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In his new role, O'Brien will lead the luxury host agency, which comprises more than 1,800 independent contractors (ICs) and affiliate ICs, as well as 92 affiliate agencies. Set to build on Travel Edge's commitment to understanding the priorities and needs of its advisors, O'Brien will reportedly embark on a listening tour, picking up on the work started earlier this year by Andrew Pilkington, the organization's president. Pilkington's cross-country trips in the U.S. and Canada allowed him to meet with advisors and hear what was on their minds.
"As a result of our listening initiatives, we have already implemented changes based on advisor feedback," said Pilkington. "These include more in-person events and opportunities for advisors to connect with each other, as well as the launch of a Regional Community Initiative that features marketing elements, engagement, and development opportunities in several regional offices in the U.S. and Canada."
Travel Edge says O'Brien brings a proven track record of driving profitable growth through innovative thinking, strategic focus and disciplined execution. O'Brien was most recently at WeightWatchers (WW) from 2017-2023, serving in several roles including president & general manager, WW Canada. In 2022, he took on leadership of all markets outside of North America as head of international markets and then as head of commercial growth and customer operations.
Prior to WeightWatchers, O'Brien held various senior roles at AIMIA including running the Aeroplan line of business, leading strategy development and major partner management, negotiations and ancillary revenue growth. His background also includes co-founding and serving as a general partner in The Group Investments, a Toronto-based Series A tech fund. He additionally spent 16 years working in consulting as a principal at Mercer Management Consulting and as a partner at Secor Consulting. That experience is credited with serving as the foundation for his belief that understanding customers and markets better than anybody else drives better outcomes.
"This position merges my passion for travel with my commitment to enhancing the customer journey and experience," added O'Brien. "I look forward to working closely with our advisors to understand their needs and the needs of their customers to help drive the continued success of our network."