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7NEWS
2 days ago
- 7NEWS
They had a teen summer romance - 26 years later, they reunited
When American teenager Kerri Cunningham was dragged by her parents to Europe in the summer of 1993, she was less than impressed. 'Dragged' might sound dramatic but that's how 14-year-old Kerri saw it at the time. Kerri said she reacted to the vacation plans 'from the teenage point of view of 'Oh, it's taking away from my summer break and I want to hang out with my friends'.' Leaving her beachside hometown in The Hamptons, in New York, was the last thing she wanted. 'I was dreading the trip,' Kerri tells CNN Travel today. Looking back today, Kerri says this was all a bit of a 'spoiled brat, teenage attitude'. The trip — embarking first to the UK, then France and culminating in a two-week bus tour around Italy — was an amazing opportunity. Kerri realises now she was fortunate. Her parents wanted their daughters to see the world. But it was hard to see it that way back then. All teenage Kerri could fixate on was the time away from her life in New York. Little did Kerri know this voyage to Europe would change her life forever, and that she'd still feel the reverberations of this trip three decades on. A significant meeting The first few days of the trip were uneventful, at least in Kerri's mind. She sulked her way across the UK and boarded a ferry with the other tour participants from Dover, England to Calais, France. She was glad two of her sisters were on the trip, too, but she still resented being there. 'And then I saw Dirk,' recalls Kerri. 'And it instantly got better.' As the ship crossed the English Channel, and the White Cliffs of Dover retreated into the distance, Kerri's parents got chatting to an English family by the name of Stevens, who were also en route to the continent to embark on the same Italy bus tour. Dirk was their 15-year-old son. Like Kerri, he was a reluctant teenage tagalong to a family holiday. But then he smiled at Kerri, and everything started to look up. Kerri thought he was 'so handsome'. 'I was immediately smitten,' she admits. 'Hugh Grant was really big at that time and (Dirk) sort of had this young Hugh Grant hair. Being an American girl, Hugh Grant was the guy.' 'A bad haircut,' says Dirk today, laughing. 'But it worked at the time.' Dirk tells CNN Travel he also felt an 'instant attraction' to Kerri. He vividly remembers his first impression of her: 'Beautiful smile, dark hair, really pretty.' Before long, the two teens were sitting side-by-side, sharing headphones and listening to Kerri's Walkman music player. Their parents bonded quickly, too. 'We all just got chatting and hit it off,' recalls Dirk. 'Our dads are sort of similar guys, you know, like to take machines apart, make something new, build something, design something, have a bonfire…' As the group disembarked the ferry in France and boarded the bus to Italy — stopping off here and there en route — the two families grew even closer. 'Our dads would be in a pub somewhere or grabbing a drink, and the mums would be shopping,' recalls Kerri. Their parents' friendship helped cement Kerri and Dirk's bond, and Kerri also enjoyed observing the way Dirk interacted with his family. Dirk's dad used a wheelchair, and Dirk was often the family member who'd help his dad navigate the cobbled streets of Italy. 'Here's this 15-year-old who's pushing his dad all over Europe in this wheelchair, and not complaining about it, and getting on with it, but doing it with a smile on his face,' Kerri recalls. She noticed that Dirk seemed to always 'see the bright side of everything'. His warm, breezy attitude won her over. 'I had never met anyone my age who was so comfortable with himself and his family and so accepting of me and mine,' says Kerri. 'Everything was just easy and fun. We just got each other and there was a very strong attraction.' In the evenings, while the parents were deep in conversation and Kerri's sisters were doing their own thing, Dirk and Kerri would steal time alone. 'Us two, sneaking off…' recalls Dirk. 'There are pictures of us with bottles of champagne we'd taken at dinner.' They became 'fast friends, which became romantic,' as Dirk puts it. At one of the Italian hotels, they danced together, arm-in-arm. They always sat together at dinners, stealing glances and sharing in-jokes. 'We just felt so comfortable together,' says Dirk. 'I remember being on a gondola in Venice and just laughing the entire time.' 'I'm pretty sure we stole a few kisses when our parents weren't looking,' says Kerri. 'I thought he was the cutest boy I had ever met.' A summer to remember At the end of the two-week tour, the Cunningham and Stevens families promised to stay in touch. There was already talk about getting together the following summer. Still, for Dirk and Kerri, saying goodbye wasn't easy. In fact 'it was awful,' says Dirk. 'Just as you find someone special, you have to say goodbye,' he recalls. 