John Lambe
Chief Technology Officer
OpenJaw Technologies
OpenTravel Board, Acting Chair and International Representative Member
John Lambe is an internationally recognised expert on internet booking engines and travel distribution software design. His vision and expertise extends into some of the world’s leading travel companies. He has an in depth knowledge of issues involved in travel supplier integration, distribution channel management, dynamic packaging and ecommerce strategies.
He is a regular speaker at global travel technology conferences and is cited in various industry publications on topics such as internet booking engines, travel distribution trends and strategies, and industry standardisation.
Mr. Lambe leads OpenJaw’s technical strategy and product management functions in developing high performance dynamic packaging and supplier connectivity solutions for travel industry leaders. His considerable practical expertise in the implementation of XML specifications in Internet reservation systems and travel distribution platforms has been crucial in the development of OpenJaw’s innovative product portfolio which is now deployed worldwide.
Mr. Lambe has actively participated in OpenTravel for many years, particularly in the Airline, Data Content & Best Practices and Architecture areas.
After graduating with a degree in Electronic Engineering from Dublin City University, Mr. Lambe initially developed airport and travel agency systems for Westinghouse Canada. Before co-founding OpenJaw Technologies, Mr. Lambe held the position of Director of Architecture with Datalex.
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James White
Director, Global Automation Marketing
The Hertz Corporation
OpenTravel Board, Treasurer
James White is Director, Global Automation Marketing for the Hertz Corporation, the world's largest car rental company. In this role, Mr. White is responsible for the development and execution of Hertz' global electronic distribution strategy, product development and the management of commercial relationships with GDS and other electronic distribution companies.
Prior to joining the Hertz Corporation in 1997, Mr. White began his travel industry career in 1984 with Budget Rent a Car as a reservations agent. Having held management positions at Budget in operations, marketing and product development, Mr. White became the Director, Global Automation Services in 1990.
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Michelle Aaron
Director, Application Development, PSS Replacement
American Airlines
OpenTravel Board, Member
Michelle Aaron is currently responsible for architecture, infrastructure, application development, integration ad migration of the American Airlines passenger services system (PSS) replacement program. PSS, the largest non-military real-time computer environment in the world, processes of 800 transactions per second or 600 million transactions per day. Ms. Aaron also sits on American's Architecture Steering Committee, responsible for providing leadership and setting standards across the IT enterprise.
Ms. Aaron has worked for American Airlines for eight years, working on customer-facing technology including AA.com and SOA.
Ms. Aaron received her degree from Texas A&M University and lives in Frisco, Texas.
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Greg Berman
Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director
Hotel Booking Solutions Inc., an IBS Group Compamy
OpenTravel Board, Member
Greg Berman has gathered over 22 years of integrated solutions sales and delivery experience managing, consulting and implementing diverse mission-critical enterprise business solutions and software products in the Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Hospitality, Insurance, Retail and Government industries. Positions he has held include Founder and Chief Technology Officer for Albion Connect, a telecommunications order management messaging integration and interconnection software company, Vice President - Global Mobility Solutions Leader for Fujitsu, as well as Global Account Manager for Fujitsu with AT&T (formerly BellSouth).
Mr. Berman is currently the COO & Managing Director of Hotel Booking Solutions Inc (HBSi), an IBS Group Company, and is responsible for all HBSi global operations including sales, business management, software development, and service delivery. Mr. Berman is fluent in business operations and technology and is considered an industry expert on telecommunications-based partner integration and standardized messaging.
Mr. Berman believes forward thinking travel companies requiring integration to work and leverage partner systems to support their own business processes find measurable business benefit in leveraging, supporting, implementing and promoting Open Travel standards. In the travel industry for those companies that have adopted Open Travel standards, we can now measure reduction in time to revenue, quality of delivery, cost, confidence in delivery timelines and reduction in business risk because of what Open Travel represents, has delivered, the leadership it provides to its constituents and the industry as a whole.
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Lisa Fues
Director of Reservations, Inventory, and Distribution
Marriott International, Inc.
OpenTravel Board, Member
Lisa Fues is Marriott's Director of Reservations, Inventory, and Distribution. She is responsible for providing electronic distribution perspective and business requirements, project management, and best practices support to strategic Marriott initiatives in the areas of reservations and distribution systems.
Ms. Fues is a 20 plus year Marriott associate and has had various roles in eCommerce, leading internal and external systems development projects, product rollouts, and marketing to support electronic sales through marriott.com, GDS and eChannels. As part of Marriott's eCommerce department in the Sales and Marketing organization, she was the business project manager for Marriott’s first direct connect interface using the OpenTravel specification and has participated in subsequent internal and external Marriott implementations of OpenTravel messages.
Ms. Fues has been involved in OpenTravel since 2001. She began as an active participant in the Hotel Work Group and was subsequently elected to and chaired the Interoperability Committee for three years prior to being elected to the Board in 2005.
Ms. Fues holds an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Anthropology and Hispanic Studies from Connecticut College.
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Lew Harasymiw, Esq.
Director of Interface Solutions
SynXis, A Division of Sabre Hospitality Solutions
OpenTravel Board, Member
Lew J. Harasymiw is the Director of Interface Solutions for SynXis, the industry leader in distribution technology and services. Mr. Harasymiw has been working in technology since graduating from Boston College Law School in 1996. After working for nearly four years as a consultant, Mr. Harasymiw entered the hospitality industry and in 2000, became one of the founding members of hubX Inc. At hubX he designed and developed all aspects of the application architecture including PMS integration, booking engines, call center applications, and administration and content management tools.
