President and CEO

Frank Marini

Frank is the President and CEO of Railbookers Group (RBG), overseeing the company’s global travel brands, including Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations. In this leadership role, Frank directs the strategic vision, growth initiatives, operational efficiency, and overall performance of all RBG brands.

Frank is a leader in the worldwide travel community, as he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council, as well as a member of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, advising the Secretary of Commerce and other government leadership. He was also recently selected to the “Top 50 People in Travel & AI” list by Travel Trends.

His extensive leadership background in the travel industry includes serving as Vice President of Sales for Collette Vacations and as President of Contiki Holidays, part of The Travel Corporation.

An accomplished author, Frank wrote “Staying On Track: Lessons from a Customer-Focused Travel Disruptor,” which highlights his approach to achieving exceptional growth within RBG’s innovative, fully remote, work-from-home environment. His expertise and thought leadership have been featured in renowned publications such as Fortune, Chief Executive Magazine, Business Insider, Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, and TravelPulse.

Frank is a sought-after speaker at industry events and has received numerous accolades, including recognition in OC Metro’s “40 Under 40” and Providence Business News’ annual “Top 40 Under Forty,” both honoring emerging business leaders. Additionally, he has earned the Travvy Award for “Most Innovative Executive, Rail Travel.”

Committed to community and industry service, Frank has held board positions with the Pawtucket YMCA, the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Heart Association, and the Boys & Girls Club in Anaheim, CA. He is also a member of the U.S. Travel Association.

Frank earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. He resides in Southern California with his wife and twin sons.

Executive Chairman

John Tavano

As Executive Chairman, John is responsible for sculpting the overall vision and growth of Railbookers Group. This allows Railbookers Group to expand its growth and drive the organization forward into new and exciting opportunities.  John previously served on boards as an Advisor for the Canadian Tourism Commission, Mohegan Sun, and Northeastern University.

An experienced Director, John has a demonstrated history of success in finance, change management, and organizational behavior.  As an entrepreneurial leader, he continues to identify growth opportunities within the travel industry.  He is responsible for M&A transactions, technology investments, and private equity.

In 1991, John founded MTL Vacations 1-800-MONTREAL, a U.S. tour operator specializing in destinations across Canada.  MTL merged with Yankee Holidays in 2003, and one year later, began working with Amtrak to promote regional vacation packages.  In 2007, John separated the brand strategies and launched the corporate strategy of Yankee Leisure Group (YLG).  YLG acquired Railbookers in 2016 with offices in London, Los Angeles, and Sydney, Australia.  Six years later in 2022, YLG was relaunched as Railbookers Group to realign the global corporate strategy with government and private rail partnerships around the world.

John holds an MBA degree from Northeastern University and lives in Boston with his wife and four children.

Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer

Zine Belhonchet

As Executive VP & Chief Financial Officer of Railbookers Group, Zine oversees the global finance functions as well as Human Resources, IT and Innovation for all Railbookers Group brands.

Zine has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, acquired in the United States and France. Before joining Railbookers Group, Zine held senior executive roles as CEO and President of Rail Europe North America, where he solidified Rail Europe’s leadership position in the distribution of European train travel. Prior to that, Zine played a key role in the merger of all the Rail Europe worldwide entities and became Global CFO of the Rail Europe Group, spearheading the company’s development and expansion efforts into high-growth markets such as China and Australia.

Zine is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris with a major in Finance and Economics. Zine lives in Connecticut with his wife and twin son and daughter.

Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Jim Marini

As Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, Jim leads all trade efforts, oversees existing national and international partnerships and helps to grow new partnerships for Railbookers Group’s brands, Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations.

Jim has more than 25 years of experience in the travel industry.  Since joining Railbookers Group in 2013, he has held the roles of Director of Sales and Vice President. As Director of Sales, he oversaw the Inside & Outside Sales Teams, earning mentions in articles by Travel Weekly, Travel Age West, and Insider Travel Report. 

Prior to joining Railbookers Group, Jim served as the Key Account Manager for Celebrity Cruises (a division of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line International) from 2011-13, where he was nominated for Rookie of the Year and one of Celebrity’s Top 3 Sales People for the Eastern United States.

From 2003-11, Jim served as the Western US Regional Manager for Collette Vacations, a worldwide escorted tour operator. In this role, Jim oversaw the West Coast Sales Team, achieving the most growth for his team’s region as well as more than fifteen different sales achievement awards while serving as District Sales Manager.

