Hermosa Beach – October 23, 2026 -- Jamie Claudio, who joined D S Simon Media in 2010 as assistant to the CEO, is now Executive Vice President for Global Destination Strategy at Tiki, an advertising technology firm that builds AI and generative engine optimization products for destinations and travel brands.
Claudio rose from CEO assistant to executive producer in four years
Claudio started at D S Simon Media in 2010, in her first job after college. She left in 2014 as executive producer for the company's satellite media tours and radio media tours. In a conversation marking D S Simon Media's 40th anniversary, CEO Doug said the company's average employee tenure is twelve years.
A National Geographic tour steered Claudio into travel marketing
A satellite media tour for National Geographic, built around a list of top places to visit, changed her career direction. She saw that destination messaging could shift perceptions and decided she no longer wanted to promote products such as laundry detergent or men's razors. She moved into destination marketing and travel and tourism.
Generative engine optimization now counts as a PR discipline
Claudio said generative AI has reshaped public relations "top to bottom," in both pitching and discovery. Pitching for generative engine optimization has emerged as a real discipline, she said, and she sees a major opportunity for PR practitioners.
Audiences no longer read or watch passively, she said. They comment and share, and that activity can outrun the potency of the original story, which changes how content is crafted.
Pitch fundamentals hold, with specificity ahead of volume
Claudio said the core of PR has not changed: the pitch still depends on the person being reached, whether a journalist or an earned placement. Technology has changed the who and the where, she said, but not the reason people say yes. In her words, "specificity is always going to beat volume," and trust and relationships remain the real currency.