Ovation Travel Group to Dramatically Increase West Coast Presence; Aanchal Gandhi Joins Ovation as Vice President to Lead Growth Efforts


Given Ovation Travel Group’s large existing book of luxury leisure and corporate business in New York and London, along with an enviable amount already in LA, we believe it is critical for us to have a heightened physical presence in California.

Ovation Travel Group, one of the largest independently owned travel management and luxury leisure travel companies headquartered in the US, is today publicly unveiling its vision for expansion through a larger footprint in the western United States, where it will increase the number of independent advisors throughout the region. To develop and lead Ovation’s anticipated growth there, Beverly Hills-based Aanchal Gandhi is joining the company in the newly-created role of Vice President of Leisure and Independent Advisors, West Coast.

Advisor recruitment on the West Coast, along with the expansion initiatives, will be overseen by Ms. Gandhi, who officially joined the company on January 6. Having grown to become one of the largest US members of both Virtuoso and BCD, Ovation Travel Group is actively seeking to invite qualifying advisors – throughout the United States, and especially on the West Coast – to consider joining the fiercely independent organization. Qualifying advisors should possess travel expertise in luxury leisure, entertainment and/or corporate travel, the three prevailing travel disciplines for which Ovation is best known.

“Ovation Travel Group has long had a presence on the West Coast thanks to our increasing ranks of advisors specializing in our trio of core travel competencies who are already based there. As the number of advisors there continues to multiply, we are proud to further address their needs by formalizing our presence there. In turn, we have great expectations that our new Los Angeles area focus will ultimately rival our thriving operations in New York and London,” explained Paul Metselaar, CEO and Chairman of Ovation Travel Group. “As such, we are very pleased to cordially invite savvy travel advisors who are seeking a new home to consider joining us at Ovation.”

“Given Ovation Travel Group’s large existing book of luxury leisure and corporate business in New York and London, along with an enviable amount already in LA, we believe it is critical for us to have a heightened physical presence in California. That is why we are so thrilled to welcome Aanchal Gandhi into the Ovation family. She has burnished her reputation in the region through her expertise primarily in those segments, as well as working in entertainment travel, thus perfectly reflecting our company’s primary areas of focus,” noted Gina Gabbard, Senior Vice President of Leisure & Independent Advisors, and to whom Gandhi will report. “Aanchal will further develop and cultivate Ovation’s cadre of exceptional advisors throughout the West Coast, and she will also oversee our search for a regional headquarters in the Los Angeles area befitting both our invaluable advisors and clientele.”

Gandhi comes to Ovation directly from eleven years as an independent advisor with Protravel International. There, she served in its offices, first in New York, then in London, and most recently in Beverly Hills. In 2009, Gandhi was honored with Travel Agent magazine’s prestigious “30under30” award. As a millennial leader, she has worked extensively to champion this new generation of travel advisors in giving them a voice and seat at the table.

Prior to entering the travel industry, Gandhi was in equity sales for Goldman Sachs from 2004-2008. Born in Mumbai and raised in Hong Kong and Singapore, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science from Tulane University in New Orleans.

“I am thrilled by the opportunity to help build a home for Ovation’s stellar reputation on the West Coast. As a true leader in travel, along with its incredibly professional, yet caring leadership team, Ovation is well poised to attract the exceptional caliber of talent necessary to fuel our growth,” stated Gandhi. “One of India’s most influential business leaders, Dhirubhai Ambani, once said, ‘If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.’ After making my dreams come true through my years as an independent advisor, I could not be more excited to help other travel advisors build their dreams as part of Ovation. My experience from Wall Street taught me to be attentive to the needs of my clients, and I look forward to serving my new clients – advisors from the West Coast – through my new role with Ovation.”

Ovation’s luxury leisure travel division is inviting independent advisors to learn how to qualify for its program by visiting OvationTravel.com/Become-an-Independent.

About Ovation

Ovation Travel Group, whose flagship brand, Lawyers Travel, began operations 35 years ago, is one of the largest independently owned travel companies headquartered in the US. Ovation is a $1.4 billion travel company with travel consultants in more than 30 locations throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Ovation is committed to providing exceptional service and unforgettable luxury leisure travel experiences for its clientele. Its trusted advisors act as a one-stop shop source for the best value and candid, personalized advice. From traditional getaways to exotic adventures, Ovation’s leisure travel consultants develop the right vacation experiences for its clients year-round. For more information, please visit https://www.ovationtravel.com.

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