International Offices

Malcolm Smith is a Senior Executive in Global Markets, Trade Development, and Tourism Strategy with over 25 years of experience. As the Senior Vice President of Global Markets and Chief Trade and Product Development Officer at Brand USA, Smith leads a global team driving international engagement and inbound tourism.

Previously, Smith served as Senior Vice President of Business Development at the U.S. Travel Association, where Smith led the industry’s marquee international inbound trade show, IPW, facilitating over 100,000 business appointments, which generated more than $5.5B in future travel to the USA.

Smith has a proven track record of success in the travel industry, with expertise in destination marketing at Travel Texas, hospitality sales at Kimpton Hotels, and strategic planning at Suncoast Global Strategy. Smith holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Tech University and a Master of Arts in International Relations from St. Mary’s University (TX).

Jackie Ennis is vice president, global trade development for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide. In this role, Jackie leads Brand USA’s trade engagement and marketing efforts, manage Brand USA’s global offices, and continue to effectively work to optimize trade and consumer reach around the world.

Jackie joined Brand USA in August of 2018 as senior director, global trade development after working as a consultant with the organization’s global trade team and became instrumental in strategic development of our trade initiatives. Jackie was previously responsible for the international marketing strategy for the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. She also was the executive director for Discover New England, where she developed the successful business-to-business international marketplace which is considered one of the most valuable business opportunities for the New England hospitality industry in marketing the region to international travelers. Her other previous positions included principal of Ennis Marketing; director and international marketing manager for Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; and product manager for Saga Holidays.

An avid traveler, Jackie has lived in three countries as has visited 29 countries, 28 states, and the District of Columbia. She loves tennis and is semi-fluent in Spanish. She is married with two children.

Jackie received her bachelor’s in international relations and Spanish from the University of Warwick, England.

Suzy Shepard is Senior Director, Global Trade Development (APAC) for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide.

In this role, Suzy cultivates and maintains relationships with Brand USA’s international representation firms and trade partners across Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, seeks new trade opportunities, and manages day-to-day operations including market activation, co-op marketing, and budget overview.

Suzy oversees comprehensive trade operations across her markets, including sales missions, in-market B2B events, training and educational seminars, and familiarization programs that showcase U.S. destinations to international travel professionals. She also leads Brand USA’s Ambassador Program in Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to joining Brand USA, Suzy was a graduate student intern at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Mexican Affairs, serving as an alternate officer on the Economic, Political and Public Diplomacy desk. She holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies with a focus on security studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and Latin American studies from Wellesley College.

Suzy is originally from San José, Costa Rica, and now resides in Brisbane, Australia. She has traveled to 39 countries and 40 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia. Outside of work, Suzy is a Krav Maga instructor and fosters rescue dogs — she only wishes she could take her fosters along on work trips.

Lisa Tejeda is Senior Director, Global Trade Development (LATAM) for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide.

In this role, Lisa cultivates and maintains relationships with international Brand USA representation firms and partners in Latin America, seeks new trade opportunities, manages day-to-day operations including market activation, co-op marketing, and budget overview.

Lisa joins Brand USA with more than 17 years of experience in the tourism industry, working as a tourism consultant and a sales professional for Hospitality brands like AccorHotels Group, Hilton Hotels and Resorts and Meliá Hotels. Most recently, Lisa served as Senior Director of Tourism Development-LATAM at NYC & Company. She received her bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management, with a focus on sales and marketing, from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra.

Lisa loves to travel. She is originally from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, but currently resides in New Jersey, USA. It’s impossible for her to pick a favorite travel destination since Lisa has ventured to 70 countries and 21 states and feels magic at every place she goes. Her favorite travel memory is taking her mother along for a tour of the west coast of the USA.

Amanda Davis is the Director of Global Trade Development (UK & Europe) at Brand USA, the nation’s public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts.

In this role, Amanda cultivates and manages key partnerships across Brand USA’s UK and European markets, serving as the primary liaison between the organization, its international representation firms, and the broader travel trade community.

Amanda oversees comprehensive trade operations across her markets, including co-op marketing campaigns, in-market events, sales missions, and familiarization programs that showcase U.S. destinations to international travel professionals.

Since joining Brand USA in June 2016, Amanda began her tenure on the global trade team, where she played an integral role in flagship programs including the USA Discovery Program, MegaFams, and international tradeshows. Her deep understanding of trade operations and ability to build meaningful industry relationships positioned her for advancement to her current role.

Prior to joining Brand USA, Amanda taught English as a second language in Le Mans, France, and Washington, D.C., experiences that deepened her global perspective and a genuine love for connecting across cultures.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in both International Studies and French from Miami University. While at Miami (in Ohio!), she studied abroad in Cannes, France, which kickstarted her love of travel.

Desmon Hickson is Manager, Global Trade Development (APAC) for Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization with the mission of increasing international visitation to the United States, fueling the nation’s economy and enhancing the image of the USA worldwide. In this role, Desmon is responsible for supporting global marketing with creation of international programs and track, organize, and maintain the compliance of programs’ activities.

Prior to joining Brand USA, Desmon worked as a travel consultant for InsideJapan Tours, producing customized itineraries for travelers to Japan, as well as time spent as a sales engineer for the Japanese manufacturer, Ryoden Corporation. He also runs his own web design business in his free time. Desmon received his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Temple University, with a concentration in Computer Engineering and a minor in Japanese.

Desmon loves everything to do with Japan, from speaking and reading Japanese in his free time to devouring tasty ramen. He is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, and has ventured to 24 states and four countries. His favorite travel memory was living with his host family in Japan and recommends the island nation as his favorite travel destination.

Laura Jacobson is the Manager, Global Trade Development (UK, Europe & India) at Brand USA, the nation’s destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting international visitation to the United States. In her role, Laura maintains strong relationships with Brand USA’s international representation firms and trade partners across the UK, Europe, and India. She manages day-to-day operations and supports in-market representatives across all trade initiatives, including co-op trade marketing campaigns, familiarization trips (FAMs), sales missions, and other market-specific programs.

Originally from Lithuania, Laura lived and studied in Denmark, South Korea, and India, and has visited more than 40 countries. She now lives in New York City with her husband and two children. These professional and personal experiences have shaped her well-rounded global perspective.

Laura joined Brand USA from New York City Tourism + Conventions, where she worked on the Tourism Market Development team. There, she developed and managed a range of trade and partner programs and initiatives promoting New York City—its attractions, accommodations, and dining scene—as a premier destination worldwide.

Outside of work, Laura enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, biking, traveling, and exploring art.