There’s a big shakeup happening within several major travel agency brands. In an internal memo to employees, Head of Chase Travel Group Jason Wynn announced that current Valerie Wilson Travel (VWT) Co-Presidents Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg and Kimberly Wilson Wetty will be taking on new roles for Chase Travel, while VWT will be headed up by Karen Magee, most recently an executive with the Global Travel Collection.
At Chase Travel, a business unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wilson-Buttigieg will serve as head of policy, while Wilson Wetty has been named head of Chase Travel brand culture. As the pair take on these new roles, Magee will join the Chase Travel Group as president of Valerie Wilson Travel, beginning in September. (By way of backstory, Valerie Wilson Travel was acquired by Frosch International Travel in April 2021, with the latter acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in May 2022.)
Wilson-Buttigieg, according to Wynn, will focus on building a travel policy framework and engagement strategy for Chase Travel, inclusive of the entire FROSCH family of brands. She will represent Chase Travel on the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), U.S. Travel Association (USTA) and American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA).
Wilson-Buttigieg will report directly to Wynn and joins his leadership team; she will also have accountability to Michelle Mesack, head of global government relations.
Separately, in her new role, Wilson Wetty will play an integral role in building the culture and brand of Chase Travel, as it integrates the multiple brands and organizations within the Chase Travel Group to build one united voice. She will additionally assist in the development of programs that will develop the company’s travel advisor community.
She will continue to report to Chase Travel Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Vividor, with additional responsibility to Ken Litton, Chase Travel chief operating officer.
Wilson-Buttigieg and Wilson Wetty had previously served at Valerie Wilson Travel for 32 and 28 years, respectively. They grew the agency into one of the most respected full-service travel management companies alongside its founder (and their mother), namesake and colleague, Valerie Ann Wilson.
Taking over as president of Valerie Wilson Travel, beginning in September, will be Magee. With a decade of experience in the luxury travel industry, she joins the company from the Global Travel Collection, a division of Internova, where she held several leadership positions, most recently as senior vice president, business transformation. Magee was a key player in numerous business transformations, including the integration and subsequent growth of In the Know Experiences, a luxury travel and lifestyle agency.
Joining the Chase Travel Group is somewhat of a homecoming for Karen, as she began her career in the travel industry at Frosch, working on marketing and partner relations. She will report to Marc Kazlauskas, head of Frosch leisure and branch operations, and will work closely with Valerie Wilson and the VWT leadership team.
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