Derek P. Linde Named President of GES as Part of Expanded Role

GES Announces Promotion of Derek P Linde to GES President

LAS VEGAS, June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Experience Specialists (GES), a global experiential marketing and logistics partner for the exhibition and live events industry, has announced the promotion of Derek P. Linde to GES President, in addition to his existing role as Viad's Chief Operating Officer, effective June 3, 2024.

Steve Moster, president and chief executive officer of Viad, said, "Derek is a trusted thought leader who has demonstrated his ability to advance our strategic goals through a collaborative approach. Over the past few years, he has been instrumental in shaping and supporting important transformative actions across GES that delivered enhanced revenue growth, profitability, and cash flow, including the launch of our Spiro experiential marketing agency and various margin initiatives within GES Exhibitions. Under Derek's leadership, the GES team will continue to build on the momentum of our successful strategies by capitalizing on GES's global strength and growth opportunities."

Linde joined Viad as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary in April 2018 and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in March 2022. In this role, Linde has helped define and drive strategic and operating initiatives that are accelerating the growth of the enterprise and positioning Viad to maximize value now and into the future. 

Prior to joining Viad, Linde served in various legal leadership roles at Illinois Tool Works Inc. supporting enterprise transformation and business operating objectives, and as a partner at the global law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP.

"His vital role in spearheading and fortifying innovative endeavors throughout GES has yielded tangible results in the expansion of earnings, financial health, and liquidity," said GES Exhibitions North America, President, Jeff Quade. "As we move forward under Derek's guidance, he will continue to leverage GES's global prowess and expansive growth prospects, building on the foundation of success already established."

"Derek has a terrific understanding of the business which will be drawn on as he guides GES through a period of strong expected growth, including further internationalization of our operations and through the introduction new products, services and technologies to the GES portfolio," said GES Exhibitions EMEA, President, Jason Stead. "In his new role he'll build upon our past successes and continue to contribute to the wider strategy, ensuring future growth for the GES portfolio."

About GES

With a legacy of over 90 years, GES is a global live events company providing exhibition services, brand experiences, and live event venue services throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. Our comprehensive suite of award-winning services brings client visions to life by creating immersive brand experiences and producing impactful events that connect audiences and drive business success. For more information on GES, a Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI) company, visit GES.com.

About Viad

Viad (NYSE: VVI), is a leading global provider of extraordinary experiences, including attractions, hospitality, exhibition management services, and experiential marketing through two businesses: Pursuit and GES. Our business strategy focuses on delivering extraordinary experiences for our teams, clients and guests, and significant and sustainable growth and above-market returns for our shareholders. Viad is an S&P SmallCap 600 company.

Pursuit is a global attractions and hospitality company that owns and operates a collection of inspiring and unforgettable experiences in iconic destinations. Pursuit's elevated hospitality experiences enable visitors to discover and connect with world-class attractions, distinctive lodges, and engaging tours in stunning national parks and renowned global travel locations, in addition to experiencing our collection of Flyover Attractions in the vibrant cities of Vancouver, Reykjavik, Las Vegas, and Chicago.

GES is a global exhibition management and experiential marketing company offering a comprehensive range of services to the world's leading event organizers and brands through two reportable segments, GES Exhibitions and Spiro. GES Exhibitions is a global exhibition and trade show management business that partners with leading exhibition and conference organizers as a full-service provider of strategic and logistics solutions to manage the complexity of their shows with teams throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Spiro is a global experiential marketing agency that partners with leading brands around the world to manage and elevate their experiential marketing activities, bonding brand and customer.

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