Terry Jones

Terry Jones is a true innovator who revolutionized an industry.  As founder and former CEO of Travelocity.com and CIO of Sabre, Inc., Jones took an idea and created a business that now has over 40 million members and over $5 billion in travel bookings. 

Wanting to share his successful strategies and experiences with others, Jones left the industry and now devotes much of his time to speaking and sharing his unique insights on the future of business through his consulting firm, Essential Ideas.  Jones brings audiences first-hand knowledge of creating a national brand, thriving in rapidly changing markets and using technology for competitive advantage.  His programs are both informative and mind expanding. He challenges audiences to think outside the box and envision the future.

SPEAKER TOPICS
ABOUT Terry Jones   (+/-)

Experienced, Innovative Leader

Terry Jones founded Travelocity.com and led the company as President and Chief Executive Officer until May 2002.  What began as a sparkle in his eye, Jones built into a $5 billion empire and one of the first profitable online companies.  His previous experiences prepared him well for this new venture.  For 24 years, Jones was at Sabre,Inc. holding various executive positions which culminated in becoming the Chief Information Officer for the firm.  Prior to Sabre, Jones worked for American Airlines in Product Development and actually began his career as a travel agent.

Helping Business Thrive in a Digital Age

Currently, Jones is managing principal of Essential Ideas, a consultancy he co-founded to help companies in their transition to the digital economy. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Kayak.com, and is on the boards of Earthlink, Inc. and Rearden Commerce. He is a special venture partner with General Catalyst Partners of Boston. Jones also serves on the board of directors of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and the National Information Technology committee of the Boy Scouts of America.

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SPEAKER TOPIC DESCRIPTIONS    (+/-)

The Business of Innovation

Terry Jones brings audiences a unique perspective on innovation. Terry took a team of 10 and built a multi-billion dollar enterprise based on an innovative idea that most of his colleagues thought would fail.  Terry created a culture of innovation where new ideas were celebrated, mistakes became fast learning loops, and employees learned that anyone can innovate.  Terry will take your audience through the steps to nurture new ideas and the organizational structures, funding policies and team members required for success.  Many speakers talk about the future, Terry gives audiences step by step plans to create it.

Leadership in a Wired World

It's a new world out there....A world where 'the office' is anywhere and communication is constant; where the pace of change is staggering and the 'wired generation' is entering the work force. In this new world, how do you lead? The basic principles of good leadership haven't changed in hundreds of years; but, in this new world, how we APPLY them MUST change.  Today's new worker has been raised in the digital age, has been multi tasking since the age of 3 and has been online for most of their life. How can companies most effectively communicate with, lead and leverage this very different employee base? Terry Jones has led both large corporations and small startup companies. As a CEO, a board member, and a consultant, his innovative leadership style has helped reshape the travel industry. In this program, he offers concise and actionable insights into how leadership is changing in this new technology-driven world.

Building Digital Relationships with Your Customers

Online research will soon influence over $1 trillion in offline sales, yet many companies are still optimized to deal with customers only over the phone or in the store.  Terry will show your audience the importance of adding digital relationships to your company's strategies. At companies such as Travelocity, Kayak.com, La Quinta Hotels and Earthlink, Terry has been involved in creating, leading and implementing CRM strategies that leverage the digital world. Terry will open the door to this new world with examples drawn from all types of online and offline companies. He discusses the latest techniques for emarketing, the evolution of search, and how broadband is changing consumer behavior online. Not just for consumer companies, these techniques are essential for the industrial buyer as well whose world is also being reshaped online.  Participants will learn how to craft a multi-channel strategy to deal with tomorrow's marketplace.

Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneur or Intrapreneur?

The story of the entrepreneur in the garage is well known. But how does one build a startup inside a huge corporation? How do you successfully innovate in large and sometimes bureaucratic organizations?  Terry started Travelocity.com as a department inside the multi-billion dollar Sabre Corporation. Starting with an idea and a team of ten, he grew the department into a multi-billion dollar public company with over 35 million members and 1200 employees.  Intrapreneurs face different challenges than entrepreneurs. Competitors are as likely to be internal as external. In this world, who you report to can be as important to an intrapreneur as building a brand is to the entrepreneur. Terry's story of how one navigates the corporate power structure to turn an idea into a company has applicability for anyone with a new product or a new idea.

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