After hubX was acquired by SynXis in 2004, Mr. Harasymiw continued in his role and was instrumental in the transition to SynXis's new RedX platform. Shortly after Sabre Holdings acquired SynXis in 2005, Mr. Harasymiw's focus became centered on interfaces. He is now responsible for the planning and implementation of strategic partnerships and automation with the industry's leading booking sites. More recently he has assumed responsibility for SynXis's Technology Partner Program.
Mr. Harasymiw acts as the chair of the HTNG Property/Distribution Workgroup, co-chair of the HTNG Governance Council and co-chair of the Property/Distribution Workgroup Message Definition Team.
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Stephen Joyce
Chief Executive Officer
RezGo
OpenTravel Board, Member
Stephen Joyce has been working as a travel & tourism technology consultant since 1995. He is a graduate of Capilano University and holds a certificate in IT Management. In 2005, Mr. Joyce and his company, Sentias Software Corp. began development on Rezgo.com, a next generation Web 2.0 tour and activity booking engine for SME travel suppliers and tour operators which now boasts a user base of 900+ companies. Mr. Joyce is also very active in fostering tourism technology and is the founding President of the North American Chapter of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT North America). He is the publisher of the Tips from the T-List books, a ground-breaking series that brings together travel industry bloggers from around the World. The success of his book series has lead to workshops and speaking engagements on Social media and User Generated content around the World.
In addition to his tourism initiatives, Mr. Joyce is also Chair of the Website Subcommittee for Vancouver’s NorthShore Tourism Association, Executive with the Canadian E-Tourism Council, and formerly on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Club and the COHO Society of the North Shore.
Mr. Joyce believes the travel & tourism industry is all about connections; connecting people, places, and cultures. Using new technologies, social media, and social networks can help to foster the connections that we share while create a new world of connectivity for all tourism related businesses both large and small.
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Eric Mason
Vice President, Global Product Development
RCI/Wyndham Worldwide
OpenTravel Board, Member
Eric Mason has served in various leadership capacities in the hospitality industry for more that than 18 years. He started his career on the property side and quickly moved to corporate responsibilities ranging from General Manager to Regional Sales Management, Technology Management, Resort Openings and Systems Strategy and Implementation.
Mr. Mason transitioned to hospitality technology in the late 90’s and since has helped design, sell and implement systems designed for Enterprise Property Management, Electronic Distribution, Revenue Management and Sales & Marketing for the Timeshare, Hotel, Resort and Vacation Rental segments . He has also held executive management positions with Resort Computer Corporation, Sceptre, Synxis and Group RCI (a Wyndham Worldwide Company) focusing on Operations Management, Product Design & Development, Business and Partnership Development, Program Implementation and Strategy Development on a worldwide basis.
Mr. Mason brings to the OpenTravel board of directors a time share and vacation perspective to provide strategic direction in those segments.
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Kevin Short
Global Industry Segment Leader, Travel and Hospitality
EDS
OpenTravel Board, Member
Kevin Short is a Global Industry Segment Leader in the EDS Transportation Consumer Travel Segment. He provides subject matter expertise to clients in airline, hotel and travel distribution. In addition, he leads the EDS corps of Client Industry Executives covering all sectors within Consumer Travel, including airline, hotel, rental car, cruise, travel distribution, and passenger rail. This organization analyzes industry trends, helps clients articulate needs in information technology and business processing areas, and provides feedback to EDS solution and portfolio organizations. At EDS, Mr. Short has participated in engagements including airline inventory, channel and revenue management, leisure travel product management and distribution, hotel technology and distribution, and CRM solutions.
Mr. Short brings 27 years of marketing and operational experience in travel industry planning and electronic distribution, including airline planning and revenue management, Internet distribution, leisure travel product management, hotel technology and distribution, and information technology. He brings demonstrated international expertise in applying revenue management and distribution techniques to improve revenue performance. Mr. Short has been an industry speaker on revenue management, customer relationship management, and travel industry technology.
Mr. Short received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Austin College, in Sherman Texas in 1980, and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin in 1986.
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John Turato
Vice President of Technology
Avis Budget Group
OpenTravel Board, Immediate Past Chair
John Turato is Vice President of Technology at Avis Budget Group, the world's second largest general-use rent a car company. He is responsible for Technology Strategy, Architecture, R&D, Infrastructure, Data Security, and Field Engineering.
Mr. Turato was Director of e-Business Strategy at Avis before assuming his current position in February of 2001. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Turato was with SIAC, supporting the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and Lockheed Martin, supporting the Trident II Submarine Program. Mr. Turato has been an Adjunct Professor at New York Institute of Technology and has also taught at Hofstra University and City University of New York (CUNY).
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Valyn Perini
Executive Director
OpenTravel Alliance
Valyn Perini is an experienced travel professional with more than fifteen years in hospitality and travel operations, sales and marketing, systems, consulting, and software development. As executive director of the OpenTravel, Ms. Perini oversees the operations of the organization, including developing and executing strategies to reach the goal of standardizing electronic distribution of traveler information in the travel industry.
Her hotel career with InterContinental, Westin and Swissotel spanned sales, catering, operations and systems from the property to the international corporate office. As a hospitality technology consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, she worked for cruise lines, hotel companies, technology vendors and the federal government. As the director of product strategy for Newmarket International, a software development firm that creates applications for the hotel industry, she oversaw product management and new product development.
Ms. Perini has served the industry in several volunteer capacities, including three years on the HEDNA board of directors, and currently sits on the HITEC advisory council. She grew up in Atlanta, and has worked in New York, Zurich, Washington DC and Portsmouth NH. She currently lives in Boston.
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