GBTA Names Jake Cefolia New Vice President of Allied Leadership Council

Alexandria, VA (June 3, 2019)—The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the global business travel industry, today announced Jake Cefolia, Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales, United Airlines, as the Vice President of the Allied Leadership Council (ALC). Cefolia will take over this position from Dorothy Dowling, Chief Marketing Officer & SVP, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, who was recently elevated to the position of ALC President.

“Jake Cefolia is a well-respected and trusted leader as well as a tireless advocate for GBTA and I am thrilled to welcome him to the ALC,” said Dorothy Dowling, GBTA ALC President. “His over 20 years of experience and insight will make him an asset to our organization and industry. I look forward to working closely with Jake to help lead the ALC as we begin this new chapter.”

“This is an exciting time to be involved in business travel, and I am honored to take a leadership role within GBTA and the Allied Leadership Council,” said Jake Cefolia. “I look forward to drawing on my experience and relationships at United to advocate for business travelers, travel managers and business travel suppliers, and to make sure each of these groups continue to see value in their support of GBTA.”

The ALC represents GBTA’s Allied Members by acting as a voice for the Allied community within GBTA and works to assure a strong Allied and GBTA relationship to address common issues facing the travel industry. The ALC Vice President also sits on the GBTA Board of Directors offering input and voting on all issues pertaining to the future direction of GBTA.

As Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales at United, Cefolia is responsible for leading over 700 sales professionals who manage sales programs, services and relationships with corporations, travel management companies and distributors around the world. Prior to his current position, Jake served as United’s Vice President, Sales for the Americas. In that role, he oversaw sales for the U.S., Canada and Latin America as well the Global Accounts Division.

“I am thrilled to have Jake as a leading voice on our Allied Leadership Council,” said Scott Solombrino, GBTA COO & Executive Director. “He will no doubt provide valuable input on the travel industry’s most pressing issues and their impact on GBTA and our Allied community.”

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 10,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA delivers world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, visit gbta.org.