Richard Launder, formerly president of The Travel Corporation (TTC) USA, has moved within TTC to become the president and CEO of Destination America (DA), a destination management company in North, Central and South America. The move was effective as of the beginning of July.
For the time being, TTC Chief Executive Brett Tollman will take on leadership and direction of TTC USA, the company said. He will spend more time in California to support the executive USA team: Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and U by Uniworld; Melissa da Silva, president, Trafalgar, CostSaver, and Brendan Vacations; Jon Grutzner, president, Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold; Adam Cooper, president, Contiki; and Sherwin Banda, president, African Travel, Inc. At the same time, Guy Young, TTC USA chief engagement officer, will take the lead on all trade relationships in the United States, and Madhvi Buch, a long-standing member of the USTOA board, has been promoted to senior vice president of TTC USA. Launder will also remain a director of TTC USA.
DA provides ground services for TTC brands Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, and CostSaver, as well as operations for numerous international third parties.
Launder served as TTC USA president for 14 years. He started his career in the travel industry back in 1983 as a bartender at Contiki’s Chateau near Lyon, France. He subsequently became a Contiki trip manager and then was promoted to lead Contiki USA for many years. In the late nineties, he became president of DA for four years, and then was promoted again to become president of TTC USA in 2005.
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