for the company's Western and Central regions, a total of twenty-three cafe locations. Elise Tedeschi will continue to serve as regional sales and marketing manager for the East, managing the efforts of twenty-five cafe locations.