Jim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a minor in Theatre from the University of Rhode Island.  He is both an avid sports fan and a drummer.  Jim lives in suburban Boston with his wife and three children.

Senior Vice President of Product

Andrew L. Channell

As Senior Vice President of Product and Operations, Andy leads product development and oversees teams that ensure exceptional customer experiences. With over 25 years of experience in leadership roles across the travel, retail, and finance sectors, Andrew is a proven problem-solver and team builder.

Throughout his career, Andrew has demonstrated success in identifying business opportunities, improving processes, and developing high-performing teams. His expertise includes recruitment, training, management, operational excellence, and product development. He has also contributed to numerous company boards, driving strategies for growth and innovation.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. He resides in Tennessee with his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Madeline.

Vice President of Marketing

Kaitlyn Birkinshaw

As Vice President of Marketing, Kaitlyn oversees Railbookers Group’s global marketing team for the company’s brands: Amtrak Vacations and Railbookers.

Kaitlyn uses her data-driven, analytical and creative skills to ensure a great marketing mix for RBG brands including print, digital, partnership marketing, and more.

Kaitlyn has more than 10 years of experience with Railbookers Group where she has overseen partnership marketing, represented its brands at national and international events, and worked closely with partners around the globe.

Kaitlyn obtained degrees in Marketing with a minor in Public Relations from California State Fullerton, and in Visual Communications from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. She resides in sunny Orange County with her husband, son and daughter.

Vice President of Operations

Andreas Paminger

As Vice President of Operations, Andreas is responsible for scaling systems, workflows, and digital solutions that will allow Railbookers Group to grow more effectively.

Andreas has over 20 years of experience managing projects and implementing operational efficiencies at international organizations in the academic publishing and travel sectors. He uses this experience to help Railbookers Group keep innovation at the forefront of its culture and processes.

Andreas obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Skidmore College and his MBA from the Boston College Carroll School of Management. He currently resides in Andover, MA, with his wife and two kids.

Vice President of Contact Center

Monica Hunter

As our Vice President of Contact Center, Monica Hunter brings nearly three decades of dedicated experience in the contact center industry. A true architect of exceptional customer experiences, Monica has cultivated expertise across a wide spectrum of functions. She’s adept at leading global, multi-site, and multi-channel teams, ensuring seamless operations whether they’re focused on sales, service, or complex support.

Her comprehensive background spans sales-focused strategies, delivering exceptional customer service, optimizing efficient operations, developing robust learning and development programs, implementing stringent quality control measures, and building high-performing teams through effective recruitment. At the core of Monica’s leadership philosophy is a deep commitment to people. She is a people leader first and foremost, passionate about mentoring both existing and emerging leaders. Monica thrives on fostering environments where individuals can grow, develop, and reach their full potential, believing that strong teams are the foundation of outstanding results.

Outside of work, she enjoys the tranquility of the outdoors and traveling, cherishing time spent with her husband, children, and animals in sunny Southern California. You might find her hiking a local trail, planning a family adventure, or simply enjoying the beautiful California weather with her loved ones.

Vice President of Global Sales

Cris David

As Vice President of Global Sales, Cris oversees trade sales and business development across Railbookers Group’s global source markets: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. 

A travel industry veteran with over 26 years of experience, Cris believes strongly in the power of travel to change the world and feels privileged to have spent his career in an industry dedicated to that goal.

Cris obtained his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MBA from the University of Cape Town. He lives in Toronto with his wife and three children.

Vice President of Engineering & Technology

Irfan Shaik

As Vice President of Engineering & Technology, Irfan leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the platforms and digital capabilities that power Railbookers Group’s global growth. He oversees the engineering, systems, and integration efforts that support the customer journey, including quoting and booking experiences, partner connectivity, Salesforce, enterprise applications, and emerging AI and data initiatives.

With more than 20 years of experience in technology, including over 15 years in the travel sector, Irfan brings deep expertise in building scalable, reliable, and customer-centric solutions. His leadership focuses on elevating engineering standards, strengthening system performance, and ensuring that technology investments align with the company’s long-term operational and commercial goals.

Irfan holds a Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Software Engineering and currently resides in Canton, MI with his wife and two daughters.

