As president of Sabre, Kurt Ekert oversees all sales, commercial, operating, product and technology aspects of the company.
Kurt joined Sabre in January 2022, bringing 25 years of global operating leadership and governance experience in technology, travel and tourism, and a track record of growth and turnaround performance. He has an exceptional understanding of the travel marketplace, global air and hotel distribution, consumer ecommerce and corporate travel and the importance of NDC.
Before joining Sabre, Kurt spent five years as President & CEO of CWT (Carlson Wagonlit Travel), where he engineered a digital transformation, while delivering significant growth, highlighted by $7 billion of new business wins. Prior to CWT, Kurt was EVP & Chief Commercial Officer at Travelport, where he led the operational turnaround that enabled a successful IPO in 2014. His industry experience also includes senior executive positions at GTA and Orbitz Worldwide, as well as executive roles at Cendant and Continental Airlines. Kurt has held prominent industry governance positions as Chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel & Tourism Advisory Board, a director of eNett, Carlson Travel Inc., the World Travel & Tourism Council, and the UNGA Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.
Kurt holds a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of South Carolina, and saw active duty as a U.S. army officer. He is a current board of directors’ member for Passur Aerospace, smarTours and ZYTLYN Technologies.
Outside of work, Kurt enjoys sports, history, reading, and spending time and traveling with his family.