Danny Guerrero, MBA

Brand Marketing & Communications Executive

I’m a brand marketing communications advisor, consultant and strategist with 20+ years of experience leading high performing teams and creating and transforming travel brands in client-side and agency integrated marketing and PR roles. I’m a thought leader and category maverick helping to bring to market groundbreaking inclusive consumer research programs and marketing philosophy for the tourism and travel industries in North America.

Graduate of UCLA Anderson Executive MBA, Top 10 EMBA Programs.

Email

RESUME / PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Results-driven and focused on growth by building, leading and mentoring high-performing teams, and delivering integrated advertising and marketing communications work based on data and insights across a global client roster. Expert thought leader and business development professional with an expert command of verbal, written and presentation communications skills to create, sell creative business ideas and grow revenue opportunities.

Building & Marketing Revenue Generating Brands

Consistently exceeded revenue targets, including $1M in client billings in first 36 months at The Culturist Group; grew MMGY revenue to nearly $10M

P&L Management

Managed wholly owned and client advertising, PR and integrated marketing budgets up to $15M annually with a focus on full funnel targets including sales performance for hotel, tour and travel clients

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

Recruited, mentored, and led cross-functional teams of up to 50 professionals across multiple business units and locations to deliver excellent client service

Cross-Channel Campaign Strategy

Developed and executed integrated, omnichannel campaigns leading to significant increases in visitation and revenue for destination and hospitality clients worldwide

Experienced Brand Strategist

Research and insights led process to achieve and grow first-to-market brands and campaigns including The Culturist Group - "We Help Travel Exist Where Culture Meets Brand", The California Collective - "A One Stop Collective for California Storytelling" - Los Cabos "The Baja Way" - Fort Worth, Texas "Nos Vemos en Fort Worth" and Tucson, Arizona - "In The Sonoran Desert, Our Cultura Grows Wild" - among others.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1

THE CULTURIST GROUP LLC

Founder | January 2022 – Present

  • Founded the industry's first multicultural marketing agency focused on travel destinations, generating $1M in client billings and $1.5M in earned media publicity to generate new business leads within 36 months
  • Secured $100K seed campaign for new digital advertising and programmatic CTV, OLV, display, audio, OOH and social advertising solution called "Mosaex" - a first to market end to end service to help clients deliver cultural relevance in advertising.
  • Delivered integrated advertising creative and media plans for clients that led to $10:1 ROAS and 7M impressions for Finger Lakes, NY, and over 5M Hispanic impressions for Jalisco, MX in the LA market, creating +15% YOY arrivals
  • Developed proprietary outreach strategies and leveraged industry network to generate qualified leads, converting 40%+ of prospects to active clients
  • Led 15+ successful pitches across diverse sectors - government tourism boards, hospitality brands, and destination marketing organizations
  • Established thought leadership presence through speaking engagements at 8+ major industry conferences, generating 50+ qualified business leads
  • Built diverse client portfolio - global destinations such as Destination New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), leading a team of 6 to deliver campaigns that generated $27M AUD in earned coverage
  • Designed qualitative tourism research for Travel Portland, Visit California, Visit Fort Worth, Virginia Tourism, and Travel Oregon, producing actionable insights to formalize audience, operational, and advertising campaigns
  • Selected vendor by Destinations International for new 'Tourism for All' inclusive destination training and marketing program for 2026
2

MMGY GLOBAL

GM, Los Angeles and Vice President of North America Strategy | September 2016 – December 2021

