Marina BraicaFormerly the assistant director of sales at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, Chicago, Marina Braica is the newly appointed director of sales and marketing at the hotel. Marina held her former position for nearly two years, starting in January 2014. Braica brings to the role extensive experience with the Chicago hotel market and supreme management skills, having handled the hotel’s 334 rooms the past four years. “Marina’s continued support and dedication to our hotel the past four years is remarkable,” says Pierre Louis-Giacotto, general manager of the hotel. “Her passion and expertise are unmatched, and appointing her to director of sales and marketing is an obvious choice and wonderful fit for her skillset.” Braica’s key responsibilities include providing expert sales leadership to all hotel departments, executing promotional programs, budget planning, developing stakeholder relationships, and ensuring guest satisfaction. In addition, Braica will develop and implement creative marketing strategies to further differentiate the hotel within the Chicago hospitality sector. “In a competitive hotel landscape like Chicago’s, Radisson Blu Aqua has continued to flourish since its opening in 2011, and playing a part in that growth is professionally rewarding,” says Braica. “In this new role, I’m looking forward to creating the most desirable urban oasis for our guests, while continuing to promote our brand across the continent.” Braica joined the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel as part of the opening team in April of 2011, and was the 3rd hire of the hotel. Her most recent role at the hotel was assistant director of sales, where she led the sales team alongside her previous director in order to achieve all financial goals, worked on marketing and PR projects, assisted on budget planning, and worked closely with the Carlson global sales team on group and transient accounts. Braica obtained her Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Hospitality and Service Management from Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia.