German born and having settled in Chicago, with 20+ years experience in the financial services, digital media and travel industries, Tobias Zerr took over as publisher of Essentially America and President of Phoenix International Publishing Media Corp in 2018.

Tobias spent the past 10 years working in the travel industry including co-founding and serving as VP of Sales & Marketing for Inside Out Media, a privately held digital media company focused on publishing travel websites such as iExplore.com and Travelmindset.com.

Previously Tobias had a successful career in the financial services and private banking industry working for various companies in Chicago, IL and Zurich, Switzerland.

Tobias received his Bachelor of Science from the Florida Institute of Technology and earned his MBA at DePaul University where he studied International Marketing & Finance.

Contact: tobiaszerr@phoenixip.com

The American-born, London-based editor of Essentially America magazine since its launch in 1994, Mary Moore Mason is recognized as one of the leading USA-centric consumer travel journalists. She has won many awards endorsing her unrivalled reputation in travel publishing.

In January, 2012 she was named the Travel Journalist of the Year by TravMedia, the compiler and distributor of travel news around the world. In 2011, in a worldwide competition between 150 journalists, she was given the award for the best consumer travel article on the USA by the US Travel Association at its annual Pow Wow convention. In 2009 the State of California presented her with its first annual award for media excellence and in 2006 she was given the UK’s prestigious Visit USA Association’s first annual award for her ‘outstanding media contribution.

Contact: marymooremason@phoenixip.com

Larry Cohen has had a career in advertising and publishing since his graduation from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. His company, Northeast Media, has represented a large number of travel industry publications for over twenty years.

Prior to Northeast Media, Larry was publisher of the magazine Corporate Meetings and Incentives. Since 1990, Larry and Northeast Media have had a leading role in inbound tourism promotion through the representation of travel media based outside the US. Over the past several years, more USA-based advertisers seeking international visitors have worked with Northeast Media than with any other travel advertising sales organization.

Contact: larrycohen@phoenixip.com

With over twenty five years’ experience in marketing working with premium retail and wholesale brands  in the financial and professional services, travel and luxury services sectors, Tracey Spuyman has a background in strategic marketing and creative design which enables her to take an independent view of all output in terms of both style and content.

Tracey was managing director of a UK specialist integrated advertising and PR agency for over 15 years, developing and implementing campaigns that utilized the full spectrum of marketing disciplines, including digital and social media. She has also worked in Europe with brands based in the Netherlands, France, Spain and Switzerland.

Tracey is an independent business and communications consultant who works closely with Phoenix International Publishing to enhance our brand and PR profile and assist in the development of joint venture proposals. She also edits Essentially America – Canada Edition and Mein Amerika (German edition).

With over thirty years of broad-based, worldwide executive experience working with leading travel and lifestyle brands, Simon Todd was the publisher of Essentially America and president of Phoenix International Publishing from 2001 to 2018.

Previously, Simon was a principal with The Destination Group, a private equity firm that focused on travel, leisure, lifestyle and marketing, and served as chairman of Accovia Inc, a leading travel technology provider.

Earlier in his career Simon spent 13 years with Hertz, was head of Thomas Cook Travel in Europe, based in France, before moving back to the USA as vice president for InterContinental Hotels Group (previously Holiday Inn Worldwide). Simon later joined Sabre Inc., where he had full responsibility for all aspects of Sabre’s Car, Hotel and Leisure (Tour, Cruise, and Travel Insurance) business on a worldwide basis, with revenues of over $150 million.

Simon was educated in England and the United States. He studied Managerial and Administrative Studies at the University of Aston in Birmingham, and earned his MBA at Oxford Brookes University. Simon also completed post-graduate studies in Finance at Harvard Business School.