Karryn Christopher, who has been part of the Signature Travel Network team since 2001, has been named president of the company, effective immediately.
The promotion announcement was made at Signature’s annual Owners’ Meeting at Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California. As Christopher steps into her new role, former Signature president Alex Sharpe will remain CEO of the member-owned travel agency cooperative.
Christopher is enthusiastic about the transition and pledges to keep her eye on the company mission as she takes the helm.
“Our mission is simple, and it has not changed,” Christopher said. “We are here to serve members, and in our areas of focus: marketing, technology, training and strong preferred partnerships. We will continue to deliver on that.”
Here’s what else she shared about her professional path to this moment, and what’s to come.
After nearly 25 years with Signature, how does it feel to be named president?
I had always hoped I would be here forever, though there was never any expectation to be president. I'm very proud and honored for the opportunity.
Take us back to the beginning. How did your tenure at Signature begin?
I had applied for a marketing position that they had already filled, but they were so kind as to not cancel my interview — and how fortunate for me. [I really connected with the woman who] interviewed me; I left her office, and I was at the elevator, when she came running down the hall to say, ‘I'd really like you to meet our president.’ That was Michelle Morgan [former president and CEO of Signature].
They hadn't told me at the time that the position was filled, but [after we spoke], Michelle said, ‘I have a feeling you’re the right person for this job.’ Again, they couldn't give me the role because they had already offered it to somebody. Instead, they created a new role for me, despite the fact that I had no travel industry experience at the time.
That sounds like kismet. What happened next?
They needed to start a hotel program, and they hired me. I was new, young and — I'd like to think — smart. Then, unfortunately, the person in the marketing role was not the right fit. After a little bit of time, they let that person go, and I had the opportunity to step into the role.
Fast forward four years, and they hired Ignacio Maza to start the hotel program — of course, since then he’s built multiple hotel programs. That's who we needed.
So, I got very lucky, and I happened to be in the right spot at the right time. I started in marketing, then my work grew to include preferred partnerships, then events.
Now that you are president, what challenges do you anticipate?
There are certain people I [have worked with] so closely, but now, my responsibilities have grown so I may work with them differently. That might be hard. And as we realign, there might be opportunities to promote people or to hire from outside, and then they won't even want me in their day-to-day life! And that's exciting, too. I'm at peace and recognize that, in a larger role with more responsibility, I have to work differently.
Do you like or dislike change like this?
I love change. I'm a planner, so I like to think through everything — the good, the bad, the ugly, you name it. Then, once I’ve taken a moment to think about something, I just focus on what needs to be done.
I love change. I'm a planner, so I like to think through everything — the good, the bad the ugly, you name it.
Change can be hard, yes. But it's also a lot of fun, as long as you have a strong mission and you can be disciplined, and you don't get distracted easily. I'm very fortunate; I have a really good memory, and I'm able to rely upon what I've learned and what we've learned as a team. Everything's changing so fast, but there are many lessons learned. [I] apply those lessons, and recognize that [doing so] creates a really solid foundation to adapt to all the change that will come again and again.
How do you explain your sharp memory?
I'm a cataloger. I think about things in a way that some people might call obsessive. I like to think about [a specific moment] and relive it and catalog it. I do it on an emotional level — for me, it's all about the way I felt in that moment, or the way I perceived other people feeling. Emotional cognition helps, because it makes [that memory] stickier. You sort of file it away so you can pull on it later.
As someone who embraces change, can you share your thoughts around AI in the travel space? How is Signature preparing its member agencies to use it wisely?
We have always over-invested in technology, knowing that it can provide solutions for members and allow them to better serve our partners. Karen Yeates, who is our executive vice president of information technologies, provides steady leadership.
In terms of AI, what I'm excited about is the efficiencies that come with — because there are not enough hours in anyone's day. I use it for editing, or if I have a lot of data or information and I want a quick synopsis, I'll use it. But, given the way I remember things, I still like the raw material. And I find that when I use AI to try to make something more concise, I just have more questions, so then I go back to the source.
I know AI is not helping me be more efficient in the way that I'm using it, but I'm so thankful that I work with people who are finding efficiencies. And I love the way our members are using AI. People are learning by trial and error, and they're sharing their best practices. That’s the kind of community we have.
I love the way our members are using AI. People are learning by trial and error, and they're sharing their best practices. That’s the kind of community we have.
Can you share an example of an AI usage you’ve heard about or experienced recently?
Internally, our team uses Microsoft products. We have Copilot, and [since] most of us struggle with it, we have an enterprise solution for Perplexity. We put different spreadsheets in Perplexity and gave it commands, and because it's outside of the Microsoft environment, it can consolidate all of the data the way we're asking it to, and the way AI should work.
You have to have the right tool. And again, having a team of brilliant people who are testing and experimenting and learning and sharing saves me so much time and frustration. You just have to try it in a new way.