'But, our parents had already said we'd meet them next summer. Nothing was planned at that point but everyone was excited for the idea.' Back in their respective hometowns on opposite sides of the Atlantic, the Cunningham family and the Stevens family remained connected. 'Mum would talk to mum and we'd be on the phone after,' recalls Dirk. 'And dad with dad. Soon dates were arranged and the excitement and anticipation builds up.' A plan was in place: the Stevens family would visit New York in the following summer of 1994 and stay with the Cunninghams at their home on Long Island. As they counted down to this reunion, Dirk and Kerri exchanged letters, sending each other magazine clippings and writing dispatches about their lives on opposite sides of the Atlantic. They also enjoyed 'long phone calls with the old plug-in phones, when you had a really long extension lead so you could go and sit on the stairs or in the bathroom to try and get privacy,' as Dirk recalls. 'My dad was very strict, so I wasn't allowed to talk to many boys on the phone,' says Kerri. But Dirk was an exception. 'Unlike other boys our age, he wasn't afraid to talk to my parents on the phone,' she says. 'In fact, I think he really enjoyed it! And my parents really loved him.' For Kerri and Dirk, the 12-month countdown to their reunion only intensified their feelings for each other. 'We'd missed each other for a year, were desperate to see each other,' says Dirk. Kerri remembers the moment she saw Dirk again on Long Island in summer 1994. He smiled at her. Right away, she felt 'at home'. She loved how he greeted her, calling her 'darling'. 'I know it's an English thing,' says Kerri of the pet name. 'But when he called me 'darling' — in person, in emails or on the phone — my heart would just melt.' 'It was a very exciting time,' says Dirk of that summer in New York. Kerri and Dirk spent every moment together. They hung out at the beach together, Dirk tagged along to Kerri's summer job. They spent long evenings in each other's company. 'This was first-love stuff,' says Dirk. 'Knowing that our time together was limited made it all the more special.' 'We loved each other and were great friends, but we lived an ocean apart and never even considered being together. I guess we thought… 'How could we?' We were just teenagers,' says Kerri. When Kerri and Dirk said goodbye at the end of Dirk's visit, they did so accepting 'that we couldn't be together,' she says. 'But knowing that we'd get to see each other again at some point,' adds Dirk. 'Yeah,' says Kerri. 'I kind of felt like, 'Oh, we'll always … we'll always …' '… Have this,' says Dirk, finishing Kerri's sentence. Changing times After their New York summer, Kerri and Dirk continued to write letters and speak to each other on the phone. But as they finished up high school, this communication gradually slowed down. Calls became 'every two months, then three months …' recalls Dirk. Then they dropped off almost completely when they graduated. It was still the mid-1990s, and there was no social media offering easy long distance back-and-forth. Staying in touch required time and effort. 'We both got busy. We loved each other, but we weren't sure when we'd get to see each other again,' says Dirk. 'We were both students who couldn't afford expensive flights. Life gets in the way.' 'We were both going to college, working, dating and our lives were moving ahead,' says Kerri. 'We were so far apart, being together just didn't seem possible.' Still, even when they weren't in touch, the two always thought of each other fondly. Plus, their parents remained connected, so Kerri and Dirk got regular secondhand updates on each other. 'Mum would pass me on information about Kerri and the family,' recalls Dirk. 'We'd catch each other every now and then.' As email became more commonplace, Kerri and Dirk would send the occasional note back and forth. They'd write, as Dirk recalls it, 'How you doing? Thought of you today. Miss you.' 'Emails were easier than phone calls,' he says. Then, in Kerri's first year of college, her father was diagnosed with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease. When she was 19, he passed away. It was a devastating loss for Kerri and the Cunningham family. The Stevens family were also heartbroken to hear the news. Around the time of her father's death, Kerri had been supposed to go to Paris with some girlfriends. The trip got called off. Through the grapevine, Dirk's mother heard about Kerri's canceled vacation. She immediately offered a suggestion to Kerri's mother: she'd love to take Kerri and Dirk to Paris, together. Dirk's mother had studied there when she was younger and knew the city well. It was the least she could do, she said, after the loss they'd weathered. Looking back today, Kerri suggests that Dirk's mother was also keen for Dirk to reconnect with Kerri. 'She knew how much we cared for each other and I think she wanted us to be together as much as we wanted it,' says Kerri. Kerri's mother encouraged her daughter to go. Soon, Kerri started daydreaming about Paris again. Flights were booked and hotels arranged — and Kerri and Dirk got back in regular touch. Via email, they started counting down the days until their reunion. 