John Tarkowski will succeed Tim Mullen as president of the Apple Leisure Group (ALG)-owned Apple Vacations, effective January 1, 2019. Mullen had announced in September his intention to retire from his current role as president at the end of this year. Mullen continues to assist Apple Vacations in a transitionary role.
Tarkowski is a 14-year veteran of Apple Vacations, ALG said, most recently serving as senior vice president of sales for ALG, a role in which he will continue for the remainder of the year. Prior to joining Apple Vacations in 2004, Tarkowski served in various positions at The Mark Travel Corporation dating back to 1993. He graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Marketing and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
In a written statement Mullen said that, as president, Tarkowski would ensure that travel agents continue to be a central part of the tour operator’s strategy.
Apple Vacations offers vacation packages from the U.S. to destinations throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and Hawaii, as well as top North and South American ski resorts.
Recently, Apple Vacations' parent company, ALG, merged with The Mark Travel Corporation, meaning consolidated booking, rewards and more for travel agents in the United States. Since then the two companies have worked to bring The Mark Travel Corporation’s technology offerings, particularly its group booking platform, to the Apple family of brands. Additionally, ALG is working on a combined, dramatically simplified travel agent loyalty program, which execs have said will likely be available in June 2019.
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