  • Spearheaded new business development initiatives that contributed to office revenue growth from $3M to $10M over 5-year tenure
  • Led cross-functional pitch teams for 25+ RFP responses with 60%+ win rate across hospitality, travel, and destination marketing sectors
  • Transformed Los Angeles office into a $10M revenue operation managing 50 advertising, creative, media, PR, and client service professionals across four agency brands, directly impacting P&L growth
  • Delivered high-impact integrated marketing solutions, and thought leadership during pandemic recovery period, helping clients maintain market position and accelerate revenue growth during challenging market conditions in leisure and group/meetings segments
  • Led integrated marketing and PR programs for high-profile clients including Visit California, Harrah's Resort Southern California, Sonoma County Tourism, Sensei Resorts, Fiji Airways, and others, exceeding KPIs consistently
  • Pioneered first-to-market traveler research, positioning the agency as an industry leader and raising over $100K in funds for non profits and diversity organizations/creators
  • Developed industry-wide thought leadership think tanks and steering committees to inform custom research projects including leaders from global DMOs/tourism boards, hotels, airlines, attractions, OTAs and associations
3

DEVELOPMENT COUNSELLORS INTERNATIONAL (DCI)

Managing Director, Los Angeles | January 2014 – September 2016

  • Founded Los Angeles office through strategic business development, growing from zero to $5M in annual billings within 30 months through targeted outreach and network leverage
  • Conceptualized and launched the 'California Collective,' an innovative collaborative business model leveraging economies of scale to deliver competitive agency services; grew membership to 10 partners, generating $600K in additional annual revenue
  • Achieved 15% year-on-year growth in U.S. visitor arrivals for Chile Tourism Board through strategic B2B partnerships and integrated consumer and trade marketing programs
  • Directed comprehensive marketing strategies for destination clients I represented across North America, South America, and the Pacific region, consistently delivering increased visitation metrics
4

THE TRAVEL CORPORATION

Director of Marketing | February 2011 – January 2014

  • Generated 150% increase in direct revenue through the implementation of innovative digital marketing strategies and private sale channel initiatives
  • Successfully branded and launched two new product lines, including premium/luxury tours and semi-independent travel offerings based on consumer research and travel trade partner opportunity gaps
  • Implemented performance-based incentives and budget optimizations for coop marketing programs resulting in 20% revenue growth from key distribution partners - AMEX Travel, Virtuoso, and Signature Travel Network
5

VISIT NEWPORT BEACH INC.

Director of Marketing Communications | October 2009 – January 2011

  • Generated over 300M earned media impressions via strategic management of global PR agencies
  • Executed integrated digital marketing campaigns with major travel platforms - Tripadvisor, Travel Zoo, and Expedia, driving measurable increases in visitor inquiries and arrivals to the luxury destination
  • Developed high-impact brand partnerships with Air Canada, Virgin Holidays UK, and premium media outlets that significantly increased destination visibility and long-haul bookings

EDUCATION

UCLA ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT | Executive MBA, 2024 | Certificate in Entrepreneurship | Business Creation Capstone Project: "MOSAEX Multicultural AdTech and Digital Advertising Solution for Travel Brands"

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE | B.A., Political Science & Marketing | Chancellor's Honors List

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL | Summer Venture in Management, Certificate

Thought Leadership + Speaking Engagements

2025

  • Oregon Governor's Conference on Tourism - "Future of Travel Study" panel and workshop presenter, Portland, Oregon (March 2025)
  • Travel & Tourism Research Association International Conference - "Evolving Target Markets" presentation on client work for Travel Portland, Galway, Ireland (July 2025)
  • HospitableMe - Featured Expert for "Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality" Training Program virtual presentation (April 2025)
  • Destinations International State Tourism Associations - "Importance of Cultural Relevance" virtual presentation (March 2025)
  • Sonoma County Tourism Partner Workshop - Expert Speaker at "Wine Region for All" Destination Partnership Launch, Santa Rosa, CA (February 2025)
  • Latino Travel Fest - Featured Speaker "Sobre Nosotros: The Power of Hispanic Traveler", Chicago, IL (June 2025)
  • Destinations International Annual Convention - "Defining Destination Stewardship: A Global Approach" Panel, Chicago, IL (July 2025)
  • IGLTA LGBTQ+ Mexico Travel Symposium - "U.S. LGBTQ+ Opportunities for the Mexican Leisure Market" Featured Speaker (September 2025)
  • BrandsTravel Mexico Summit - "Diversity: The Real, Present and Golden Opportunity" Featured Speaker, Mexico City, Mexico (October 2025)
  • PRSA Travel & Tourism Section - "Authentic Voices: Storytelling for Community and Culture in Travel" Webinar Panelist (October 2025)