'All that excitement built up again,' says Dirk. Kerri hoped seeing Dirk would be a balm to her grief. And when he picked her up from the airport in February 2001, she was proven right. It was like they'd never been apart, though it had been seven years since they'd last seen each other in person. They were now in their early 20s. 'We were different, we'd grown up a bit,' says Dirk. 'Kerri was more beautiful.' 'It happened to be Valentine's Day week,' says Kerri. 'It was very romantic.' With Dirk's mother leading the way, Kerri and Dirk visited Notre Dame, took walks on the Seine, climbed the Eiffel Tower, visited the Moulin Rouge and toured the Louvre. They also went off the tourist track. 'Mum had studied Art History and languages there, so she took us to see unusual buildings, unique architecture, cafes she remembered …' says Dirk. Everywhere in Paris felt suffused with romance. The Eiffel Tower was emblazoned with a big red heart. All the restaurants had roses on the table centerpiece. 'Everywhere we went Dirk would say 'Do you like that? I ordered it special, just for you.' And his mum and I would laugh,' says Kerri. But it really did feel, recalls Kerri, like 'everything in Paris that week was for us'. 'It was magical,' she says. 'After his mum would go to bed, we'd go out and find a little bar where we would have drinks and dance and share our fears and our dreams. It was so lovely and I didn't want it to end.' The trip was perfect, but it also felt bittersweet. Kerri was grieving her father. Some part of her also saw Paris as a farewell to her teenage love for Dirk. As an adult, she felt the barriers of ever being together even more acutely. 'It just seemed impossible,' she says. Dirk and Kerri were now in their early 20s, tied to their respective home countries through jobs, friends and commitments. They said farewell at the end of the week with no plans to see one another again. 'We knew we'd keep in touch and fate would do its thing,' says Dirk. 'It's always a tough goodbye, with hugs, tears and kisses.' 'I guess it always felt like a 'vacation romance' and we told ourselves that's all it was to avoid getting hurt,' says Kerri. Different directions After Paris, Kerri went back to New York and Dirk returned to the UK. As they moved through their 20s, Kerri and Dirk both made life choices that cemented them on different paths. 'I had different girlfriends, and ended up having a baby and later getting married and having three children,' says Dirk. Meanwhile, Kerri met and fell in love with a fellow Long Islander, Dean. The Cunningham family and the Stevens family remained in touch. Kerri's mother went to Dirk's sister's wedding in the UK. Dirk's parents visited Kerri's mother in New York. And Dirk's parents attended Kerri's wedding to Dean, in the summer of 2010. 'All the families were still connected and loved each other,' says Dirk. Through their families, Kerri and Dirk learned updates about one another, and how they were navigating life's ups and downs. In 2015, Dirk's daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder. Then in 2016, his mother died suddenly. And that same year, Kerri's husband Dean was diagnosed with a terminal glioblastoma brain tumour. Dirk reached out to Kerri after hearing the news, offering his support from afar. But Kerri was swept up in hospital appointments, caring for her husband and processing the inevitable loss that was to come. 'It was 20 years after my dad … it just felt like 'This is happening again',' recalls Kerri. 'I remember looking at my mum and my sister and just saying, 'I can't do this.' But you do it, you find the strength and you do it.' Eighteen months after his cancer diagnosis, Dean passed away. 'I lost him in 2017,' says Kerri. 'We did not have any children.' In the aftermath of Dean's passing, Kerri says her 'world turned upside down'. She didn't know how to process the loss or what to do next. A couple of years passed in a blur. Kerri fell into a relationship that didn't feel right. She agonised over the future. 'Then my aunt suggested a trip to Ireland with her to 'get away',' says Kerri. 'Around the same time, Dirk emailed me to see how I was doing. I told him of my upcoming plans for Ireland and he asked if he and his dad could meet us there. We hadn't seen each other in 17 years.' Kerri was surprised when Dirk suggested joining her in Dublin. She said Dirk and his father were welcome to come along but, internally, she doubted they would. Kerri knew Dirk was married, with three children in the picture. She thought it was unlikely that he would board a flight to Dublin to see old family friends out of the blue. But unbeknownst to Kerri, Dirk was separated from his wife. The couple had gone through a tough time and were in the process of getting divorced. Dirk had moved in with his father. Dirk didn't mention any of this to Kerri in his emails. He didn't want to seem like he was trying to overshadow Kerri's loss. And he didn't have any specific intentions when he got back in touch. He'd just been trying to reconnect with old friends in the wake of his marriage breaking down. He knew his father would enjoy seeing Kerri, and it was easy for them to get to Ireland from their home in England. An Irish reunion Until the moment Kerri and Dirk reunited in Dublin, she didn't believe he'd come. But then, suddenly, he was in front of her. Standing there, in person, for the first time in almost two decades. 