VisitPITTSBURGH Hires Jerad Bachar as Executive Vice President

VisitPITTSBURGH, the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, recently hired Jerad Bachar as executive vice president after a nationwide search. Bachar worked for the Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitors Bureau, known now as VisitPITTSBURGH, as a National Sales Director, both here and in Washington D.C., 2004 – 2008 before he accepted a position in Dubai. His first day was January 14.

Most recently, Bachar worked as the Executive Director of the Economic Development Board for the country of Bahrain, where he developed and implemented investment promotion strategies in the tourism, healthcare, education and real estate sectors. In that role he oversaw the development of approximately $1 billion in new investment into these strategic sectors. Prior to that position, he was a strategic advisor to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority. 

Bachar began his decade of service in the Middle East as a Divisional Director at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. During his tenure at Dubai Tourism, he created an events division structure with focus on attracting and developing international business and leisure events for the city of Dubai. The newly formed division was responsible for establishing the destination as the premier events hub in the Middle East.

“Jerad is a proven leader with expertise in sales, economic planning, organizational structure and stakeholder networks,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “His international sales experience will be extremely beneficial as we continue to grow and expand our global reach, and he knows Pittsburgh. We’re thrilled to have him back at VisitPITTSBURGH.”

As Executive Vice President, Bachar will oversee Convention Sales, Destination Services, Partnership Development, Research and SportsPITTSBURGH, and he will be a member of the executive team. In addition to his present role and his previous position with VisitPITTSBURGH, Bachar has held multiple positions within the travel and tourism industry. He also earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation from Destination Marketing Association International, now known as DI, in 2012, and is currently pursuing an MBA through the University of Liverpool, U.K. 

VisitPITTSBURGH is the official tourism marketing and promotion agency of the Pittsburgh region. The organization is dedicated to generating conventions, trade show and leisure travel.