2024

  • IGLTA Global Convention - "MASTERCLASS: Crafting Authentic Experiences: Empowering the BIPOC community in travel" Panelist, Osaka, Japan (October 2024)
  • Nomadness Travel Tribe Festival - "BIPOC Communities: Online, Offline and On the Road" Panelist, Charlotte, NC (September 2024)
  • eTourism Summit - "Tailored Marketing for All: Engaging Diverse Audiences" Panelist, Las Vegas, NV (April 2024)
  • Maine Governor's Conference on Tourism - Keynote Speaker "Why Multicultural Travel Marketing is Mainstream Marketing" Portland, Maine (April 2024)
  • Expedia Latino ERG + Latino World Travelers Event, Featured Speaker "The Hispanic Travel Dollar & Our Role in Representation" ,New York, NY (April 2024)

2023

  • Miles Partnership/Coraggio Group - "Global Stewardship Destination Innovation Lab," Los Angeles, CA (December 2023)
  • Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit - "Understanding & Engaging Multicultural Travelers" Masterclass, Richmond, VA (October 2023)
  • NYU Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality - Guest Speaker "The Significance of the Hispanic Travel Market" (September 2023)
  • Wanderful - Panelist "How Can Travel Be More Inclusive" (January 2023)
  • Travel & Tourism Research Association Annual Convention - "The Future of Travel Research Study" Featured Speaker, Houston (July 2023)
  • IGLTA Global Convention - "The Importance of Intersectionality in LGBTQ+ Marketing" Panelist, San Juan, Puerto Rico (October 2023)
  • Destinations International MarComm Summit - "Perceptions vs Reality: Communicating Around Crime and Safety in Destinations" Moderator (January 2023)

2022

  • Travel Oregon "Get to Know Hispanic Travelers" - (March 2022) - Presenter
  • ANA (Association of National Advertisers) - "Diversity in Travel: What Research on Emerging Multicultural Travelers Reveals for Consumer Brands" (August 2022) - Featured Presenter
  • NYC Tourism & Conventions - Featured Speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 2022)
  • IPW Orlando - Featured Speaker "The Importance of Multicultural Marketing for Travel Brands and Destinations," Orlando, Florida (June 2022)
  • IGLTA Global Convention - "Pride in Marketing" Panel, Milan, Italy (October 2022) - As David Martin Small Business Fellowship recipient
  • Arival 360 Conference - Keynote: "How Culture-Forward Brands Will Reach New Generations of Travelers," San Diego, CA (February 2022)
  • Travel Unity Summit Southeast - "Understand, Identify and Connect with Diverse Travelers," Atlanta, GA (March 2022)
  • Latino Travel Fest - "Representation of Latinos/x in Travel" (March 2022)
  • BrandsTravel Mexico Summit - "The New 'All Inclusive': Opportunities in Multicultural Travel Marketing," Mexico City, Mexico (October 2022)

2021

  • The Future Leaders in Travel Summit by Northstar Media, Speaker, Cancun, Mexico (September 2021)
  • MMGY's DMO Mojo Panelist and Presenter, Tampa, Florida (September 2021)
  • Florida State Tourism Association Speaker "The Black Traveler Study" with TripAdvisor, St, Augustine, Florida (September 2021)
  • Georgia Governor's Tourism Conference Keynote Speaker "The Black Traveler Study" - Lake Lanier, GA (September 2021)
  • MMGY Global "Vistas Latinas" Featured Presenter, Hispanic Travel Research Launch Webinar (October 2021)
  • Televisa Univision Speaker "Meet Today's Latino Traveler" Webinar (June 2021)
  • The NEST Climate Summit Presenter "NYC & Company Talks: Greening NYC's Tourism Footprint" (June 2021)