'When we saw each other, we hugged so tightly and I started crying. I realised I had never stopped loving him and, boy, was it nice to be hugged by such an old, true friend,' recalls Kerri. She surprised herself by feeling the same sentiment she'd felt when she reunited with Dirk on Long Island, in the summer of 1994: 'It felt like I was home.' Dirk felt this same feeling when he saw Kerri: a surprising certainty that everything was right with the world, despite everything they'd been through while they were apart. The two spent the rest of the day in Dublin together, with Dirk's father and Kerri's aunt completing the party. They toured the Guinness Factory and went out for dinner as a group. And as Dirk pushed his father's wheelchair through the Dublin streets, Kerri's aunt walked alongside, Kerri had a feeling of déjà vu. It felt like the summer they'd first met, touring Europe in 1993, 'like we were teenagers again, just exploring a city with our chaperones'. They were only together for a couple of days but, during this time, Kerri and Dirk opened up to each other. She told Dirk about her unhappiness and uncertainty amid her grief. He told her about his marriage breakdown. 'As old friends do, we talked — about all the good and bad going on in our lives — and the truth came out,' says Kerri. 'It felt like some divine intervention that we were there for each other.' 'That holiday, the time we spent, was just perfect, and it was just what we both needed, unknowingly, perhaps,' says Dirk. It helped that their long history led to an easy comfort, even after years apart. They felt able to be totally honest with each other. 'It was very freeing to just be with someone that you trust and spill your guts to them,' says Kerri. Perhaps it was Kerri and Dirk's ease with one another that explained why, everywhere they went, strangers assumed they were a couple. 'In a pub, just having a conversation in a queue … they're like, 'Oh my God. How long have you two been together? You're the nicest couple we've ever met',' recalls Dirk. 'And we're like, 'No, we're not. We're old friends, and we just came with my dad and her aunt'.' The two laughed off strangers' assumptions, but both wondered if there was something in them. As they readied themselves to say goodbye, both Kerri and Dirk hoped this wouldn't be goodbye forever. And then, before Kerri left for the airport, Dirk decided to take a chance: he told Kerri he loved her. 'Maybe we can make this work?' he asked her. For Kerri, this was the decisive moment. It was scary and unknown, but she felt she should take a leap of faith into a life with Dirk. She knew she loved him too. 'I knew I had to give us a real chance, because something much bigger had brought us back together,' she says today. 'Continuing the journey' The leap of faith paid off. Today, six years since they reunited in Ireland, Kerri and Dirk are a couple, now in their 40s, living life together, as a team. Kerri's job still ties her to the US, while Dirk's kids live with him full-time so he's in the UK. But the couple make the back-and-forth work. Kerri splits her time across the Atlantic and loves spending time with Dirk's children. She says getting to know them has been 'a real gift'. In the six years since they reunited, Kerri and Dirk have helped each other rebuild their lives, embrace the present and embark on a new future together. 'Needless to say, both of our families were over the moon,' adds Kerri. Dirk's father recently passed away but, before he died, he told Kerri she was the best thing that happened to his son. Kerri's mother, who is in her 80s, is also very supportive. When Kerri told her she'd reunited with Dirk, Kerri's mother told her their love story was 'written in the stars'. 'While she doesn't love me being so far away most of the year, she knows that I am where I'm meant to be,' says Kerri. While Kerri and Dirk wish that her father and his mother had also lived to see them finally get together, Kerri believes they know. She feels their presence, their influence in her life, all the time. 'We have lots of angels that look over us,' Kerri says, referring to all the loved ones she and Dirk have lost, including her late husband, Dean, who she'll always hold close to her heart. 'Dean and I, we traveled all around the world, and we did fun stuff, and he lived an amazing life as well. I'm forever grateful for those years,' Kerri says, reflecting that 'Dean would be very happy' to see where she is today. Navigating the loss of her late husband also helped Kerri have the courage to embrace her new chapter with Dirk. While she always felt safe and comfortable with Dirk, she knew any relationship comes with risk, with its challenges and uncertainties. 