The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced Greg O’Hara, founder and senior managing director of Certares Management, as its incoming chair. 

O’Hara, who will take over the position later this month, has been a member of WTTC’s executive committee since 2019, and vice chair since 2021. 

He will follow current chairman, Arnold Donald, former president and chief executive of Carnival Corporation, who has been in the position since the spring of 2021. 

Prior to forming Certares, one of the largest investment platforms dedicated to tourism, O’Hara served as chief investment officer of JPMorgan Chase’s Special Investments Group.

He is the chairman of American Express Global Business Travel and serves on the board of directors of TripAdvisor.

Addressing delegates at the global tourism body’s 23rd Global Summit in Kigali today, Julia Simpson, WTTC president, said: “Firstly I would like to thank Arnold for his enormous contribution to WTTC, his unwavering dedication and exceptional leadership during his tenure.

“We now embark on a new chapter, and I am delighted to welcome Greg as our new Chairman.

“Greg will bring a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the tourism sector, and I believe that under his stewardship, WTTC will reach new heights in a sector that is growing faster than the global economy.” 

O’Hara has previously served on the boards of directors of Worldspan, Hertz Global Holdings, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Singer Vehicle Design and the Innocence Project.

O’Hara said: “It is a great privilege to pick up the reins from Arnold Donald – a giant of our sector.

“I look forward to supporting our Members, WTTC and Julia, as the sector continues to go from strength to strength.” 

More Information

Take a look at a selection of Breaking Travel News video interviews from the Global Summit here.