Forbes Traveler
HOME > FORBES TRAVELER 400

ForbesTraveler 400 - Board of Experts


MEET THE BOARD

The Forbes Traveler 400 board of experts consists of several dozen respected business leaders, experienced travel professionals and elite travel agents. They were asked to rate five-star hotels in which they recently stayed. No hotel executives participated, and the writers who reviewed the hotels did not accept a complimentary stay.

PROMINENT TRAVELERS
TOUR OPERATORS
EDITORS & WRITERS
TRAVEL INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES
CEOs
TRAVEL AGENTS

PROMINENT TRAVELERS

Rocco Dispirito
Rocco Dispirito
Chef/Author
Todd English
Todd English
Chef/Restaurateur
Todd English Enterprises
Peter Greenberg
Peter Greenberg
Travel Editor
The Today Show
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Co-founder & Editor-in-Chief
The Huffington Post
Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid
Designer
Karim Rashid Inc.
Adam Tihany
Adam Tihany
Principal and CEO
Tihany Design

TOUR OPERATORS

Dan Austin
Dan Austin
Director
Austin-Lehman Adventures
Cherri Briggs
Cherri Briggs
President
Explore Africa
Kurt Kutay
Kurt Kutay
President
Wildland Adventures
Paul Lehman
Paul Lehman
Managing Director
Austin-Lehman Adventures
George Morgan-Grenville
George Morgan-Grenville
CMO & Group Managing Director
Abercrombie & Kent
Jim Sano
Jim Sano
CEO
Geographic Expeditions
Ian Swain
Ian Swain
President & CEO
Swain Tours
Michael West
Michael West
Founder & Managing Director
The Wayfarers
Francesco Galli Zugaro
Francesco Galli Zugaro
CEO
Aqua Expeditions

TRAVEL INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES

Erik Blachford
Erik Blachford
Chief Executive Officer
TerraPass, Inc.
Serge Dive
Serge Dive
Founder
International Luxury Travel Market
Nicky Fitzgerald
Nicky Fitzgerald
Marketing Directo
Conservation Corporation Africa
James Friedlander
James Friedlander
President & CEO
Academic Arrangements Abroad
Patrick Goff
Patrick Goff
Founder & Editor
HotelDesigns.net
Albert Herrera
Albert Herrera
Vice President, Hotels & Resorts
Virtuoso, Ltd.
Judy Karwack
Judy Karwack
President
Small Planet Consulting
Lisa Light
Lisa Light
Founder & CEO
DestinationBride.com
Michael Matthews
Michael Matthews
Columnist & Partner
Mankarios Partnership
Stan Plog
Stan Plog
Chairman
Best Trip Choice, Inc.
Aaron Simpson
Aaron Simpson
Group CEO
Quintessentially
William Smith
William Smith
Senior Vice President
Crystal Cruises
Matthew Upchurch
Matthew Upchurch
CEO
Virtuoso
Kevin Weakland
Kevin Weakland
President & CEO
LasVegas ConventionTravel.com
Richard Weiss
Richard Weiss
CEO
Strategic Travel Consulting
Tony Wheeler
Tony Wheeler
Co-founder
Lonely Planet Publications
ForbesTraveler 400 Slideshow
METHODOLOGY »
READ STORY »


SPONSORED LINKS

EDITORS & WRITERS

Valarie D'Elia
Valarie D'Elia
Travel Contributor
NY1 News
Dan Hayes
Dan Hayes
Editor in Chief
CNN Traveller Magazine
Anthony Lassman
Anthony Lassman
Owner and Publisher
Nota Bene
John Mariani
John Mariani
Food & Travel Columnist
Esquire
Rudy Maxa
Rudy Maxa
Host & Executive Producer
Rudy Maxa's World on PBT-TV
Tom Passavant
Tom Passavant
Editor at Large
Diversion Magazine/
Aspen Magazine
Everett Potter
Everett Potter
Editor & Columnist
Ski Magazine/
USA Today
Pam Price
Pam Price
Co-author
100 Best Spas of the World
Arnie Weissmann
Arnie Weissmann
Editor in Chief
Travel Weekly

CEOs

Kimberly Bradach
Kimberly Bradach
CEO
Bradach Enterprises
Chad Brown
Chad Brown
President and CEO
Bebaa, Inc.
Mitchell Gold
Mitchell Gold
CEO/Chairman
Mitchell Gold +
Bob Williams
Diane Hilliard
Diane Hilliard
Founder & CEO
Hilliard & Olander LTD.
Haresh Israni
Haresh Israni
Private Equity Investor
Shellie Karabell
Shellie Karabell
President
Sunshine Media
Sateesh Lele
Sateesh Lele
Chairman & CEO
Lele Consulting Group LLC
Larry Mathis
Larry Mathis
Founding CEO
The Methodist Hospital
System, Houston
Kathy Misunas
Kathy Misunas
Principal
Essential Ideas
Greg Pesik
Greg Pesik
President and CEO
Passkey International Inc.
Spencer Rascoff
Spencer Rascoff
CFO
Zillow.com
Pedro Valades
Pedro Valades
CEO
Valnest Hospitality
Simon Wagstaff
Simon Wagstaff
Group CEO
ASA Group Limited
Stephan Wirtz
Stephan Wirtz
Managing Director
TouchDown

TRAVEL AGENTS

Jack Bloch
Jack Bloch
President
JB's World
Rudi Steele
Rudi Steele
President
Rudi Steele Travel
Benson Cowan
Benson Cowan
President
Butterfield & Robinson
Jim Strong
Jim Strong
President
Strong Travel Services
Suzanne Duzenman
Suzanne Duzenman
Owner
Global International
Travel Services PL
Barbara Gallay
Barbara Gallay
President
Linden Travel
Martha Gaughen
Martha Gaughen
Vice President, Leisure Travel
Sterling Brownell
Gayle Gillies
Gayle Gillies
President
Gayle Gillies Travel
Joseph Haddad
Joseph Haddad
Certified Travel Counsellor
Diners Fugazy Travel
Barbara King
Barbara King
Co-President
Great Getaways
Margaret S. Klingenberger
Margaret S. Klingenberger
President & Senior Travel Consultant
Covington Travel
Chips Lindenmeyr
Chips Lindenmeyr
President
Lindenmeyr Travel
Anastasia Mann
Anastasia Mann
Chairman & CEO
Corniche Travel
Ignacio Maza
Ignacio Maza
Executive Vice President
Signature Travel Network
Terry McCabe
Terry McCabe
National Leisure Director
ALTOUR
Steve Orens
Steve Orens
Vice President
Plaza Travel
Mary Ann Ramsey
Mary Ann Ramsey
President
Betty Maclean Travel
Patricia Wright
Patricia Wright
Vice President & Secretary
Boulevards of Travel
Martin Rapp
Martin Rapp
Senior Vice President of Leisure
ALTOUR
Roni Rubinstein
Roni Rubinstein
Executive Director
Viajes Excelsior
Pallavi Shah
Pallavi Shah
President & CEO
Our Personal Guest, Inc.
Kathy Burns Lamphier
President
Posh Travel LTD
Corinne Cricks
Director of Hotel Programs
Tzell Travel Group
Robert E. Watson
Managing Director
Protravel International
Miriam Rand
President
Protravel Int'l, Rand-Fields