From General Counsel to CEO — A Full Circle Journey

In 1988, Greg Takehara was a fresh law school grad ready to kickstart his career. Not quite sure if private practice would be the right fit, the trajectory of his life changed forever when an old friend presented him with an incredible opportunity: a job in travel and tourism.  

Learning the Ropes 

At first, Takehara was skeptical: “I said, ‘what could I possibly provide to The Mark Travel Corporation?’” However, The Mark Travel Corporation — a Milwaukee-based tour operator — was still growing, and with that came meetings with lawyers and confusing legal jargon. Takehara’s friend explained that the company could benefit from somebody who could work with attorneys and talk the legal language. “I said, ‘wow, I think I can do that!’”         

And so, he did. He learned the ins and outs of the business firsthand, negotiating leases for agencies, implementing a consumer protection plan and representing The Mark Travel Corporation at USTOA’s annual conference. “Getting the opportunity to meet with all different types of suppliers, other active members and really learning the business, that was just invaluable to me,” said Takehara.   

“You had to be a very good generalist; you had to know a little bit about a lot of things, and that suited my talents well,” said Takehara. “When I think about a legal career, there are a lot of people who specialize in one particular area day in and day out. And what I loved about my job at Mark Travel Corporation was that it was something different every day … I think it formed the basis of really giving me a toolkit to move forward in my career.”  

After The Mark Travel Corporation, Takehara transitioned to managing a professional liability program for an insurance company. The change felt natural. “I had the chance to represent The Mark Travel Corporation, now I got to represent the interest of tour operators at large,” said Takehara. “In my current role with Tourism Cares, I often say that, in a sense, I’m doing the same thing; I’m representing the interest of the travel and tourism industry at large.” 

Tourism Cares Is Born  

In 2003, Takehara was living in New York City. It was a post-9/11 world and travel was in a period of recovery. “There was a lot of uncertainty about the future of travel and tourism, and we were coming together as an industry,” said Takehara. During this time, Takehara was involved with several associations including USTOA, NTA and ASTA when the three organizations came together to form Tourism Cares. “President Bush made a call to action to the American people to engage in volunteerism, and that kind of became the mantra for Tourism Cares to really bring these industry associations together and to work under the banner of volunteerism to create a greater impact together.”  

In the following days, Tourism Cares hosted its first-ever clean-up event at Ellis Island, connecting over 300 travel and tourism professionals. “Ellis Island was a far different place than what it is now,” said Takehara. “It was in dire need of a lot of elbow grease, and we rolled up our sleeves and provided that elbow grease. We essentially did the work in a couple of days that would have probably taken the National Park Service several months, perhaps even a year to do. It showed the collective impact of what an industry can do when it comes together.”  

It was that same day that something clicked. “I have to admit, I had a bit of an epiphany,” said Takehara. “I remember thinking that I loved everything about what we were doing and that I was going to always be very committed to Tourism Cares because, to me, it was very gratifying to give back to the industry that gave me my livelihood. … Sometimes they say there’s no such thing as coincidence, and here I am, I get to work for this wonderful organization.” 

Looking to the Future 

Fast forward to 2023 — Takehara is the CEO of Tourism Cares, and the organization is over 200 members strong. The nonprofit continues to bring travel professionals together to put the people and places of travel first and is celebrating a big milestone this year. “Ellis Island was 2003, so we are entering our 20th year,” said Takehara. “As in the case of any type of pinnacle anniversary, there’s a lot of reflection back; there’s a lot of celebration of our legacy, but, similarly, when you think about the 20 years gone by, you think about the 20 years ahead of us.”  

And as the leadership at Tourism Cares focuses on the next 20 years, sustainability is a key issue. “Sustainability remains a very big word for a lot of people and one that’s not so easy to grasp,” said Takehara. “If you’re early on in your sustainability journey, one of the wonderful things about Tourism Cares is we have so many (people) in our membership, in our community that have been down this road and have been working very hard on the sustainability front.”  

That means advisors don’t need to reinvent the wheel, as Tourism Cares can help share resources and best practices, make introductions and inspire them to join in with the industry at large. “I continue to maintain the importance of the travel advisor,” said Takehara. “People are starting to think about traveling more responsibly and more meaningfully, and the travel advisor can be a great guide for them in terms of advising them.” 

And, as Takehara remembers his past and looks to the future, one thing is certain: his adoration for travel and tourism is stronger than ever. “It excites me that I get to work in this industry,” said Takehara. “Going back to 1988, so that’s 34 years, I really get to use every bit of everything that I’ve learned to try to help the industry move forward in a positive way. That will never stop exciting me.”  

What’s in Greg’s Carry On?  

“Magazines like The Compass,” said Takehara. “I love hard copy magazines, but I always carry my iPad too. Magazines would be my number one carry-on item because I love the fact that they aren’t a true commitment like a book. And, as we addressed, that kind of generalist nature of the jobs I’ve had, I like to try to absorb as much as I possibly can about a lot of different things; that’s something you can do with a magazine.”  

About the Author

Senior Editor for VAX VacationAccess and world explorer, Jenna loves writing about all things travel. When she’s not busy creating content, she spends her time exploring the great outdoors, cuddling with her two black cats and researching her next big (sometimes strange) adventure.