WILTON, CT — Upscale guided travel specialist Tauck is making some changes at the top.
Effective in October 2024, Arthur Tauck Jr., currently the company’s Chairman, will become Chairman Emeritus. Dan Mahar, Tauck CEO since 2008 will become Chairman of the Board. Jennifer Tombaugh, Tauck President since 2011, will become CEO. And Jeremy Palmer, Tauck Chief Operating Officer since 2019, will become President.
Tauck’s board of directors made the announcement last night at a company gathering with more than 500 Tauck employees, Board members and Tauck family members present.
“This leadership plan has been thoughtfully prepared and refined over the past decade, and it comes during a period of strong, consistent growth for the company,” said Mahar. “We look forward to remaining a family-owned company driven by our shared purpose of enhancing our guests’ lives through travel. Our focus will continue to be on guest satisfaction and retention, internal culture and employee engagement, favorably impacting the places where we travel, and realizing responsible, profitable growth over time.”
Mahar added that the evolution of Tauck’s leadership comes at a time when the company’s product line has been evolving as well: “We’ve really strengthened our premium position over the past two decades by maintaining our focus on all-inclusive, guided journeys that enhance our guest’s lives, while successfully broadening both the experiences we offer and the customers we serve. We look forward to building on this momentum in our second century.”
Over the past two decades Tauck has developed its multi-generational Tauck Bridges family itineraries, crafted to deliver shared enrichment to each generation of travellers. The company also entered the European river cruising industry, successfully pairing its extensive land experience with a custom-built fleet of elegant, intimate riverboats. On the high seas, Tauck has almost tripled its complement of small ship ocean voyages, incorporating smaller vessels and creative itineraries to explore places where the big ships can’t go. And back ashore, Tauck’s ‘small is big’ philosophy has resulted in the introduction and rapid growth of small-group land journeys, with well over half of its land programs today being small-group departures.
Tauck will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025. Since the company’s founding in 1925, Tauck’s portfolio has grown to include 150+ land tours, safaris, river cruises and small ship ocean cruises to 70+ countries and all seven continents.
