Mariano Dima, ex Visa and Vrbo/Expedia, new Civitatis chairman to boost Latin American expansion

Madrid, Spain, July 22. Following Vitruvian Partners recent announcement of an additional 50 million USD investment into the online seller of guided tours, Mariano Dima, replaces Sophie Bower-Straziota, who will remain in the board of directors.

 

“We welcome Mariano as the new Civitatis Chairman. I am thrilled and fully convinced that he is the ideal person to take Civitatis to the next level, allowing us to exploit the enormous potential of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries as a region, and of tours and activities as a category”, says Alberto Gutiérrez, the company’s founder and CEO – who will continue to lead Civitatis.

 

Mariano Dima has been named new Chairman to the Board of Directors of Civitatis, the leading curated online marketplace for guided tours and activities for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking consumers. This appointment strengthens the company’s strategy in Latin America, the main objective for the coming years for Civitatis.

 

Mariano Dima brings over two decades of executive and board experience at some of the world’s most iconic companies, including Visa and Vrbo/Expedia, and serving as an advisor, chair, and board member to several high-growth marketplaces and financial services companies. This news comes after the international investment fund recently announced an additional 50 million USD investment in Civitatis – as a result of the sale of secondary shares, having originally invested in 2022 –  to cement its position as the premier brand for tours and activities for customers across Spain and Latin America, with a particular focus on Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, where it has already held the top position in sales for years. 

 

Alberto Gutiérrez, the company’s founder and CEO, will continue to lead the company. Under Gutiérrez’s leadership Civitatis has grown at an exceptional rate, 50 % each year, whilst maintaining continuous and strong profitability. Commenting on the appointment, Gutiérrez says: “We welcome Mariano as the new Civitatis Chairman. I am thrilled and fully convinced that he is the ideal person to take Civitatis to the next level, allowing us to exploit the enormous potential of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries as a region, and of tours and activities as a category. Much of the market remains offline still but we’re changing that rapidly thanks to our technological platform that is committed to quality and constant innovation”.

 

Dima replaces Sophie Bower-Straziota, a Vitruvian partner for more than ten years who has been Civitatis chairman since June 2022 – when the Vitruvian Partners fund first joined the company – and now will remain in the board of directors. The Madrid-based company offers over 90,000 activities in 160 countries, with over 10 million customers in 2023. Vitruvian Partners is aware that Civitatis’ target market is large and growing, with c.750 million Spanish and Portuguese speakers worldwide.

 

About Civitatis

 

Civitatis is the leading curated marketplace for tours and activities in Spanish and Portuguese with more than 90,000 activities in 4,000 destinations across 160 countries.