VisitPittsburgh names new president/CEO

VisitPittsburgh on Wednesday announced the selection of Jerad Bachar as its new president and CEO.

Bachar, 50, of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, served as interim CEO after former CEO Craig Davis resigned in December to take a similar position in Dallas. Since January 2019, he served as VisitPittsburgh’s executive vice president.

VisitPittsburgh is the official tourism agency for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.

Bryan Iams, VisitPittsburgh’s board chair, said members selected Bachar after a nationwide search.

“Jerad’s domestic and international tourism experience as well as his familiarity with the Pittsburgh tourism sector and VisitPittsburgh were major factors in our decision, and his exceptional leadership as interim CEO during these unprecedented times really made him stand out among our candidates,” Iams said in a statement. “Jerad has demonstrated his ability to collaborate with key stakeholders, to be forward-thinking as we plan our market rebound strategy and to be willing to make tough decisions for the benefit of our organization and the local tourism sector.”

VisitPittsburgh declined to provide Bachar’s salary.

Bachar has more than 30 years of experience in tourism and economic development.

He was national sales director for VisitPittsburgh from 2004 to 2008, and went on to serve in top tourism positions in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. He began his career in leadership positions with Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and John Q. Hammons Hotels.

Bachar has a master’s of business administration from the University of Liverpool.