Team San Jose announced Tuesday that CEO Bill Sherry, who also serves as the director of aviation for Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, will retire in September 2013. A nationwide search for Sherry’s replacement is expected to begin early next year.

The following is the press release Team San Jose sent out:

“Bill’s leadership has played a key role in Team San Jose’s turnaround, resulting in a stronger, more strategic company that is laser focused on business,” said Michael Mulcahy, Team San Jose Board Chairman. “We have a year to find our next CEO, and with a talented executive team who remains in place, a strong board of directors, and a positive City partnership, I expect a smooth transition. Team San Jose has a strong platform for customer service and industry innovation and we’ll have a new convention center that we believe will attract the “best of the best” for our top spot.”

Team San Jose has retained Mike Gamble of Searchwide to lead the nationwide search for an industry leader to continue the significant momentum Bill Sherry – together with COO Dave Costain, CFO Janette Divoll and a hands-on board—created over the last two years. San Jose Marriott Hotel General Manager, Robert Thomas has been appointed chair of the search committee and San Jose City Manager Debra Figone will be involved in the search process.

Sherry served as aviation director at Mineta San Jose International Airport for the past seven years, as well as CEO of Team San Jose where he has led the City’s $120 million expansion and renovation of the San Jose Convention Center. He will continue as a consultant to Team San Jose until January 2014 following his retirement to ensure a successful transition. The City of San Jose will conduct a separate nationwide search for an aviation director next year as well.

“Bill is a great leader who will leave a great legacy for San Jose,” said Figone.  “His retirement announcement will also trigger the City’s search next year for our next aviation director for Silicon Valley’s airport where he led our successful modernization project.”

“I will stay through the completion of the convention center project as my final career achievement,” said Sherry.  “We’re on track for completion in September 2013 on schedule and on budget as a result of our great partnership with the City, our construction team, and Team San Jose. It’s important that we start the CEO search process now so that we have the time to find the right industry leader to lead San Jose’s convention center, theater, and visitors bureau operations. I’m confident that we will recruit an energetic, capable professional to lead a superbly renovated convention center that will meet the needs of the industry and our community.”

Team San Jose has exceeded seven of nine performance measures established by the City of San Jose, including growing annual revenue nearly 60 percent over projection last year.

Team San Jose’s Board Chairman, Michael Mulcahy who is serving a two year term and Team San Jose’s Executive Team including Dave Costain, Chief Operating Officer; Janette Sutton, Chief Financial Officer; Diana Ponton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing; Magda Madriz, Human Resources Director and Meghan Horrigan, Communications Director will continue to support operations of the $20 million corporation after Sherry’s retirement in 2013.

SearchWide was founded in 1999 with the idea that recruiting top executives is the most important denominator in building thriving and successful travel and tourism organizations. In addition to recruitment in travel and tourism organizations, SearchWide handles recruitment of executive and leadership positions in economic development, transportation, city, association, tradeshow and exhibit companies, events/experiential marketing companies, and other industries related to the travel and tourism industry. For more information about SearchWide or the nationwide search for Team San Jose’s CEO please visit: http://www.searchwide.com

About Bill Sherry
William Sherry is the director of aviation at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport. He joined the airport in that role in 2005. He spent six years overseeing a significant expansion of the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport in Florida. An accountant by education, Sherry has worked in public accounting, public administration and as an aviation consultant for over six years. He serves on the Board of the San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and has served on the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors.  Bill is married to Lee, a college professor at San Jose State University and has one son who is an attorney in South Florida with the law firm Hunton and Williams LLP.

Team San Jose (TSJ)
This innovative partnership unifies the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, hotels, arts, labor and venues to deliver an exceptional visitor experience and serve as the gateway to San Jose as a destination. We manage the San Jose Convention Center and Arts and Entertainment venues including the California Theatre, the Center for the Performing Arts, Montgomery Theater, Parkside Hall, San Jose Civic and South Hall. For more information about San Jose and Team San Jose, please visit the new http://www.sanjose.org.