TORONTO — Sometimes the busiest days are the best days.
That was certainly the case for Travel Leaders Network’s SVP and COO, Lindsay Pearlman, who took plenty of calls and emails yesterday from well-wishers congratulating him on the news of his upcoming promotion to President.
It’s the latest career milestone for Pearlman, a well-known presence in the Canadian travel industry.
Pearlman’s an industry veteran, starting with Amex before heading to Ensemble.
He joined Travel Leaders Group in 2019 as Senior Vice President, and was named COO in 2024.
Now set to head up one of North America’s largest retail travel agency organizations – with some 6,000 travel agencies across the U.S. and Canada, producing close to US$20 billion in annual sales – Pearlman is more than ready to dive right in.
Pearlman told Travelweek he’s “very excited and honoured to be in this role, as I’m filling some very large shoes along the way.”
As reported yesterday, Travel Leaders Network’s current President, John Lovell, is leaving the company to work with cruise line partner Virgin Voyages as a senior advisor and board member. Lovell has been with Travel Leaders Network since 2002, and has served as President since the start of 2024.
“VERY STRONG TEAM”
Pearlman tells Travelweek that Travel Leaders Network “is in a great place” especially coming off a very successful EDGE conference.
More than 2,000 travel industry professionals from across Canada and the U.S. converged on Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last week for the annual EDGE (Educate, Discover, Gather, Evolve). The sold-out conference is always a hit with TL Network’s Canadian members, with a strong 190+ showing from the Canadian delegation this year.
Asked about his goals and priorities as he gets ready to take the helm, Pearlman says: “There are areas of the business that I will dive into with the help of a very strong team. I will continue to focus on ensuring we provide our members with the products and services that they need to be successful – as well as helping the team reach their objectives.”
Collaboration is key, he adds. “It’s always a good time to stop and listen.”
It’s also a great time to be a travel advisor, something Pearlman underscores as he looks ahead to summer 2025 and beyond.
The pent-up demand post-pandemic may have plateaued, but the emotional effects linger on, as people realize that consumer goods matter far less than experiencing new destinations with family and friends. Even with economic concerns, tariffs and the trade war, Canadians are prioritizing travel like never before.
And that means more travellers seeking the counsel of travel advisors.
“People still want to travel and it’s become more of a priority than the acquisition of material things,” says Pearlman. “It gets more complicated as the traveller demands different and unique experiences, and with that, the more they need the services of a professional.”
As announced at EDGE 2025, Travel Leaders Network has launched new air booking capabilities for Canadian travel advisor members using SNAP, the popular point-and-click booking tool.
More news coming out of EDGE included a boosted cruise offering, updates about Travel Leaders Network’s lead-generation tool, Agent Profiler, the SuperAgent program, CRM expansion and more.
“We will continue to provide the training and programs in this ever-evolving landscape,” says Pearlman.
Christine James, VP, Travel Leaders Network Canada, said it’s exciting for Canada to finally have full access to SNAP. “Now our members can use all its features to grow their business and better serve their clients. Special thanks to our beta testers for helping tailor SNAP to the unique needs of Canadian agencies,” she said.
Since its launch, Canadian members have embraced SNAP, using it to book hotel stays and car rentals while boosting their commissions, she added.
Asked about the new leadership for Travel Leaders Network, James told Travelweek: “Congratulations to Lindsay on his promotion! Under his leadership and support, we look forward to continued growth and prominence in the Canada marketplace.”