'But after Dean died, I said, 'I'm not afraid of anything, because I feel like I've been through the worst thing possible',' recalls Kerri. 'If this doesn't work, then it doesn't work.' And when Dirk makes her laugh and makes her smile, Kerri embraces that happiness wholeheartedly and gratefully, not taking any of it for granted. 'We always have fun,' Kerri says of her life with Dirk. 'You can't be sad forever. Life goes on, and I think everybody deserves to be happy … and the hard times are always the hardest when you're in them and you realise how strong you know we all are. We're all a lot stronger than we think we are.' Together, Kerri and Dirk's attitude to life is to 'accept and enjoy the journey,' as Dirk puts it. 'Enjoy the journey,' echoes Kerri. 'That's how we started. We started out on a journey. And we met each other.' 'And now we're just continuing the journey,' says Dirk. 'Let the universe take you along. You know, it will guide you where you're meant to go.' Kerri adds — jokingly — that the moral of their story is 'go on a trip with your parents when you're a teenager, even if you don't want to'. But more seriously, Kerri suggests it's 'allow yourself to be happy, and to be open to the universe'. 'We were always meant to be together,' she says of Dirk. 'We are twin flames that found our way back to each other after all those years.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Two Teens Fell in Love on Vacation Then Went Their Separate Ways. 26 Years Later, They Found Their Way Back
In 1993, Kerri and Dirk fell in love while exploring Europe. They share their incredible story with CNN TravelNEED TO KNOW Two teens, Kerri and Dirk, fell in love while on vacation together in Europe. Nearly three decades later they ended up together The couple grew apart after their initial trip and even went on to marry other people After tragedy struck both Kerri and Dirk, another trip connected them back togetherIn the summer of 1993, a 14-year-old American teenager named Kerri Cunningham left her home in New York, to join her parents on a trip around Europe. The vacation would take Kerri, her parents and two sisters to the U.K., France and then on a two-week-bus tour through Italy. While the Cunninghams crossed the English Channel on a ferry to France, Kerri's parents started chatting with an English family of tourists: the Stevenses. It turned out the families were embarking on the same Italian tour. Soon, Kerri spotted Dirk, the family's 15-year-old son. 'I was immediately smitten,' Kerri told CNN Travel. 'Hugh Grant was really big at that time. And he sort of had this young Hugh Grant hair. Being an American girl, Hugh Grant was the guy.' 'A bad haircut,' Dirk added. 'But it worked at the time.' As the vacation progressed, the families grew closer. The teens sat side-by-side listening to music through Kerri's Walkman. Meanwhile, the dads would grab a drink at the pub while the moms went shopping. Kerri grew fond of the way Dirk interacted with his family. Dirk's father used a wheelchair and Dirk often helped his dad navigate the streets. 'I had never met anyone my age who was so comfortable with himself and his family and so accepting of me and mine,' Kerri told the outlet. 'Everything was just easy and fun. We just got each other and there was a very strong attraction.' The teens would often sneak away during the evenings to do their own thing, like snagging bottles of champagne and dancing arm-in-arm in an Italian hotel. 'We just felt so comfortable together,' Dirk recalls. 'I remember being on a gondola in Venice and just laughing the entire time.' Take PEOPLE with you! to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.'I'm pretty sure we stole a few kisses when our parents weren't looking,' Kerri said. As the two-week tour came to a close, the teens realized they had to say goodbye. But luckily, their parents had planned to stay in touch. In fact, they made plans for the Stevenses to visit New York the following summer and stay with the Cunninghams on Long Island. Over the course of a year, the teens exchanged letters and made frequent phone calls to stay connected. When Kerri saw Dirk for the first time on Long Island in 1994, she felt 'at home.' The couple spent every moment together: on the beach and at Kerri's summer job. 'It was a very exciting time,' Dirk said of the summer in New York. 'Knowing that our time together was limited, made it all the more special.'When the summer came to a close, the teens continued to communicate long distance. But it gradually slowed down. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'We both got busy. We loved each other, but we weren't sure when we'd get to see each other again,' Dirk said. 