Skift Forum and Summit Past Speakers in 2021 and 2020

Past Speakers

Co-Founder and CEO

Walton Isaacson

VP of Network Planning

Southwest Airlines

Founder and President of Tourism Economics

Oxford Economics

Executive Chairman

Sandals Resorts International

Moroccan National Tourism Office

Aditi Mohapatra

Vice President, Global Social Impact & Sustainability

Chief Commercial Officer

Emirates Airline

AirAsia Digital

Aisha Al Mansoori

President and CEO

Visit Baltimore

Founder & Editor

The Daily Lodging Report

Alastair Thomann

Generator and Freehand Hotels

Alex Chatzieleftheriou

CEO and Co-Founder

WestJet Airlines

Chief Commercial Officer

Founder and CEO

President and CEO

COO and Co-Founder

Rent Responsibly

Alexander Schellenberger

Chief Luxury & Premium Brands Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Alisha Valentine

Director of Research and Analytics

Discover Puerto Rico

Vice President Global Design Strategies

Marriott International

Managing Partner

Allison Ausband

EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer

Delta Air Lines

Managing Director

Air India Express

Commercial Director

GM, UK & Northern Europe

Amani El Sehrawey O’Neill

Senior Public Policy Manager, Middle East

Standard International

Vice President, Sustainability

Delta Air Lines

Co-Founder and CEO

CEO and Founder

Vice President & GM of Global Lounge Experiences

American Express Travel

JetBlue Technology Ventures

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Founder & Chair

The Subscribed Institute

Amy Martin Ziegenfuss

Chief Marketing Officer

Carnival Cruise Line

SVP of Global Brands, Loyalty & Insights

Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz

Chief Product Officer

Andre Cholewinski

Associate Director of Meetings

American Physical Society

Director of Sales

Executive Editor

Andrei Papancea

CEO and Chief Product Officer

JetBlue Travel Products

SVP, Sales and Strategy

Andrew McConnell

EVP and Chief Commercial Officer

United Airlines

Andrew Watterson

EVP & Chief Commercial Officer

Southwest Airlines

Andy Washington

General Manager, EMEA

Branded Content Editor

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Angelique Lewis

Short-Term Rental Host

Spark Event Management

Chief Operating Officer

SVP, Domestic Planning and United Express

United Airlines

Principal & Chief Commercial Officer

Ankush Nijhawan

Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director

Founder and CEO

Chief Officer, Travel

Allianz Partners

Chief Commercial Officer

CEO *Speaking via Video*

Annette Gibbons-Warren

Art in the Landscape Projects Director

Royal Commission for AlUla

Executive Creative Director

Anthony Capuano

President and CEO

Marriott International

Event Experience Strategy Director

Antonoaldo Neves

Etihad Aviation Group

Anuraag Bhatnagar Leela

Anuraag Bhatnagar

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Anush Alexander

Chief Marketing Officer

Arash Azarbarzin

Ariane Gorin Expedia

CEO & Co-Founder

President and CEO

Marriott International

Vice President and Co-Owner

Achieve Incentives & Meetings

Ashley Robinson

SVP Customer Success

Senior Brand Director, Middle East, Africa & Southeast Asia

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Chief Marketing Officer

Saudi Tourism Authority

President of Commercial & Growth

MGM Resorts International

American Express Travel

Managing Director & CEO

Ayesha Durgahee

Journalist, Broadcaster, & Editorial Host

Chairman and Senior Executive

IAC and Expedia Group

Barry Padgett

Chief Executive Officer

Bea Boccalandro

Corporate purpose, CSR and ESG Advisor

African Bush Camps

Viator, A Tripadvisor Company

Ben Durham-Kilcullen

Vice President of Engineering

Senior Partner, Stamford

McKinsey & Company

President and CEO

Trail Developer and Co-Founder

Berthold Trenkel

Chief Operating Officer

National Sales Director

Discover Puerto Rico

Betsy O’Rourke

Chief Marketing Officer

City of Fort Worth

Managing Director

Blue Cube Travel

Founder & Group CEO

Head of Asset Management

President and CEO

Southwest Airlines

Boon Sian Chai Managing Director and Vice President of International Markets at Trip.com Group. Boon will be speaking at Skift Global Forum East 2023 in Dubai.

