Claude Molinari
President and Chief Executive Officer, Visit Detroit
Claude Molinari has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Visit Detroit since January 2021.
Molinari oversees Visit Detroit’s operations and develops its strategic direction. His leadership enables the organization to attract meetings and conventions, leisure, and business visitors to Southeast Michigan while accelerating economic growth.
Molinari co-chaired the 2024 NFL Draft, which drew a record 775,000 attendees to Downtown Detroit, along with 54 million viewers on TV. Under his leadership, hotel lodging revenue reached $1 billion in 2023 for the first time in the region.
Molinari also manages the Detroit Sports Commission, which attracts amateur and large-scale sporting events to Southeast Michigan.
Molinari came to Visit Detroit from Huntington Place, the 16th largest convention center in North America, where he served as general manager.
Molinari serves on several boards, most notably as the Chairman of the Board of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, appointed by the Governor of Michigan.