'We were both students that couldn't afford expensive flights. Life gets in the way.' During Kerri's first year of college, her father was diagnosed with ALS. Shortly after, he died when Kerri was just 19. Both the Cunninghams and Stevenses were devastated. Kerri had planned on going to Paris with some girlfriends around the same time, but the trip was canceled. When Dirk's mother heard of her cancelled plans, she offered to take her and Dirk to Paris, together. In retrospect, Kerri realizes Dirk's mother wanted the kids to reconnect.'It happened to be Valentine's Day week,' Kerri said of the 2001 vacation. 'It was very romantic.' After the trip, everyone went their separate ways again: Kerri to New York and Dirk to the U.K. Kerri went on to marry a fellow Long Islander named Dean in 2010. Meanwhile Dirk also got married and had three children. In 2015, Dirk's daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder. The next year, his mother died suddenly. Also in 2016, Kerri's husband Dean was diagnosed with a terminal Glioblastoma brain tumor. He died 18 months later. 'I lost him in 2017,' said Kerri. 'We did not have any children.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A couple years later, Kerri's aunt suggested going to Ireland to 'get away.' About the same time, Dirk had emailed her to check in.'I told him of my upcoming plans for Ireland and he asked if he and his dad could meet us there. We hadn't seen each other in 17 years.' For the first time in almost two decades, Dirk stood in front of Kerri in Ireland.'When we saw each other, we hugged so tightly and I started crying. I realized I had never stopped loving him and, boy, was it nice to be hugged by such an old, true friend,' Kerri said. Just like their summer in 1993, Dirk and Kerri experienced a blossoming romance, accompanied by their older chaperones. While only for a couple days, Kerri and Dirk opened up to each other. Dirk revealed to Kerri that he had separated from his wife. Right before Kerri left for the airport he asked: 'Maybe we can make this work?' 'I knew I had to give us a real chance, because something much bigger had brought us back together,' she told the outlet. That was back in 2019. Today, the couple has been together for six years. Kerri still works in the U.S., but splits her time across the Atlantic to be with Dirk and his children. 'We were always meant to be together,' Kerri said of Dirk. 'We are twin flames that found our way back to each other after all those years.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wesco Announces the Promotion of Dirk Naylor to Executive Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Security Solutions
PITTSBURGH, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wesco International (NYSE: WCC), a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions, announced today that effective June 30, 2025, Dirk Naylor is promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager, Communications and Security Solutions (CSS). Mr. Naylor succeeds William C. Geary II, who has tendered his resignation from Wesco to become the chief executive officer of a large, private equity-backed company. Mr. Naylor has been a member of the Company's leadership team since 2005, demonstrating excellent strategic vision and operational expertise. During his tenure, Mr. Naylor supported many Communications and Security Solutions' key initiatives, including the Company's successful cross-selling program, the acquisition of Rahi Systems in 2022, and the formation of Wesco Data Center Solutions, as well as the acquisition of Ascent, LLC, in 2024. He most recently held the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager, USA and Global Accounts. "Wesco's commitment to excellence is reflected in our leadership and the depth of talent on our team. Bill and Dirk have successfully led the transformation of our global CSS organization contributing to its exceptional growth and performance. I would like to recognize them both for their contributions to our organization and congratulate them on their new roles," said Chairman, President and CEO John Engel. Mr. Engel concluded, "I am confident that Dirk's strong leadership, business acumen and track record of profitable sales growth will positively impact Wesco as we continue to take advantage of the secular growth trends in serving the complex needs of our global customers." About WescoWesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wesco is a FORTUNE 500® company with approximately $22 billion in annual sales in 2024 and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry's premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, educational institutions, government agencies, technology companies, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates more than 700 sites, including distribution centers, fulfillment centers, and sales offices in approximately 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and global corporations. Contact Information: Scott Gaffner, CFASenior Vice President, Investor Relations980-346-2233 Jennifer SnidermanVice President, Corporate Communications 717-579-6603 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Wesco International Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hindustan Times