Managing Director and Vice President, International Markets

Discover Puerto Rico

Founder and CEO

VP, Marketing and Business Development, GM DTC

Vice President, Content/Learning/Technology

Nth Degree Events

Co-Founder & CEO

Co-Founder and CEO

Founder and CEO

Chief Technology Officer

Choice Hotels International

Managing Director, EMEA

Vice President of Network Planning

American Airlines

Chief Sustainability Officer

Managing Director and Global Aviation Leader

Campbell Wilson - Air India

Campbell Wilson

CEO and Managing Director

Capt. Joe DePete

Air Line Pilots Association

Thayer Ventures

Investor and Co-Founder

Carleigh Jaques

SVP & General Manager

Cybersource, a Visa solution

Carlo Olejniczak, VP and Managing Director of Europe and EMEA at Booking.com. Speaker at Skift Global Forum East 2022 and 2023

Carlo Olejniczak

VP and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

Director of Global Travel, Events and Ground Transportation

Fidelity International

Caroline Beteta

President & CEO

Visit California

Caroline Godden

Global Brand Leader

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

Caroline Leboucher

Caryn Seidman Becker

Co-Founder, Chairman, & CEO

President and CEO

Casper Overbeek

Director of Customer Experience

Casper Urhammer

CEO, Tour Operating

Catherine Chaulet

President and CEO

Global DMC Partners

Catherine Dolton

Chief Sustainability Officer

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Catherine Powell

Global Head of Hosting

Chantal Sturk-Nadeau

Executive Director

Destination Canada Business Events

Charaf El Mansouri

CEO & Co-Founder

Norse Atlantic Airways

Senior Vice President, Merchandising and Innovation

Alaska Airlines

Deputy Chief Executive

Singapore Tourism Board

Choon Yang Quek

Chief Technology Officer

Saudi Tourism Authority

Cornell University

FlightHub Group

Global Hotel Alliance

Managing Director

Thayer Ventures

Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer

Christal Bemont

Chief Operating Officer

Kerten Hospitality

Christian Selchau-Hansen

Co-Founder and CEO

Christian Smart

General Manager, Germany

Christian Spannbauer

Chief Technology Officer

Lufthansa Group Digital Hangar

Christian Suwarna

CEO, Traveloka Experience and CMO

Christine Ourmières-Widener

TAP Air Portugal

Christopher Evans

Collinson Group

Christopher Hook

Global Head of Sustainability

Christopher Nassetta

President & CEO

Meetingsbooker.com

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Vancouver Convention Centre

Rwanda Development Board

Worldwide Technical Leader, Travel & Hospitality Solutions

Claudio Bellinzona is Chief Supply Officer for TUI Musement, the Tours & Activities division of TUI Group, one of the world’s leading tourism businesses. Speaker of Skift Global Forum East 2023.

Claudio Bellinzona

Growth Strategy Consultant

Head of Strategy and Business Development

Vice President & General Manager, Travel

Chief Operating Officer

Fontainebleau Las Vegas

Transformational Chief Digital Officer

Curtis Robinhold

Executive Director

Port of Portland

President and Co-Founder

Director of Corporate Wellness

Body and Brain Wellness

Global Chief Design, Technical Services and Innovation Officer

Accor Premium, Midscale & Economy brands

Head of Rocket Travel by Agoda and Chief Commercial Officer

Founder and Editor in Chief

The New Consumer

Co-Founder and CEO

Research Editor

Rho Capital Partners

Senior Vice President & Head of Middle Market Bankcard Product

Dana DiGregorio

Global Managing Director

MESH Experience

President & CEO

Director of External Communications

Allianz Partners

Managing Director & Partner

Travel in Motion

Daniel Hostettler

President & CEO

Daniel Rudasevski

Chief Growth Officer & Co-Founder

Danielle Bozarth

McKinsey & Company

Chief Marketing Officer

Danielle Johnson

Group Vertical Director – Travel, Tech, Telco

Daphne Hoppenot

Founder and CEO

Dara Khosrowshahi

Co-Founder and Chairman

Intrepid Travel

LGBT Meeting Professionals Association

David Neeleman

Founder, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Breeze Airways; Founder of JetBlue and Azul

David Peckinpaugh

President and CEO

U.S. Transportation Security Administration

Managing Director, AWS Travel & Hospitality

Amazon Web Services

Global Head of Travel Partnerships EMEA

David T. Stevens

Olympian Meeting

David Whiteside, Chief Operating Officer – Europe & Emerging Markets, onefinestay

David Whiteside

Chief Operating Officer – Europe & Emerging Markets

Dawit Habtemariam

Global Tourism Reporter

Managing Partner, Global Practice Leader

Deborah Pevenstein

Chief Revenue Officer

Optii Solutions

Decius Valmorbida

President, Travel Unit

Amadeus IT Group

Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer

Executive Editor, Founding Editor

DeShaun N. Wise Porter

Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Recognition

Devon Montgomery Pasha, CMP, CED

Director of North America

Event Design Collective

Co-Founder and CEO

Dillip Rajakarier

CEO at Minor Hotels and Group CEO

Minor International

Director of External Communications

CEO and Co-founder

Dorothy Dowling

Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer

Best Western Hotels & Resorts

American Airlines

Dr. Amaryllis Verhoeven

Head of Unit for Digital Transformation of Industry – Ecosystems II: Tourism & Proximity

