TravelManagers Fares & Ticketing team member Jacqui Lai has closed the chapter on her 25-year career with the home-based travel network, making her one of the company’s longest-serving employees as the 2026 National Conference highlights connection.
Starting in the industry with China Travel Service in the 1990s, Lai joined TravelManagers after striking up a conversation at a Sydney train station with the Managing Director of Fiji Pacific Specialist Holidays (now Hoot Holidays, also part of the House of Travel Group).
Her networking nous led to an interview for Hoot Holidays before moving into the Fares & Ticketing team in 2018, followed by her recent retirement and travel in China and Tibet.
Lai said: “I have held a variety of roles as the company has evolved, finishing my career as a member of TravelManagers’ Fares & Ticketing team is a lovely way to end this chapter.”
“Being part of the company for so long, I’ve seen and experienced a lot of change, and built a strong rapport with a lot of our personal travel managers. I’ve always found the problem-solving side of the role to be incredibly rewarding.”
Fares & Ticketing Manager José Cañas said Lai is a beloved member of the TravelManagers family who will be greatly missed.
“Jacqui’s journey with TravelManagers has been remarkable, spanning decades of change, growth and innovation,” he said.
“She is deeply valued by everyone who has had the pleasure of working with her, and we wish her the very best for this next phase in her life.”
TravelManagers 2026 National Conference keynote revealed
The TravelManagers 2026 National Conference’s first big reveal is keynote speaker, transformation specialist and author Lisa O’Neill, a self-described maximalist who will give the opening address.
New Zealand-based O’Neill will bring her brand of hard truths delivered with lightness and laughter to the three-day event held in Hobart from 18-20 August, highlighting the way to transformation in both business and life.
TravelManagers Executive General Manager Michael Gazal described O’Neill, who is known for her high-energy, as “a fantastic fit for our network, our conference and its theme of ‘Connection‘”.
“She’s just the person we were looking for to set the tone for the exciting event that we’re creating,” he said.
