Civitatis welcomes Mariano Dima, former Visa and Vrbo/Expedi… | kbnmart

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Mariano Dima, former president of Visa and Vrbo/Expedia, is the new president of Civitatis, aiming to lead the Latin American expansion of the guided tours and activities market.

Mariano Dima has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Civitatis, the leading online marketplace for guided tours and activities catering to Spanish and Portuguese-speaking customers. This strategic move aims to strengthen Civitatis’ expansion in Latin America, a key focus area for the company in the coming years.

Deema has over 20 years of experience in senior executive and board positions at prestigious companies such as Visa and Vrbo/Expedia. He has also served as an advisor, chairman and board member at several high-growth markets and financial services companies.

This announcement follows a recent $50 million injection by an international investment fund, as a result of a secondary share sale. This additional investment, following the fund’s initial investment in 2022, aims to strengthen Civitatis’ position as the leading tour and activity brand across Spain and Latin America. The company already dominates the market in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, and has been number one in sales for several years.

Founder and CEO Alberto Gutierrez will continue to lead Civitates. Under his leadership, the company has achieved impressive growth, with an average annual increase of 50%, while maintaining strong profitability.

Gutierrez expressed his enthusiasm for Dima’s appointment, saying: “We are excited to welcome Mariano as the new President of Civitates. I am confident that he is the perfect person to take Civitates to the next level, enabling us to capitalize on the enormous potential of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets and the tours and activities sector. A large part of the market is still offline, but our innovative technology platform is rapidly changing this landscape.”

Dima succeeds Sophie Bauer-Straziotta, a partner at Vitruvian for over a decade, who has served as Chair of Civitatis since June 2022, when Vitruvian Partners first invested in the company. Bauer-Straziotta will continue to serve on the Board.

Headquartered in Madrid, Civitatis offers more than 90,000 activities in 160 countries, with more than 10 million customers in 2023. Vitruvian Partners recognizes the vast and growing potential of Civitatis’ target market, which includes approximately 750 million Spanish and Portuguese speakers worldwide.