Latest news with #FernandoGonzalez
Travel Weekly
9 hours ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
First in Service officially launches operations in Latin America
First in Service Travel, No. 44 on Travel Weekly's Power List, has formally launched operations in Latin America. While this week marks the official launch of Latin America operations for First in Service (stylized as F1S), the agency has been building its presence there for some time. It currently has 15 luxury-focused leisure advisors in Mexico, as well as advisors in Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. "We are thrilled to formally plant the F1S flag in Mexico after considerable time devoted to building our First in Service presence here," said CEO and co-founder Fernando Gonzalez. Nancy Mendoza F1S named Nancy Mendoza its general manager of Latin America. She has been tasked with overseeing advisor relationships throughout Latin America and the company's strategic direction in the region. Mendoza joins First in Service after working as Nuba's new business and industry relations manager. Before that, she spent nearly a decade with Felgueres Travel Group. Additionally, F1S named Lorena Barraza manager of partnerships for Latin America, overseeing all supplier relationships.
Travel Weekly
23-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
First In Service Travel
2024 sales: $359 million Previous ranking: 45 Employees: 76 full-time 444 Madison Ave., 30th Floor New York, NY 10022 Phone: (212) 398-6555 Website $359 million4576 full-time444 Madison Ave., 30th FloorNew York, NY 10022Phone: (212) 398-6555 Executives CEO/CO-FOUNDER: Fernando Gonzalez CHAIRWOMAN/CO-FOUNDER: Erika Reategui CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Gina Gabbard COO: Robert Blair EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Awilda Gonzalez MANAGING DIRECTOR, EU/U.K.: Barry Whittaker MANAGING DIRECTOR, CANADA: Willa Griffin COMPANY FACTS * Privately held. * Owned by Erika Reategui (51%) and Fernando Gonzalez (49%) since 1991. * Global network of advisors and affiliates in nine offices in Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. * Works with 216 independent contractors. * Sales: 34% business, 34% leisure, 21% entertainment, 11% group. * A member of Virtuoso since 2015 and a Forbes Travel Guide-endorsed agency. DEVELOPMENTS * Hired a new leadership team to lead reorganization of all departments. * The partnerships/supplier-relations team reorganized and strategically recruited an international team based in each time zone where the company has offices. All partnerships, including air, are now part of the global partnerships team regardless of segment. * Launched its One Global Network (1GN) philosophy with four company pillars: first culture, fanatical service, frontierless and fiercely independent. * Launched F1S Around the Sun, 24/7 support for advisors in all time zones. * Launched the F1S entertainment hotel program in Q1 2025, with more than 250 hotels around the world, with enhanced commission and amenities catering to the entertainment market. * Introduced its 501(c)(3) charitable arm in the first quarter of 2025. * Hired a new marketing team in Q1 of 2025, relaunching B2B digital monthly communications segmented by country in native languages, allowing for global and regional partner promotions. LOOKING AHEAD * Expanding in Canada with the opening of the Montreal office. * Introducing several culture and partnership initiatives, including advisor master classes for continued learning, supporting advisors' growth and think tanks to foster greater engagement between advisors and supplier partners. * Continuing focus and investment on IC growth in the luxury leisure and entertainment verticals.
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
SuViche Doral is a vibrant food destination where east meets west
In the heart of CityPlace Doral, there's a vibrant and fun food destination that represents a fusion of where East meets West in the most delicious way possible. SuViche Doral, one of four locations for this growing local brand, represents more than just a restaurant — it's a celebration that tells the story of Peru's rich culinary heritage. The name itself tells the tale. According to Chef Alvaro Machado, "SuViche means 'sushi and ceviche,'" revealing the little secret behind the restaurant's unique concept that also features hot dishes alongside their signature offerings. The atmosphere at SuViche is pure fun, featuring a colorful, playful design that doesn't take itself too seriously. The restaurant's swing chairs allow diners to literally swing while they eat, creating an interactive dining experience that sets it apart from traditional restaurants. The design reminds visitors of the colors of Peru, especially with decorative ropes that create an authentic Peruvian restaurant atmosphere. Machado notes that the restaurant serves a perfect blend of the surrounding business community and local families, reflecting Doral's strong family-oriented community. Customer Fernando Gonzalez praised the experience, saying the food is great, the service is awesome, and the waitstaff is super helpful in explaining the menu completely. SuViche's new happy hour, cleverly called "Saucy Hour," offers 50% off select drinks and features a new menu of crave-worthy bites. The crispy wonton tacos, which include spicy tuna, spicy salmon, and pork belly, are priced at $12 and have become a customer favorite for their perfect texture, seasoning, and fresh fish. Brunch is also a highlight at SuViche, featuring bottomless mimosas priced at $18 per person. The brunch menu showcases the restaurant's creative fusion approach with several standout dishes: Chicken and Camote Waffles: Sweet and savory combination featuring panko-fried all-natural chicken served with housemade sweet potato waffle mix and maple syrup Sweet and savory combination featuring panko-fried all-natural chicken served with housemade sweet potato waffle mix and maple syrup Lomo Saltado A Lo Pobre: A Peruvian classic featuring juicy tenderloin, fried eggs, rustic potatoes, red onions, lomo sauce, and sweet plantains A Peruvian classic featuring juicy tenderloin, fried eggs, rustic potatoes, red onions, lomo sauce, and sweet plantains Pork Belly Chaufa: A perfect blend of fried rice, plantains, and a crunchy fried egg that creates an amazing textural contrast Location and Hours SuViche Doral features an adorable outdoor space and is open seven days a week. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays, with an extended happy hour on weekends from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., and during weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The restaurant offers a fantastic taste of international fusion cuisine right in the heart of Doral's dining scene. For more information, visit its page on
