TORONTO — Direct Travel has undertaken a strategic realignment of its Leisure division.

The company said the move was made to provide more focused support for travel advisors, accelerate sales growth and establish a strong data foundation for next-generation technology.

The simplified, sales-focused model also aligns teams to advisor needs rather than geography.

What do the changes mean for Direct Travel advisors? The company shared these goalposts …

• 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, fuelling 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.

The Host Services division, led by Joelle Goldman, VP Host Services and Luxury Hotel Program, will continue to provide dedicated resources for independent advisors, ensuring faster access to expertise, stronger day-to-day support and clearer paths to growth.

Julie Skinner, SVP Leisure Sales, will oversee Direct Travel’s network of employee advisors across North America. Skinner and her management team will deliver consistent sales support, training, and client engagement strategies that help advisors strengthen relationships and capture new opportunities, said the company.

Vivienne Kouba, SVP Leisure Operations, will lead a consolidated Operations team supporting both Retail and Host Services advisors throughout North America. This alignment aims to streamline workflows, standardize service levels, and improve turnaround times – enabling advisors to focus more time on clients while leveraging a stronger operational infrastructure.

Rene Schneeberger, SVP Groups & Revenue Optimization, will work closely with Gerard Bellino, President, Leisure Travel to expand the leisure organization based on the recent acquisition of ATPI by Direct Travel and optimize supplier contracts. He will also continue to lead the North American Groups team, expanding this area by sharing best practices across Direct Travel’s network of more than 900 advisors to help diversify and grow their sales mix.

As part of the restructuring, Rebecca Adams has been appointed VP, Data Strategy & Insights, Leisure Travel. She will unify data sources, define enterprise standards, and deliver analytics that fuel smarter tools and more efficient workflows.

“I’m thrilled to take on this new opportunity and help solidify our strategy for what is now truly a global organization,” said Adams. “By bringing clarity and consistency to our data, we’re laying the foundation for technology that empowers advisors in their everyday business and helps them achieve even greater success.”

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.

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

Added Bellino: “This realignment positions Direct Travel to meet the demands of an ever-changing marketplace. By centring 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.”