Bridgette King

Executive Director - Global Sales - The Islands of The Bahamas

There are people who seek the spotlight and gain the respect of only a few, and there are people who shun the spotlight and are respected by many. The latter describes Bridgette King, Executive Director – Global Sales, for The Islands of The Bahamas.

In 1987, Mrs. King completed her formal education at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and a Master BA degree with an emphasis on data and research. Mrs. King started her career as a Sales Representative at the Bahamas Tourist Office (BTO) in Coral Gables, Florida the same year she graduated from college. Her work contributed to improving the presence of The Bahamas in South Florida through a strategic mix of trade, consumer, and media promotions. Within a short period, Mrs. King’s talents were recognized, and she received the Bahamas Sales Incentive Award for Excellence which afforded her an opportunity to participate in ASTA’s World Congress in Egypt. In 1992, she was promoted to Senior Sales Representative and became a vital part of the development of tour operator relations and Bahamas-themed events throughout the state of Florida. Television, radio and print media promotions also joined her list of expertise during this time.

In 1995, this vibrant young Bahamian turned District Manager expanded responsibilities to include strategic cross-promotional campaigns with regional and national brands. She continued to make significant contributions, elevating the destination’s exposure. She was particularly instrumental in cultivating special Bahamas Heritage events within Broward County’s library system. Mrs. King was also awarded the Ministry of Tourism’s highest award of excellence in sales and became a recipient of the Minister of Tourism’s Award for creativity and initiative.

Patient, humble, a gatherer of the troops, and a trailblazer are some of the words Mrs. King’s colleagues used to describe her. These fine attributes soon earned her in 2002, the role of Acting Regional Manager where she supervised and coached the Florida Regional Team, developed, and prepared the BTO’s annual marketing plan and guided efforts for new business opportunities in secondary markets. It wasn’t long before Mrs. King advanced through the system holding a variety of senior department responsibilities including Grand Bahama marketing, Vertical Markets, Email and Contact Strategy, Emerging Markets and Operations. The latter she held until early 2019 as Senior Director U.S. Operations. In September 2019, Mrs. King accepted the position as Executive Director of Global Sales. In this position, King faced the greatest challenge of her career – leading both the sales recovery following a major hurricane disaster (Dorian), and the sales recovery after the fall out of a global pandemic. Executive Director King continues to oversee global sales, but with a new mandate for the development and growth of niche markets – Romance, Boating, Diving, Aviation, Sports, Latin America and Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitionists (MICE). Mrs. King acknowledges that with all of the gains in her career including the accolades and awards, nothing came by chance. It took hard work, commitment and continuous preparation to meet each and every challenge. After 30 years, she is still as enthusiastic and committed to serving the country she calls home, The Bahamas.

Mrs. King is a mother to two beautiful daughters, Aria and Amber; grandmother to grandsons Rodney and Jonah, and wife to Mr. Herman King. Mrs. King is a true ambassador for The Islands of The Bahamas.