13-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Happy Pride Month: Top 8 inclusive destinations for queer travellers to visit in 2025
Travel is on everyone's immediate bucket list, but a trip only becomes truly enjoyable when one feels completely at ease. A very big part of the travel experience is whether one is able to be their most authentic self. This Pride Month, for LGBTQ+ travellers, identifying inclusive destinations is essential as safety and inclusivity are key priorities while travelling for the queer community. Moreover, destinations that already have an accepting culture, having LGBTQ+-owned cafes, community-led events, and drag clubs give a sense of belonging and celebration. According to research three out of four queer travellers consider the destinations based on whether they can be their most authentic self. Booking. com also identified the top queer-friendly destinations that have accepting and inclusive culture for queer travellers. Moreover these destinations also have had a role in contributing to the queer history somehow. Check out these top destinations as shared by research: A post shared by Europe Trip Deals (@europetripdeals) A post shared by •❂ ᎳᎾᏒᏞᎠ ᎳᎪᏞᏦᎬᏒᏃ ❂• (@world_walkerz) A post shared by zurichinside (@zurichinside) A post shared by Dirk (@hamburg_and_more) A post shared by Um Outro ngulo (@um_outro_angulo) A post shared by Windy City Chicago🏙️ (@windy_citychicago) A post shared by ℬ𝓎 𝒮ℴ𝒻𝒾𝒶🦋 (@novaevolvebysofia) A post shared by Ruben Oliveira • Porto (@ ALSO READ: Always overpacking your travel itinerary? Here's how to plan according to your family size
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Dutch Darts Championship 2025 LIVE RESULTS: Humphries, Van Gerwen and champ Rock in action on day 2
Dirk is looking almost assassin-like in this match. He gets to a finish with his opponent still in the 300s. The Dutchman takes out double 4 for the leg. Harju is struggling to find a response to this onslaught. Van Duijvenbode is thriving in front of these Dutch fans. The Dutchman hits double tops with his first dart with a 13-dart leg. This could be a quick match the way it is going. Dirk is looking in clinical form. He hits another double to put him three legs ahead. Van Duijvenbode can be a frustrating player to support at times. Moments of brilliance and then some really sketchy darts. He manages to take out his double to open up a lead here. Van Duijvenbode starts in very impressive form. He geets down to a double with Harju just on 144. However, two treble 20s allows him a dart to win the leg but he misses. His Dutch opponent hits double 4 to hold his throw. Down to our penultimate match of the evening. We have seen one Dutch player progress to tomorrow's matches so far. How these fans would love to see another two go through. Barney steps up just when it is needed. He hits double 12 to take the leg and the match. RVB showed his experience there. Hendricks starts pulling the treble visits out. He is able to lay up on double tops as a result but misses three darts for the leg. Barney cannot take out a triple-digit finish and Hendricks hits double 10 for the leg. RVB gets a maximum when he needs it most. With 45 remaining, Barney takes out double 16 with his last dart. He is just one leg away from victory in this one. Wow, what a leg from Hendricks. With 170 remaining, he gets two treble 20s with his first two darts. His third hits the wire of the bull and comes out of the board. With his next visit, Hendricks hits double 4 to draw level. The Dutch crowd are singing 'Barney army' and he is growing in confidence. Hendricks is struggling to cope with him right now. RVB misses one dart at double 16 for a three-leg lead. Hendricks takes out double 16 himself for the break of throw. Van Barneveld is really throwing some darts now. He gets down to a two dart finish and uses no more than that. RVB opens up a two-leg lead in the match. Barney opens up a big lead in the leg. It takes all the pressure off his finish. He takes out a double to retake the lead in the match. Good finish from Hendricks. With 74 remaining, he lands just in the corner of double 5. You felt he needed that to stop the RVB attack. Hendricks has gone off the boil since that first leg. RVB notches a 13-darter to hold his throw. He goes into the lead for the first time in this match. Van Barneveld gets back into his groove. He knew how important an instant reply was. With 80 remaining, he hits double tops for the break. The Dutch crowds cannot get enough of RVB. Both players match each other's scores in quite an even leg. Withh 120 remaining, Hendricks misses tops with his last dart. RVB cannot take out his score and misses double 16. Hendricks makes no such mistake to break the throw of Barney. It is an all-Dutch encounter now. Fan-favourite RVB will be hoping to make easy work of this one. Darts rarely tends to pan out that way. Krcmar gets down to a double first. Van Veen cannot take out 98 and leaves his opponent a chance. Krcmar hits double 2 to take the leg and the match.
