President and Chief Executive Officer

Travel Leaders Group / Tzell Travel Group

Barry Liben is the chief executive officer of Travel Leaders Group - a North American travel company comprised of six companies including: Travel Leaders Corporate, Travel Leaders Leisure Group, Travel Leaders Franchise Group, Nexion, Vacation.com and Tzell Travel Group.

Prior to his role as CEO of Travel Leaders Group, Mr. Liben served as president and CEO of Tzell Travel Group, a leadership role he maintains. Mr. Liben has been at the helm of Tzell Travel Group since 1977. At the time of his initial investment, Tzell Travel Group employed three people. Today, Tzell Travel Group has grown to include over 700 agents, staff and management. In 2008, Tzell Travel Group merged with Travel Leaders Group, which together rank number one in Business Travel News’ ranking of US business travel agencies. Subsequently, Travel Leaders Group acquired Nexion (a group of 2,800 home-based agents) and Vacation.com – the largest leisure US travel seller with over 5,000 travel agency members.

By combining his business skills, management savvy and personal philosophy to "create an environment conducive to initiative and hard work, encourage a sense of fun, then let people do their best and recognize it,” Mr. Liben charted the path for success, first for Tzell Travel Group and now across Travel Leaders Group’s diverse holdings. He grew the once tiny Tzell business, with emphasis on travel to a single destination, into one that focuses on a core product of worldwide business travel with additional emphasis on groups, entertainment travel, sports packages, and concert tours. Its prominence in the travel industry grew from a ranking of 40th among the “Top 50 Travel Agencies” to 1st in 2009 (according to Business Travel News). By employing his proven philosophy throughout Travel Leaders Group’s culture, the relatively new company has not only enjoyed enormous growth, but is poised for further success.

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Liben resides in New Jersey with his family. His philanthropic work includes serving on the board of the National Stuttering Association, five years as president of the Israel Community Development Foundation and, most recently, as a member of the International Board of the Menachem Begin Center in Jerusalem.

Executive Vice President

Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in the travel industry.  David is responsible for the day to day operation of the company.  Primary among his many and varied responsibilities is managing the complex relationships with Tzell's internal customers.  David joined the Tzell Travel Group in 1988 and he currently sits on the Board of Directors.

David serves on the advisory boards of several industry pace makers. including Preferred Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels, Starwood Hotels and now Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.  David's an active supporter of the Fresh Air Fund, the National Stuttering Association, Camp Sunshine and numerous other charities.

With both an eye for detail and global outlook, David's daily contributions to Tzell continually expand its horizons.

Senior Vice President

Jerry joined Tzell Travel in 1995 after a 16 year career at Continental Airlines.  Jerry is involved in revenue optimization, strategic planning and acquisitions for the company.  Jerry also sits on the Board of Directors for the Tzell Travel Group.  Additionally, he oversees airline relations for the Tzell Group and sits on a number of airline advisory boards.

Chief Financial Officer

Willie qualified with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland in the early '90s, training with PriceWaterhouseCoopers.  He spent ten years in the Financial Services Industry in Dublin, Ireland working with Deutsche Bank within the fund administration business as Financial Controller.  In that role, he specialized in accounting, systems implementation, automation and strategic projects including the sale of Deutsche Bank's fund administration arm to State Street.  He joined Tzell as CFO in early 2004.

Senior Vice President

With over 25 years in the travel industry, beginning as a frontline agent, there is almost no operational position that Cindy has not held.  Joining Tzell in 2000, she brings a wealth of experience in all facets of agency operations and agent functions.  Cindy acts as liaison between airlines and agents and handles day to day agency issues including new agent set-up and orientation.  Other duties include new branch implementation and orientation, airline performance review and ARC liaison.

Vice President, Distribution Strategies

Scott covers market share strategies and supervision of corporate reporting.  Other responsibilities include GDS oversight, quality control and corporate travel policy adherence.

Vice President, Operations

Monty works, in tandem, with Cindy and David, to oversee Tzell’s day to day operation.  Of significant importance, is Monty’s focus on the immediate, ever changing  and long term needs of the agent community.  In addition, his experience in the Entertainment field also allows Monty to work closely on recruitment and management of this important niche market.

Vice President, Business Development & Account Management

Based at the company's headquarters in New York, Chris was named to this position in January 2009 and he brings over 25 years of success in the airline and travel management business.  Responsible for overseeing and guiding all sales and account management activities for the company, Chris has a proven track record of capturing new business while maintaining current partnerships.  He has served in various management leadership roles with major corporations including American Airlines, US Airways and United Airlines.

Vice President, Leisure Sales

Gina joined Tzell Travel is December 2010 after working many years in the hotel and tour operator business. Responsible for oversight and growth of the leisure business for the company, Gina manages the preferred vendor relationships and enjoys supporting Tzell's agents in their continued growth in leisure business.

Vice President, Hotel Programs & Development
Christina joined Tzell in December 2008 as Director of Hotel Programs and was appointed to the position of Vice President, Hotel Programs & Development in May 2011.  Drawing from her 10+ years in the hotel industry in various operational and sales positions, Christina brings an intimate knowledge of the hotel business to the agency.  Christina's main responsibilities include managing Tzell's hotel program, representing Tzell at industry events, assisting agents in maximizing hotel relationships and developing and nuturing new and existing hotel relationships and programs.

Vice President, Strategic Planning

Anne joined Tzell Travel after an impressive 30+ year career at American Airlines.  She is a highly respected industry veteran who has made a lasting impression on the travel industry.  Besides providing a wealth of experience, Anne is responsible for managing the incentive programs for Tzell's branch offices, coordinating key fundraising activities and the annual meeting for the company.

Vice President, West Coast Operations

Sara moved to California and joined Tzell Travel West in 1993, after working for several years in the video production industry in Texas.  Tzell West opened its doors just a few months prior to Sara joining, allowing her the privilege of being a part of the company from its earliest days.  In her role as Vice President, Sara oversees all west coast operations of Tzell and enjoys supporting Tzell's agents in their growth and day to day business.