European Commission

Dr. Brandi Baldwin

Millennial Ventures

Dr. Lynn Minnaert

Academic Director & Clinical Associate Professor

Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality at New York University

Dr. Mordecai Ogada

Conservation Ecologist and Co-Author of “The Big Conservation Lie”

Dr. Saleh Shoaib

Public Policy Lead, Gulf Region & Egypt

Co-founder & Executive Chairman

Transparent Intelligence

Executive Vice President, and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer

Marriott International

Chief Commercial Officer

Co-Founder and CEO

Duncan O'Rourke

Duncan O’Rourke

CEO Northern Europe

Head of Global Innovation

Chief Sales Officer

Discover Puerto Rico

Vice President of Product Management for Artificial Intelligence

Publicis Sapient

Edward Chandler

Global Head of B2B Travel

Ekrem Dimbiloglu

Managing Director – In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity Design

Delta Air Lines

Elena Gerstmann

Elena Gerstmann, PhD, FASAE, CAE

Co-founder and CEO

Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer

Event Strategy Consultant

Global Director of Programmes

The Travel Foundation

Ellen Dubois du Bellay

Chief Human Resources Officer

Elliott Ferguson

President and CEO

Director, Marketing

Alaska Airlines

Global Director of Travel

Vice President, Homes & Growth Segments

Meeting Designer and Managing Partner

U.S. Ambassador in India

President and Co-Founder

Senior Vice President – Strategic Partnerships

JCB International Credit Card

Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer

Delta Air Lines

Member of the Group Executive Committee; Group Chief Marketing Officer; and Managing Director, Hotels & Resorts

Chief Growth Officer

Director of Product

Federico J. González Tejera

Radisson Hotel Group

President and CEO

Finnbar Cornwall

Industry Sector Leader for Travel

Founder, SVP & GM

Medallia Zingle

Francis Davidson

Co-Founder & CEO

Frank Rosenberger

Executive Board Member of IT and Future Markets

President & CEO

New York City Tourism + Conventions

Surf Air Mobility

OCTAVE Institute

Frédéric Kahane

SVP Customer Loyalty and Flying Blue Director

Frederic Lalonde

CEO & Co-Founder

Internova Travel Group

Chief Digital and Information Officer

American Airlines

CEO and Executive Director

Hostelworld Group

Vice President of Sales & Industry Relations

Teneo Hospitality Group

President and CEO

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

Gaurav Bhatnagar

Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director

Executive Vice President / Director, The Americas

amsterdam&partners

Geetika Agrawal

Founder and CEO

Vacation with An Artist (VAWAA)

President and CEO

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

President and CEO

U.S. Travel Association

Geoffrey Ryskamp

Global Head of Hospitality, Travel & Leisure

George Turner

Chief Commercial & Technology Officer

IHG Hotels & Resorts

Gertjan Dewaele

Product Innovation Lead

Ingenico ePayments

Gilad Berenstein

Brook Bay Capital

Gilda Perez-Alvarado

JLL Hotels & Hospitality

CEO and President

Booking Holdings

Bermuda Tourism Authority

Vice President, Global B2B Events and Programs

Marriott International

Senior Vice President of Sales

Chief Commercial Officer

Senior Director, Product Marketing

Senior Director

Founder and Senior Managing Director

SVP, Innovation

MMGY NextFactor

General Manager Europe and Middle East international Business

Gustavo Segura Sancho

Minister of Tourism

Costa Rica Tourism Board

Chief Changemaker and CEO

Global Destinations Sustainability Movement

Managing Partner, Customer Loyalty

President, Middle East & Africa (MEA)

H.E. Ali Al Shaiba

Executive Director, Tourism & Marketing Sector

Department of Culture & Tourism – Abu Dhabi

H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri

Director General

Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism

Senior Director of Marketing

Chief Operating Officer

Pillar Well-Being

Head of Travel Sales

Founder and CEO

Pillar Well-Being

Harsha L’Acqua

Founder and CEO

Saira Hospitality

Heather Balsley

SVP, Global Loyalty & Partnerships

Senior Vice President of Global Rental Operations

Travel + Leisure Co.

Managing Director

Cowen and Company

Managing Director Environmental Sustainability

Southwest Airlines

Henrik Kjellberg