Marc Kazlauskas. (Source: Avoya Travel)
TravelPulse caught up with Marc Kazlauskas, Avoya Travel’s new chief executive officer, to discuss a range of topics, including his vision for the host agency and how it sets itself apart from the competition.
Most recently, Kazlauskas served as president of Frosh and managing director of its parent company, JP Morgan Chase. He has also held key positions at Insight Vacations, Tauck and Trafalgar.
Avoya Travel was fully acquired by Certares, an equity investment firm, in June.
What is your vision for Avoya Travel and its agency members going forward?
My vision is to take what this company does well and make it even better, which includes a major focus on culture, ensuring the best home for independent advisors, our employees and future employees.
We already have world-class technology. My goals would be to make it better, faster and more productive for our advisors, which means how can we reduce what might take six clicks down to three, and also how can we incorporate Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence so that our systems get smarter as we feed information, resulting in smarter, faster and more productive independent advisors. And lastly, we have to continue growing as we always have done to ensure we deliver for our employees, independent contractors (ICs), shareholders and supplier partners
What advantages will your tenure at Frosch and JP Morgan bring to Avoya?
My years at Frosch and JPMorgan were invaluable and taught me to have an information architecture-centric mindset—meaning I bring a proven track record of building programs that treat independent advisors as key stakeholders, not just a sales channel.
My time there—where I led large-scale integrations (processes, systems, teams) with minimal disruption—taught me a lot about change management and integration of new products and tools, which will help Avoya adopt new tools, business models and/or partnerships more smoothly; data-driven decision-making, which means I bring a culture of tracking the right key performance indicators, so decisions are based on measurable performance, not just intuition; and a very strong focus on the culture of transparency, trust and empowerment that strengthens loyalty and collaboration across all levels of employees and independent advisors.
Avoya Travel (Photo Credit: Courtesy Avoya Travel)
What advantages will your tour operator experience bring to Avoya?
I bring a unique perspective from the supplier side of the industry, which allows me to see every discussion from both sides. It’s also given me a deep respect for our supplier partners and the world they navigate.
In what ways will Avoya benefit under the new Certares ownership?
Certares is one of the most influential private equity firms in the travel industry, with unmatched expertise across cruise, air, car and agency sectors. Their deep understanding of our business is evident in every interaction, and their team brings an exceptional level of support, engagement and insight that sets them apart.
Under your leadership, what will change at Avoya and what will remain the same?
What will remain the same is our unwavering focus on our independent advisor partners and our commitment to continually enhancing our tools, support, recognition and engagement. What will change is a sharper focus on culture, technology and growth, which will benefit our independent advisors, employees, shareholders and supplier partners alike.
What distinguishes Avoya from its host agency competition?
Avoya stands apart in the industry with technology that seamlessly connects the right consumer to the right advisor and supplier partner. We offer the most comprehensive training programs in the business, including the industry’s leading ‘new-to-industry’ program.
As one of the oldest and most experienced true host agencies, we have a proven track record of driving success, with nearly 100 percent retention of our independent advisors from [their revenue generation]. Combined with our culture of innovation, deep supplier relationships and unwavering commitment to advisor success, Avoya is uniquely positioned to lead the future of travel.
What are your thoughts on the health of the advisor industry going forward?
There’s never been a better time to be a travel advisor. In an age of information overload and AI, travelers need trusted experts who can maximize their investment and save them the one thing they can’t get back—time.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
