Direct Travel Restructures to Enhance Advisor Support and Sales

Direct Travel has unveiled a strategic realignment of its Leisure division, effective October 1, 2025, aimed at enhancing advisor support, driving sales growth, and building a robust data foundation to power next-generation technology solutions.

The reorganization introduces a streamlined, sales-driven structure designed around advisor needs rather than geography. This shift enables more agile, personalized support while positioning Direct Travel to scale its services and technology offerings in step with the evolving needs of both advisors and travellers.

Joelle Goldman, Vice President, Host Services & Luxury Hotel Program, will continue to lead the Host Services division, which focuses on serving independent advisors. Her team will deliver faster access to subject matter experts, improved day-to-day support, and clearer growth pathways for hosted advisors.

Julie Skinner, Senior Vice President, Leisure Sales, will oversee Direct Travel’s network of employee-based advisors across North America. By bringing all Retail operations under a unified leadership vision, Julie and her team will focus on delivering consistent sales support, advanced training, and client engagement strategies to help advisors grow their business and strengthen client relationships.

Vivienne Kouba, Senior Vice President, Leisure Operations, will lead a newly consolidated Operations team that supports both Host Services and Retail advisors. This integration is designed to streamline workflows, elevate service standards, and reduce turnaround times—freeing advisors to focus more on clients while benefiting from enhanced operational efficiency.

Rene Schneeberger, Senior Vice President, Groups & Revenue Optimization, will work closely with Gerard Bellino, President, Leisure Travel, to expand the Leisure division in line with Direct Travel’s recent acquisition of ATPI. Rene will also continue to lead the North American Groups team, sharing best practices across the company’s network of more than 900 advisors to help grow and diversify group travel sales.

Rebecca Adams has been appointed Vice President, Data Strategy & Insights, Leisure Travel. In this newly created role, she will unify data sources, establish enterprise-wide standards, and deliver insights that drive smarter technology, better decision-making, and more efficient workflows for advisors and internal teams alike.

In addition, Stephen Smith has been named EVP, Leisure Travel, and is taking on an expanded role that includes overseeing Partnerships, Strategy & Marketing and driving leisure technology innovation.

What the Changes Mean for Advisors:

• Sales-Aligned Support: Streamlined teams with clear ownership and faster response times.
• Data Strategy & Insights: A single source for pipeline, productivity, and client lifecycle metrics—fueling smarter decisions and higher conversion.
• Technology Enablement: A data foundation that accelerates rollout of new booking, marketing, and commission tools—reducing admin and increasing selling time.

“This integration will bring tighter collaboration, smarter tools, and innovative programs designed to help advisors succeed across every channel,” said Smith. 

“This realignment positions Direct Travel to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace,” said Bellino, “By centering our structure on advisor success—supported by data, technology, and world-class partnerships—we’re equipping our teams to move faster, personalize service at scale, and capture growth opportunities across every leisure segment.”