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Bill O'Connor
Bill is a founder and
Managing Member of Travel Square One, LLC., an innovation in travel
distribution based on principles of professionalism, shared risks,
costs and benefits. He is also Co-founder & a Managing Partner of
The Denver Consulting Group, Inc., and was the founder and former
President of The Trinity Group, Inc. The Denver Consulting Group,
Inc. (DCG), established in 1985, is a management consulting firm
specializing in results-oriented change in the hospitality, travel
and tourism industry. DCG services offered fall into two general
disciplines of Strategic Business Planning and Organizational
Development and include: Business Planning, Financial Modeling,
Marketing, Advertising, Promotion, Pricing, Distribution Strategies,
Electronic Distribution Alternatives, Goal Setting, Performance
Assessment, Incentives and Compensation.
Some DCG consulting clients served include:
Gorp.com, IDVSports.com, Frontier Airlines, Tahiti Tourisme, Rail
Europe Group, The Colorado Tourism Board, Aspen Ski Company, Golf
Reservations of America, AAA Travel, Orbit Technologies, Express
Reservations, SNCF (French Rail), Switzerland Tourism, Colorado
Travel and Tourism Authority, Gold Lake Resort & Spa, Winter Park
Ski Company, Lone Eagle Tours, and others.
Projects have involved:
• Strategic counseling in the development of alternative,
internet-based travel inventory management, pricing and distribution
(Gorp.com, Orbit Technologies, Korobra, Juniper, Golf Reservations
of America)
• Spearheading the legal, political and industry transition from
public to privately funded tourism promotion and fulfillment
(Colorado Tourism Board, Colorado Travel & Tourism, Switzerland
Destination Management)
• Development of and assistance in funding business plans for a
variety of new service and technology enterprises (Gorp.com, IDV
Sports, Orbit, All Adventure Travel, Korobra, Colorado Connection
Air Services)
• Advice and counsel on restructuring existing channels of travel
distribution in existing travel companies (Frontier Airlines, SNCF,
Switzerland Tourism, Rail Europe Group, Aspen Ski Company)
• Facilitating development of corporate mission, vision, values and
objectives as part of short and long term strategic planning (Winter
Park Ski Co., Rail Europe Group, Express Reservations, AAA Travel,
Tahiti Tourisme)
• Identification of strategic merger and acquisition opportunities
in travel companies (Rail Europe Group, Ueberroth & Co.)
Bill was also Managing Director and Co-owner of Craig Anthony
Safaris Ltd., a luxury, mobile safari operation in East Africa.
Craig Anthony Safaris is an internationally renowned photographic
tour company that focuses on delivering extraordinary,
custom-designed travel in a traditional style.
Bill was the Owner and Co-founder of The Travel Society, Inc. The
Travel Society, founded in 1987, was an creative alternative to
existing travel agency distribution companies in that it pioneered
the premise of 100% commisionable, independent counselors working in
a shared services environment. It is conceptually patterned after
the "ReMax" model and adapted to the industry. In return for a fixed
monthly fee, the counselors (Associates) share facilities, equipment
and services provided by the Company. With a relatively high fee
structure (in industry terms) only superior-skilled, high producing
professionals were attracted - those who otherwise would likely have
either closed their small, struggling independent agency location as
owner - managers, or who those who would have invested in trying to
move from counselor - manager to ownership.
In the 15 years leading up to the sale of the company in 2002, The
Travel Society operated out of three locations in Colorado and moved
to one of the 3 largest travel distribution companies in the Region.
Annual sales in 2001 exceeded $120 million, or about 9% of the
regional travel distribution market.
Bill spent 2 years with Frontier Airlines as Director of
Pricing/Inventory Management and General Manager of Sales where he
was responsible for introduction of yield managed pricing strategies
and supporting technologies. He also was also responsible for the
restructuring of distribution channels and sales processes.
In 18 years with United Airlines in a broad variety of Customer
Service, Sales and Marketing positions including: Asst.
Vice-President, Mountain Region; Reservations Sales Manager;
Regional Manager of Automation Sales; District Sales Manager;
Personnel Manager and a variety of operations and service positions
Bill worked in almost all fields of airline organization except
flight operations and maintenance.
Bill has served on a variety of Boards of Directors and Advisory Boards
in both the private and public sectors: APTA(Assn. For Promoton of
Tourism to Africa); South African Tourism; Colorado School of
Travel; Rail Europe, Inc.; Switzerland Tourism, Hong Kong Travel and
Tourism Authority, Hotel View (Virtual Data Corp) and others. He
conducts seminars on entrepreneurship, business development, sales
and tourism, and is a regular guest lecturer at many educational
institutions.
December 2006 - present Managing Member and Founder,
Travel Square One
April 2005 - July 2006 Chief Operating Officer, Travel Organizers
American Express
January 85 - Present Founder and Managing Partner, - The Denver
Consulting Group
January 00 - Present Managing Director/CoOwner - Craig Anthony
Safaris Ltd.
October 86 - Dec 00 - The Travel Society; Inc., President,
Co-founder & Owner.
March 85 - August 86 - Frontier Airlines; General Manager - System
Sales, Director Pricing & Inventory Management
March 84 - January 85 - The Destination Group; Chief Operating
Officer
January 82 - March 84 - United Airlines; District Sales Manager,
Mountain Region/Midwest Region.
January 81 - January 82 - United Airlines; Asst. to the Regional
Vice-President, Regional Automation Sales Manager, Denver/Mountain
Region
August 78 - January 81 - United Airlines; Central Reservations Sales
Manager
January 74 - August 78 - United Airlines; Industrial Relations/Human
Resources Representative
January 72 - January 74 - United Airlines; Customer Services
Supervisor
July 66 - January 72 - Multiple customer service assignments;
training, shift supervision etc.
Education: Leysin American School, Leysin Switzerland
George Washington University, Washington D.C.
Metro State College, Denver Colorado
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