United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Travel Leaders Group CEO resigns
Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko has resigned to pursue other opportunities after four years in the role
He will be replaced by J.D. O’Hara, who has served as president for the past year.
O’Hara, who has worked closely with Chacko for the past year, said he looks forward to a seamless transition.
He previously worked for the company from 2008 to 2014 as senior vice president and re-joined the company a year ago as president.
He was part of the original management buyout of Carlson Leisure Group from Carlson Companies in January 2008 that eventually led to the formation of Travel Leaders Group, which now owns Barrhead Travel, Colletts Travel, Protravel International and Altour in the UK.
O’Hara has been responsible for managing the company’s operating divisions, as well as mergers and acquisition activities and strategic planning.
His new role will also include overseeing finance, information technology, supplier relations, human resources, marketing and legal departments, as well as the executive leadership team.
He will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Ninan for his four years of dedicated service at the helm of Travel Leaders Group," said chairman Michael Batt.
"He led our company through a period of phenomenal growth and change and raised the profile of our company across the industry."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Foreign Office issues travel advisory for winter sun destinations