Sabre Appoints Kurt Ekert as President

(16 Dec 2021)  Sabre has appointed Kurt Ekert as President, separating the roles of President and Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment will take effect on 3 January 2022.

Kurt will oversee all aspects of the company’s business and technology operations, including the company’s technology transformation. He will report to Sean Menke, who will continue to serve as CEO.

Kurt Ekert

“We are thrilled to have Kurt join Sabre as President during this pivotal phase in our transformation journey,” said Sean Menke. “We firmly believe in a broad, global recovery, across both corporate and leisure travel. We are focusing our strategic efforts to capitalize on post-pandemic opportunities and unlock shareholder value – all with an eye toward achieving our bold vision to create a new marketplace for personalized travel. The appointment of Kurt as President – with his extensive industry experience, especially in corporate travel management and global distribution – is a critical step toward achieving that goal.”

Kurt recently served five years as president and CEO of CWT. He has extensive experience in distribution, including time spent working as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Travelport, where he led the operational turnaround that enabled a successful IPO in 2014.

Kurt also previously held executive roles at Gulliver’s Travel Associates (GTA), Orbitz, Cendant and Continental Airlines, as well as multiple board roles including at eNett and Carlson Travel Inc.

“Sabre’s people and its compelling product offerings and customer relationships position the business well for the dynamic changes ahead in the travel sector,” said Kurt. “I am excited to partner with Sean and the global team to drive world-class innovation and performance.”

At Sabre, Kurt will have direct responsibility for the company’s travel solutions and hospitality solutions businesses, technology engineering and operations and Sabre Labs.

Along with Kurt, the company’s finance, legal, human resources and communications functions will report to Sean Menke.

Dave Shirk Moving into Senior Advisory Role

Dave Shirk has elected to step down as President of Travel Solutions, effective 1 January 2022. He will serve as a senior advisor to both Sean and Kurt through 2022.

“The travel ecosystem looks very different than it did 20 months ago, and while it presented challenges for many, including Sabre, we believe the time has also proven valuable in other ways – giving us the opportunity to accelerate our technology transformation and deliver industry-first capabilities that our customers truly value,” said Sean. “We appreciate Dave’s contributions to our achievements and his leadership over the years. We head into 2022 emboldened in our belief that Sabre will continue to be a driving force for change in travel and we remain steadfast in our commitment to helping our customers operate more efficiently, drive revenue and deliver travel experiences that benefit travelers, travel suppliers, and agencies.”