TMI welcome Mary Harris as Head of Communications

TMI are delighted to announce the appointment of Mary Harris onto the executive board as she begins her new role as Head of Communications. Mary brings with her 25 years of expertise in international branding and communications. She is a specialist in travel and place branding and marketing with skills honed at London’s leading agencies on blue chip clients. Agencies include Euro RSCG London, Ogilvy, Cheil and M&C Saatchi where she spent nine years as a Managing Director.Mary has worked extensively with international governments and quasi-governmental organisations across tourism, FDI and talent attraction. She also set up and led the specialist place marketing team Destination M&C Saatchi.

Mary’s work has included everything from developing nation brands to tourism campaigns to navigating complex and high-level stakeholder landscapes. Some stand outs include: developing a new tourism brand for the Kingdom of Bahrain; nine years working with Bahrain EDB on investment promotion; launching a tourism campaign for Oman to benefit from the Qatar World Cup; developing a new festival brand, creating an extensive culture change programme for Oman Air, and working with London and Partners to reboot international tourism post the pandemic.

The work Mary has led is multi-award winning and has been recognised at Cannes, the Kinsale Sharks, the Campaign Big Awards, the Webby Awards, The One Show Awards, the Creative Circle Awards, Precision Marketing Group Awards, The Andys, The Lovie Awards, The Influencer Marketing Awards and the British Arrow Awards. She is proud to have been invited to judge a number of awards including five years of the Lloyds National Business Awards, The City Nation Place Awards and the World Media Awards. Mary has  spoken at City Nation Place and Race for Place and has been invited to speak at Arabian Travel Market and AIDCA in Nigeria.

Mary founded the HER[E] network, the place for women who put places on the map, a group to increase diversity within place marketing. She has also  trained many place marketing organisations including Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, The Cabinet Office, The Croatian Branding Group, London Stansted Airport and Oman Air. She co-leads the City Nation Place Accelerator training programme for place marketers.