eNCA
28-05-2025
- eNCA
Sun, sand and suspects: Spain seduces fugitive criminals
MADRID - With its sun-drenched beaches and vibrant nightlife, Spain has long been a top destination -- not just for tourists, but also for criminals looking to vanish. From drug traffickers to sex offenders and cybercriminals, fugitives from around the globe flock to Spain's coastal havens. That gamble rarely pays off: Police stress that their chances of evading justice are slim. "We're arresting new people every day," said Fernando Gonzalez, the head of an elite Spanish police unit set up in 2004 to hunt down criminals on the run. "Spain remains a very attractive place for traffickers," he added. Last year, his unit arrested 460 fugitives -- mostly foreigners -- across Spain, up from 390 in 2023. The pace has not slowed this year. Recent high-profile arrests underscore the European country's ongoing appeal to fugitives. "We deal with a wide range of profiles," from major criminals to petty offenders, as well as a wide range of nationalities, Gonzalez said as he scanned the latest list of arrests, which included Moroccans, French nationals and a growing number of Latin Americans. Spain's role as a haven for those trying to evade justice is "historic", a French investigator told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It's not just a hideout for fugitives... it's also home to career criminals who operate between Morocco, Spain and France." Criminal defence lawyer and former extradition judge Carlos Bautista said Spain's location "at the crossroads" of Europe, the Americas and Africa makes it a natural hiding spot for runaway criminals. Gonzalez said fugitives can often easily find "contacts who can help" them among the large community of foreigners who live in Spain. He cited as an example the case of a German woman who was arrested in the Balearic Islands where she had lived for years without speaking Spanish. Most fugitives are found along Spain's Mediterranean coast where expat communities are concentrated. Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which has long been a popular destination for British expats and tourists, are top picks for criminals on the run, said Bautista. Laying low on the coast does not guarantee safety -- these are regions with some of the highest arrest rates.
France 24
28-05-2025
- France 24
Sun, sand and suspects: Spain seduces fugitive criminals
From drug traffickers to sex offenders and cybercriminals, fugitives from around the globe flock to Spain's coastal havens. That gamble rarely pays off: police stress that their chances of evading justice are slim. "We're arresting new people every day," said Fernando Gonzalez, the head of an elite Spanish police unit set up in 2004 to hunt down criminals on the run. "Spain remains a very attractive place for traffickers," he added. Last year, his unit arrested 460 fugitives -- mostly foreigners -- across Spain, up from 390 in 2023. The pace has not slowed this year. Recent high-profile arrests underscore the European country's ongoing appeal to fugitives. In October 2024, police in Barcelona arrested Serbian national Nikola Vusovic, a suspected leader of a major crime gang from Montenegro, the Kavac clan. At the start of this year, officers arrested the leader of a brutal Peruvian mafia group, Omar Luis Castaneda, near the Mediterranean city of Alicante over his suspected involvement in 16 murders in the Latin American country. And in February, police in southern Spain arrested one of the gunmen who in 2024 ambushed a prison van in France to free a drug lord, Mohamed Amra, killing two prison guards. The fugitive was living in a luxury villa at the time. "We deal with a wide range of profiles," from major criminals to petty offenders, as well as a wide range of nationalities, Gonzalez said as he scanned the latest list of arrests, which included Moroccans, French nationals and a growing number of Latin Americans. 'Blend in' Spain's role as a haven for those trying to evade justice is "historic", a French investigator told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It's not just a hideout for fugitives... it's also home to career criminals who operate between Morocco, Spain and France." Spain is home to a large number of expatriates and is the world's second-most-visited country, having welcomed a record 94 million foreign tourists last year, which makes it easier for fugitives to go unnoticed. "It's a place with a high quality of life. It's easy to rent quiet villas with swimming pools. People blend in," the French investigator said. Criminal defence lawyer and former extradition judge Carlos Bautista said Spain's location "at the crossroads" of Europe, the Americas and Africa makes it a natural hiding spot for runaway criminals. Gonzalez said fugitives can often easily find "contacts who can help" them among the large community of foreigners who live in Spain. He cited as an example the case of a German woman who was arrested in the Balearic Islands where she had lived for years without speaking Spanish. 'Cat-and-mouse game' Most fugitives are found along Spain's Mediterranean coast where expat communities are concentrated. Malaga and Marbella on the Costa del Sol, which has long been a popular destination for British expats and tourists, are top picks for criminals on the run, said Bautista. Laying low on the coast does not guarantee safety -- these are regions with some of the highest arrest rates. "It's a cat-and-mouse game. But we usually find them. It just takes patience," said Gonzalez. Police credit wiretaps, monitoring social media and, above all, close international cooperation for their success. Through ENFAST, a network of police officers from across Europe who work together to locate internationally wanted criminals, Spain has become a leader in cross-border arrests. "Spain is extremely active in extraditions. Sooner or later, fugitives get caught," said Bautista. The walls of Gonzalez's elite police unit are lined with mugshots and mementos from years of operations. "There may be fugitives living quietly among us. But that doesn't mean they will escape forever," he said.
