Tauck Names New Chairman, CEO, and President as Part of Leadership Transition Plan

Tauck, one of the industry’s legacy tour operators, announced some major changes to its leadership team as part of its “Leadership Transition Plan.”

Effective Oct. 2024, Tauck will make the following changes:

• Arthur Tauck Jr., its current Chairman and son of founder Arthur Tauck Sr., will become Chairman Emeritus.
• Dan Mahar, who has served as CEO since 2008, will become Chairman of the Board.
• Jennifer Tombaugh, who has served as Tauck President since 2011, will take over as CEO.
• Jeremy Palmer, its current COO, will take over as President.

All the changes are part of that transition plan, which Tauck says has been “thoughtfully prepared and refined over the past decade.” The changes are coming during a period of strong, consistent growth for Tauck, too.

“We look forward to remaining a family-owned company driven by our shared purpose of enhancing our guests’ lives through travel. Our focus will continue to be on guest satisfaction and retention, internal culture and employee engagement, favorably impacting the places where we travel, and realizing responsible, profitable growth over time,” Mahar said in a statement on Monday.  

With its roots in small, upscale guided travel, Tauck has continued to expand its product offerings over recent years. The company is now one of the top-selling river cruise lines by travel advisors and has added Tauck Bridges family itineraries, small ship ocean voyages, small-group land departures, and more.

“We’ve really strengthened our premium position over the past two decades by maintaining our focus on all-inclusive, guided journeys that enhance our guests’ lives, while successfully broadening both the experiences we offer and the customers we serve. We look forward to building on this momentum in our second century,” Mahar added.