Heather Kindred, Senior Vice President, Nexion Travel Group. (Photo Credit: Nexion Travel Group)
WHY IT RATES: The two proven leaders bring impressive resumes to their new roles and have the mammoth host agency poised to achieve its goals in 2026 and beyond.—Patrick Clarke, TravelPulse Senior Editor
Nexion Travel Group, the travel industry’s premier host agency in North America, today announced two updates to its executive team, promoting Heather Kindred to Senior Vice President and naming Laura Bjorne as Vice President, Business Operations.
Kindred previously served as Nexion’s Vice President, Business Development and Education & Partner Relations, as well as the founding Program Director of Travel Leaders of Tomorrow. In her new role as Senior Vice President, she will have the day-to-day responsibility of leading the company’s Business Development, Marketing and Partner Relations teams.
She will continue her role as Program Director for Travel Leaders of Tomorrow, a placement and training program for travel advisors who are new to the industry. A travel industry veteran, Kindred began her career as a corporate and leisure travel advisor before discovering a passion for teaching and mentoring new travel professionals, developing her skills through a number of education and training positions with AAA Washington, Carlson Wagonlit and Holland America Line.
Bjorne, who will lead the company’s information technology initiatives, comes to Nexion with more than 30 years of experience across the IT and travel agency industries. She began her career coding booking data on a NASA-funded project, an initiative that evolved into a privately held business specializing in booking engines for travel agencies and airports.
In 2009, she joined Conlin Travel, the Midwest’s largest privately held travel management company, as Chief Technology Officer. She was responsible for directing all internal and client-facing technologies, leading operational management and efficiency initiatives and contributing to strategic planning. Most recently, Bjorne has focused on developing workflows, technology roadmaps and quality controls to streamline mid-office operations for independent advisors.
“I’m thrilled with the appointment of these two highly experienced professionals who will help us meet the challenges we face in a constantly evolving industry,” said Jackie Friedman, VTA, CTIE, President, Nexion Travel Group. “Heather plays a key role in ensuring that our travel advisors have the best marketing, business development and education and training tools as well as deep relationships with our supplier partners. Laura’s appointment means that we will stay ahead of the curve on new technologies, including artificial intelligence, metric-driven processes and the latest workflow solutions. Together, they will help Nexion’s already strong team assist our advisors in growing their businesses and continuing to provide a high level of service to their clients.”
All travel professionals interested in learning how to succeed as a professional business owner, backed by Nexion Travel Group’s many great benefits, are encouraged to call 800-747-6813 or email [email protected].
SOURCE: Nexion Travel Group press release.
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