Doug Payne  |  Senior Vice President of Sales

Doug, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio graduated from The Ohio State University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing and Transportation and Logistics.  In 1983, he graduated with a Master of Arts Degree in Public Administration and a Master of Science Degree in City and Regional Planning.

In 1983, Doug relocated to Minneapolis to join Northwest Airlines and served in a management capacity within the Sales Organization.  His areas of responsibility included sales management in passenger sales, automation sales, and air cargo divisions.   During his tenure at Northwest Airlines, Doug held management positions in Milwaukee and Chicago and traveled extensively throughout Asia.

In 1990, Doug was asked by Northwest to join the management team at Worldspan, L.P.; a new Global Distribution System (GDS) and joint venture project between Northwest, Delta Air Lines, and Trans World Airlines.   At Worldspan, he held various roles within the organization however, most of his responsibilities lied within Sales and Marketing.  Doug was the District Sales Manager for Worldspan in Cincinnati, responsible for business development in a region that covered 14 states.   In 2001, he became a National Accounts Sales Manager based out of Atlanta.  In this role, he was responsible for the overall relationship with Worldspan’s largest global customer.

In 2002, Doug joined The Travel Authority and currently serves as Senior Vice President of Sales.  He is responsible for overall account management, client retention, as well as business development for the organization.  In addition, he is responsible for seeking out and evaluating new business opportunities for the company beyond traditional brick and mortar travel agency services.  His team includes account managers located in five states and a staff of client relations professionals.  In 2007, Champion Sports Tours division merged into the corporate sales department thereby providing additional resources and cross-selling opportunities. 

Doug’s other activities include:

• President – Ohio Valley Business Travel Association (OVBTA)
• Secretary / Treasurer – Chapter Presidents Council – National Business Travel Association (NBTA)
• National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – Business Professional Service Award - 2004
• Graduate of the Certified Corporate Travel Executive Program (CCTE) – University of Houston – 2004