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Protravel Gets New Leadership

By Newsdesk Jan 12, 2018 12:42pm

Travel Leaders Group has named a new head at Protravel International. Becky Powell will serve as the luxury brand’s new general manager and chief operating officer. She will oversee daily operations at Protravel and report to Gail Grimmett, president of Travel Leaders Luxury Brands.

Most recently, Powell led fellow Travel Leaders Group luxury brand Andrew Harper Travel as a senior vice president, where she managed all operational and sales aspects for the brand, converted the staff to Sabre GDS and implemented a mobile itinerary management tool. This week Travel Leaders Group named Brett Cumberland to the newly created role of managing director of The Andrew Harper Travel Office, as well as luxury tour operator R. Crusoe & Son, which is also owned by Travel Leaders Group. Cumberland will also report to Grimmett.

“Becky’s knowledge of the market is unparalleled and her connections in the industry are extensive,” said Grimmett in a written release. “She will be a tremendous resource to Protravel’s agents as we continue to support their business growth.”

Prior to joining Protravel, Powell’s career has spanned more than 30 years in various aspects of travel operations and sales, focused on luxury travel, with more than nine years of experience at Virtuoso in executive positions including senior vice president, global member partnership; vice president member sales and service; and managing director, national accounts. While at Virtuoso she opened Virtuoso Europe for agency membership, initiated “innovation teams” to create new products and solutions for its members, and launched a new certification program for Virtuoso travel advisors. She previously worked at Brendan Worldwide Vacations in Chatsworth, CA, AAA National in Heathrow, FL, and Trans World Airlines in St. Louis, MO.

Prior to joining Travel Leaders Group, Cumberland was chief information officer at Abercrombie & Kent for 10 years, where he helped to transform the business with technologies that increased consumer engagement, quality control, reporting and overall effectiveness. He also worked with several technology companies in leadership roles, including Unisys, the global information technology company, and Sabre, Inc., the travel technology company, where he worked for more than a decade, rising to the role of vice president, product marketing – airline solutions. At Sabre he implemented the division’s first-ever product lifecycle management program and developed commercial product policies and procedures.

At R. Crusoe & Son, Cumberland will replace Managing Director David Weber, who founded the company 20 years ago and grew it to become a leading Chicago-based tour operator in luxury bespoke travel, specializing in guided journeys for groups and individuals. Weber, who is retiring, has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s operations.

Protravel Gets New Leadership

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