by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:55 PM ET, Tue December 3, 2024
Jack E. Richards, the longtime president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, will retire in January.
The president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays, one of the largest tour operators in the country, has announced his retirement.
The company’s chief executive, Jack E. Richards, will leave his role at the helm of the sprawling company which offers vacation packages, flights, hotels, cruises, car rentals, travel protection and related travel services, as of January 31, 2025.
“It has been an incredible honor to lead and serve this great company for over 17 years as President & CEO,” Richards said in a just-released statement. “I am extremely proud of what we accomplished and am forever grateful to the Pleasant Holidays’ team. The Company is well-positioned for long-term growth and continued success.”
David Hu, former president and CEO of various travel industry organizations, will succeed Richards in the top role at Pleasant Holidays, starting the job on January 1, 2025.
Richards has spent his entire 46 year-career in the travel industry, working with tour operators, airlines and online travel companies. He led Pleasant Holidays for more than 17 years, growing the company from a Hawaii-centric organization to a global travel company providing vacation packages, cruises and travel related services to 84 countries worldwide.
Richards also navigated the company through the 2008 financial crises and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, both of which represented some of the most challenging times in the travel industry.
The company’s departing executive is also credited with having established strong partnerships with travel consortiums, airlines, cruise lines, hotel companies, tourism boards and government agencies.
He also had a particular focus and commitment to providing exceptional service quality to the travel advisors and travelers. This effort earned Pleasant Holidays a record 14 awards for service quality excellence in 2023.
David Hu, the incoming president and CEO of Pleasant Holidays (Photo Credit: Courtesy Pleasant Holidays)
Hu, who will succeed Richards, has spent more than 15 years working in the travel industry, including 13 years as president and CEO of a luxury travel tour operator. He has worked across departments as well, including sales, marketing, I.T., supplier relations, operations, finance and human resources.
“Pleasant Holidays is a company that I have greatly admired from afar,” Hu said in a statement. “This admiration is rooted not just in the company’s many accomplishments and accolades, but also the culture and the dedication of its employees.”
Hu said he is excited and humbled to be joining Pleasant Holidays.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
