Nexion Travel Group President Jackie Friedman announces retirement
During Nexion Travel Group’s annual CoNexion conference in Austin, TX. this year, Nexion’s President Jackie Friedman publicly announced her decision to retire. Friedman will continue to lead the company until her official retirement date in Spring 2027.
Friedman said: “It has been an incredible honour to help Nexion become the best host agency in the travel industry. In my 22 years with Nexion, we have created a home for some of the industry’s most talented independent travel advisors, supporting members with different business sizes, specialties and goals.”
She continued: “Together with our preferred partners we have given our members the tools, relationships and support they need to build something lasting. I have also had the privilege of working alongside an extraordinary team whose talent and commitment to our members has been the driving force of Nexion’s success. I am deeply proud of what we accomplished together and the thriving community we built.”
Friedman joined the Nexion team in 2004 as VP of Operations. In 2007, she was promoted to President. Prior to joining the Nexion team, she spent 15 years with Sabre, serving in a variety of sales and leadership positions. Friedman started out working as a front-line agent and a travel agency manager in Toronto.
As a noted expert, she is often asked to participate as a speaker or panelist at industry conferences.
She served three terms on the ASTA Board of Directors, including as Vice Chair and Chair. She is also on the Travel Institute Board of Trustees, the CLIA STARBoard, The Professional Association of Travel Hosts (PATH) Board of Directors and numerous supplier advisory boards. Friedman is a recipient of a TravelAge West WAVE Award for Excellence in Leadership (2022), World Travel & Tourism Council Outstanding Contribution Award (2021), a Travel Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award (2020), the Barbara O’Hara Award for Advocacy (2015), the Paul M. Ruden Industry Ambassador Award among other industry honors and achievement awards. She is the godmother of AmaWaterways’ ship AmaViola.
J.D. O’Hara, CEO of Nexion’s parent company Internova Travel Group, said that: “While I am sad to see Jackie retire, I am grateful for the incredible work she has done for Nexion. Her leadership transformed Nexion into one of the premier travel companies and most respected host in the industry. The strong sense of community that Nexion’s members, partners and team often site as one of the reasons they choose to be a part of it is due to her vision and unwavering belief in advocating for advisors. Her legacy will continue long past her retirement.”
Nexion Travel Group’s new President will be announced at a later date.
