About

Lisa Verbeck

Founder/Managing Director

Lisa Verbeck, Founder of Verbeck Consulting, is a highly experienced collaborative marketing and communications executive with over 20 years of industry expertise. She served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Visit SLO CAL and played a pivotal role in planning and executing marketing, branding, and communications strategies during the global pandemic.

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Prior to that, Verbeck spent more than a decade at Tourism Australia as Director of Marketing, The Americas, and was instrumental in doubling leisure visitation from the Americas to Australia. Her achievements include securing an Oprah Winfrey Show brand integration that showcased Australia as a premier tourism destination to 40 million viewers and developing the award-winning Dundee Super Bowl campaign that generated over $84 million in earned media and a 900% increase in organic booking inquiries.

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Verbeck has also established the first marketing department and online sales channel at Contiki Holidays, a global youth tour operator, and held account management positions at leading agencies such as MMGY Global, TBWA/Chiat/Day, and Rogers & Cowan PMK. Her extensive industry knowledge and proven track record make her a valuable asset to any organization seeking to enhance their marketing efforts. With Verbeck Consulting, businesses can leverage her expertise to achieve their marketing goals and stand out in the competitive landscape.

Ruth Daly

Trade Trade Advisor

Ruth Daly is a recognized figure in global tourism, specializing in destination sales and marketing. Serving as the Regional Director for Tourism Fiji's North America office for more than nine years, Daly oversaw all aspects of marketing including consumer, PR, and trade strategies.

Ruth has extensive relationships and understanding of the North American distribution network including OTA, wholesale, and retail. Her previous roles included the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Stella Travel/Qantas Vacations, where she exponentially increased partner investments through innovative co-op campaigns. Ruth’s popularity as a speaker and reputation for holding fun and educational events has gained her a strong following of retail travel agents.

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Ruth is an active member of trade organizations and a Board Member of the Family Travel Association, demonstrating her commitment to excellence in the industry.

Lisa Strangis

PR Advisor

As a publicist, over the past 10 years, Strangis has cultivated dynamic PR campaigns for international travel clients, including the South Australian Tourism Commission and its luxury destination resorts. She also conceived the launch strategy for Hong Kong Airlines’ debut in North America, including the campaign with the airline’s celebrity ambassador, Jackie Chan.

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Strangis has hosted press trips to far-flung destinations from ancient farmlands in Sicily to road trips along the Great Ocean Road, supporting luxury boutique resorts (One & Only Resorts, Kokomo Private Island Fiji, Hotel de’ Ricci), introducing new food products, launching mixed-use real estate projects (ROW DTLA), and aligning hospitality groups (Patina Restaurant Group) with the awards show circuit, namely the Emmys and Grammys. Strangis sits on the Board of the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, focused on promoting unique chefs, restaurants, culinary products, and their narratives to bridge Italian food traditions and culture with the American F&B lifestyle.

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Prior to embarking on her career in PR, Lisa spent several years as a journalist and content creator, including positions with Angeleno magazine and gigs in television production and commercial photography, which fuels her holistic approach to navigating the modern media landscape.

John La

Digital Strategy

John La is an award-winning performance marketer with over a decade of experience leading paid media strategy for clients across industries from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Adept at analyzing complex data sets, optimizing campaigns, and developing strategies that deliver tangible outcomes, his expertise spans various platforms including search engine marketing, online video, and social media advertising.

Throughout his career, John has helped leading brands including Activision Blizzard, Visa, Apple, NBC, and eBay achieve their business objectives and maximize ROI. As an avid traveler, he draws inspiration from his adventures to inform his initiatives, recently partnering with Virgin Voyages to overhaul their paid strategy and develop a global social framework that resulted in a 300% increase in qualified leads at 50% lower cost per lead within 90 days. Whether promoting exotic destinations or luxury accommodations, John's keen insights and data-driven methodologies ensure that clients stay ahead of the curve, driving engagement and fostering brand loyalty in a competitive and ever-evolving marketplace.

Sandy Nerlich

Travel & Tourism Support Services

A travel industry veteran, Nerlich offers expertise in trade marketing, inside and outside sales, trade engagement, product development, partnerships, destination promotion & and management. She has represented government tourism bureaus, escorted tours and fams handled event logistics, and managed travel specialist programs, trade shows, roadshows, and representation services. 

Nerlich is a distribution development specialist within North America, developing successful trade engagement programs for destinations such as Sydney, Western Australia, and Queensland. She has built co-op partnerships with leading travel consortia and tour operators and brought destination brands to life through impactful activations. She has in-depth knowledge of the travel sales process through her previous roles at Newmans Vacations and ATS Pacific.