Virtuoso hires Tim Morgan as director of business strategy

Virtuoso has appointed Tim Morgan as its new director of business strategy for Canada, effective immediately.

Morgan most recently held a role at Travel Professionals International (TPI) as vice president. After a successful 13 years with the company, he’s excited at the prospect of developing key strategies for the Canadian market with Virtuoso.

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PAX chatted with David Kolner, senior vice president, global member partnerships for Virtuoso, and Tim Morgan, (who’s currently in Seattle for the remainder of this week) to learn more about what Morgan’s new appointment means for Virtuoso.

First things first: active listening

Morgan will be working closely with Joelle Goldman, director, US and Canada, global member partnerships, and Cindy Nelson, regional director. According to Morgan, both colleagues not only understand the historical context of the company, but they’ve also been overseeing the member and partner relationships, which is a key component of what Morgan will be doing in the Toronto office.

“The first order of business is to do a lot of listening to the members and the partners, because Virtuoso has been in Canada for many years,” Morgan explained. “The position is new to Virtuoso and to Canada. The main reason for this in-market position in Toronto is to spend a lot of time with the current Virtuoso partners, and also to look at the potential new Virtuoso partners in the Canadian market."

A record of success

One of the key business strategies Morgan will undertake is to examine the research and trends that Virtuoso has gathered over the years in order to identify the existing needs from a Canadian perspective.

As a result of his tenure at TPI, Morgan feels that he has a deeper understanding of just what that means, especially since TPI was a member of Virtuoso.

“My time at TPI was incredibly valuable, and still is, every day,” Morgan said. “Everything I learned from the industry over the last 13 years was incredibly relevant to what I’m working on at Virtuoso. "We want to make sure that Virtuoso continues to be as important and as relevant to the day-to-day needs of the current travel agency market in Canada, as well as to the current and future travel agency and partner and supplier market in Canada.”

He continued:

“It’s not often that we get to be a part of something larger than ourselves. The Canadian market is quite insular, and with that comes many positives, but there are also a lot of opportunities to partner with a global organization. I’m taking all of those great things about the Canadian market that have been built within itself and taking best practices from a global business that has had great reach around the world and bringing those to the Canadian space.”

Kolner welcomed the news of Morgan's appointment, noting that Morgan's experience in the industry make him a great fit for the role.

“We’re listening to members, and Virtuoso’s strategic working group of owners and managers who provide input into their key needs,” explained Kolner. “We’re very excited to have Tim join Virtuoso, who comes to us with a great deal of experience across all aspects of the business. We love it when Virtuoso member agencies have staff that join Virtuoso so it’s a great benefit, and the insight that Tim has into the operations and needs of travel agencies across Canada.”

Virtuoso Travel Week

Next Saturday, Aug. 11, Virtuoso Travel Week kicks off in Las Vegas. According to Kolner, this year’s numbers are expected to bring record attendance.

“One of the things we’re so excited about regarding Virtuoso Week is that the levels of networking and education that occur at the event are really unparallel in the luxury industry on a worldwide basis," Kolner said.

After a study conducted last year, Virtuoso found the following:

• Advisors who came to Virtuoso Travel Week even just once in the last three years sold 67 per cent more than advisors who didn’t attend.
• The advisors who come to Virtuoso travel Week every year sold 179 per cent more.

"I think it really speaks to the fact that even the most experienced advisors still enjoy coming, because it’s an opportunity to refresh yourself and get up to speed on what’s happening in the industry, be it preferred partners, best practices, or the newest Virtuoso products and services," Kolner said. "At Virtuoso, we celebrate human connections. You’re not just learning about a product or a destination, you’re learning about a person there. You’re not sending a client to a supplier, you’re sending a client to a friend.”

Get more information on Virtuoso Travel Week!