2020

  • Destinations International "The Next Normal: Pause, Change, Innovate" - Expert Panelist for MMGY Global (July 23, 2020)
  • National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals (NCBMP) - Insights for Black Meetings Professionals from the Black Traveler Study for MMGY Global (September 2020)
  • MMGY Global "Insights and Perspectives on the Black Traveler" - Webinar presenter (December 2020)


Media Features, Articles & Podcasts

Podcast Appearances

  • "Connecting With Your Consumers through Culture and Multicultural Marketing w/ Danny Guerrero" - Transformation Talk Podcast (July 19, 2022)

Books, Blog Posts & Articles

  • "Opinion: Diversifying America's Domestic Tourism Base: A Strategic Imperative in Changing Times" - Tourism IQ (April 25, 2025)
  • "Beyond Demographics: Creating true belonging in place marketing" - City Nation Place (March 25, 2025)
  • "Opinion: Travel's Potential for Good Is Related to the Diversity of the Industry" - TravelAge West (July 2, 2020)

Select Media Features & Profiles

  • "These Travel Industry Organizations Are Offering Support to the Victims of the LA Wildfires" - TravelAge West (January 16, 2025)
  • "The Latino Companies to Support this Hispanic Heritage Month" - TravelPulse (September 10, 2023)
  • "The 'Future of Travel' Unveils Intentional Ways to Keep Multicultural Travelers Engaged" - Vacationer Magazine (April 15, 2024)
  • "MMGY Global Leaders Recognized For Their Outstanding Contributions" - MMGY Global (May 5, 2021)
  • "New Company, Culturist, Helps Travel Brands Better Engage With Multicultural Travelers" - TravelAge West Magazine (January 31, 2021)


Research Projects & Studies

2025

"Traveling in Color: The 2025 Traveler Identity Consensus" - Sponsor & Collaborator of comprehensive research initiative supported by The Culturist Group

2024-2025

"The Future of Travel 2024/2025" - Research study in partnership with Virginia Tourism Corporation, Visit California, and other leading organizations

2024

Multicultural Focus Groups for Travel Portland - Conducted focus groups in Los Angeles and Phoenix (September 2024)

2023

"Vistas Latinas" - Comprehensive study on Hispanic/Latino travelers revealing $113.9 billion in domestic travel spending

"The Black Traveler: Insights, Opportunities & Priorities" - Groundbreaking study revealing $109.4 billion in Black leisure travel spending, supported by Hilton, Choice Hotels International, Tripadvisor, and Virginia Tourism Corporation

These research studies contributed to over $110,000 in funds for non profit, diversity organizations and creators of color.

Awards & Industry Leadership

Notable Accolades

1

2023 PRSA Los Angeles PRISM Award

"Best Multicultural Communications Campaign" for Sydney WorldPride 2023

2

2022 David Martin Small Business Fellowship

International LGBTQ Travel Association

3

2021 Outstanding Achievement Award

World Travel and Tourism Council

4

2021 Chairman's Award

National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals

5

8 HSMAI Adrian Awards

Including "Best of Show" for PR (Visit Huntington Beach) in Advertising, Communications & Integrated Marketing Categories

6

2025 Black Travel Summit

Ally of the Year Nominee

Industry Leadership & Board Positions

Current Board Memberships

  • IGLTA (International LGBTQ Travel Association) - Vice Chair & Chairperson of Intersectional Engagement Committee
  • Destinations International - Committee Lead, Social Impact Committee
  • Destinations International - Marketing Committee Member
  • City of Los Angeles, Silver Lake Neighborhood Council - Member At Large

Advisory Roles

  • Travel Unity - Advisor
  • Latinos In Travel Professional Association - Founding Member
  • City Nation Place - Marketing Expert
  • Destinations International - HBCU Scholarship Program Advisor + Mentor
  • Corragio Group / Miles Partnership - Global Stewardship Innovation Lab Member
  • Matador Network - Matador 2022 Travel Awards Judge

Past Leadership Positions

  • California Travel and Tourism Association - DEI Task Force Member
  • Black Travel Alliance - Past Advisor
  • MMGY Global - Co-Chair for Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) Council