Vice President – Asia

Nick Lim

As Vice President – Asia, Nick leads the Railbookers Group’s presence in the Asian markets. With 25 years of experience in the travel industry, Nick has a proven track record of launching and growing travel brands in the region.

He most recently served as Chief Executive Officer for Asia at The Travel Corporation, after spending more than two decades with the company, working across several of its brands. He has been featured in numerous trade publications, including a nod as “Executive of the Year (Travel Category)” in the Singapore Business Review. He has also served as General Manager, Asia for Norwegian Cruise Line, among his work experiences.

Nick has degrees in tourism management and tourism marketing and resides in Singapore.

Vice President – USA Sales

Doug Johnson

Doug brings more than 30 years of travel industry experience to the Railbookers team, having worked with leading tour and rail operators throughout his career. He has held senior roles in Sales Leadership, Business Development, and Key Account Partnerships, recently spending nine years leading the Rocky Mountaineer U.S. Sales team through a period of sustained doubledigit growth and market expansion.

He has deep expertise in developing and executing gotomarket strategies, driving product and service innovation, building highperforming teams, and strengthening key account and partner relationships. Doug combines strong product knowledge with a keen understanding of evolving market trends and a peoplecentric leadership style. He is known for fostering cultures of innovation and continuous improvement, developing top sales talent, and shaping adaptable, growthready commercial organizations.

Doug has traveled to five continents, with a particular love for destinations defined by natural beauty—mountains, lakes, national parks, and wildlife. Outside of work, he enjoys being on or near the water and can often be found kayaking, paddleboarding, or boating with friends and family. He also loves hiking, biking, home improvement projects, and live music.

A New England native, Doug has two grown children and resides in Central Massachusetts, spending much of his free time on Cape Cod.

General Manager – UK & Europe

Sam Bridge

As General Manager for the UK & Europe, Sam will lead our regional operations and drive cross-functional collaboration across the UK and Europe at a global level. Sam is a seasoned sales leader with a track record of building successful sales teams and cultivating a culture of excellence. He uses a passion for sales strategy coupled with an analytical mindset to drive improvements in productivity and maximise revenue potential.

Sam has more than 10 years of experience with Railbookers Group and has covered a wide range of roles, including Inside Sales Manager, Product Manager, and General Manager of the UK. As a proven leader and team builder, Sam also works closely with our recruitment team and performance development department to help unearth new talent, develop staff and mentor future leaders.

Sam obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics and Communication from the University of Loughborough and resides in Exeter with his wife and two children.

General Manager – Australia, New Zealand & Asia

Andrew Crawford

As General Manager for Australia, New Zealand, and Asia at Railbookers Group, Andrew leads strategy and regional operations across APAC, delivering exceptional rail travel experiences through Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations. With over 30 years of leadership experience in the travel and the financial services sectors, Andrew is a proven team builder and transformation leader.

Throughout his career, Andrew has driven success by identifying growth opportunities, leading large-scale operational change, and building high-performing, customer-centric teams. His expertise spans contact centre leadership, workforce planning, strategy, and customer experience transformation. He has held senior roles at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Commonwealth Bank, The Travel Corporation, and Carnival Australia, consistently delivering results through innovation and strategic execution.

Andrew resides in Sydney with his partner and three children.

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF RAIL AND TRANSPORTATION

Matt Foy

As Senior Director of Rail and Transportation, Matt is responsible with rail and transportation partners around the globe to enhance, update and improve Railbookers Group itineraries, as well as coordinating the confirmation of all transportation elements for future bookings.

Matt has nearly 20 years’ experience working with Railbookers Group. His experience includes working with a variety of departments, beginning in the sales team before moving into Sales Management, Operations and Product roles.

Matt obtained his bachelor’s degree in French and German from Aston University and currently resides in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

Senior Director of Special Projects

Colleen McCarthy

As Senior Director of Special Projects, Colleen serves as a key liaison across multiple departments within the company to ideate, plan and execute a variety of strategic business initiatives.

Colleen has been with Railbookers Group for over 12 years and has worked across the company in Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Project Management and more! Most recently, she has played a key role in the successful development, implementation, and rollout of a new software system – a major project that has streamlined operations and enhanced overall efficiency.

Colleen lives north of Boston, MA and enjoys traveling & discovering new places, trying new recipes in the kitchen and spending as much time at the beach as possible.