Our Leadership

Railbookers Group’s leadership team oversees the world’s leader in independent rail travel.

Our Leadership

Railbookers Group’s leadership team oversees the world’s leader in independent rail travel.

Our Mission & Values

Railbookers Group offers a wide portfolio of travel experiences to the most sought-after destinations throughout the world. Our mission is to deliver outstanding service, amazing value, and unmatched travel experiences for all of our guests. Today, we operate three travel brands: Railbookers, Amtrak Vacations, and Yankee Holidays. We are proud to be the largest independent rail vacation provider to the US, Canada, and Europe.

Our Mission & Values

Railbookers Group offers a wide portfolio of travel experiences to the most sought-after destinations throughout the world. Our mission is to deliver outstanding service, amazing value, and unmatched travel experiences for all of our guests. Today, we operate three travel brands: Railbookers, Amtrak Vacations, and Yankee Holidays. We are proud to be the largest independent rail vacation provider to the US, Canada, and Europe.

Senior Executives

Our senior executives bring tremendous experience, visionary thinking, and a shared commitment to excellence, positive customer experiences, and innovation.

President and CEO

Frank Marini
Executive Chairman

John Tavano

President and CEO

Frank Marini

As President and CEO of Railbookers Group, Frank oversees all of RB Group’s global travel brands, including Railbookers, Amtrak Vacations, & Yankee Holidays. In his role, Frank is responsible for the strategy, growth, operations, and performance of all RBG brands.

Prior to his current position, Frank served in several leadership roles, notably as Vice President of Sales for Collette Vacations, and as President of Contiki Holidays, a Travel Corporation company.

Frank has been featured in Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, Travel Agent, Agent@Home, and Recommend magazines, and is a frequent speaker at industry-related events. Accolades include being named a leading executive in OC Metro’s “40 under 40,” as well as an honoree of the annual “Top 40 Under Forty” by Providence Business News which recognizes the next generation of business community leaders. He has also received the Travvy Award for the “Most Innovative Executive, Rail Travel.”

Frank has served on the Board of Directors for the Pawtucket YMCA, the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Heart Association, and the Boys & Girls Club in Anaheim, CA. Currently, Frank serves as a member of the board of the World Travel & Tourism Council as well as a member of the  U.S. Travel Association.

Frank holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. He lives 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 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.

Senior Executives

Our senior executives bring tremendous experience, visionary thinking, and a shared commitment to excellence, positive customer experiences, and innovation.

President and CEO

Frank Marini
Executive Chairman

John Tavano

President and CEO

Frank Marini

As President and CEO of Railbookers Group, Frank oversees all of RB Group’s global travel brands, including Railbookers, Amtrak Vacations, & Yankee Holidays. In his role, Frank is responsible for the strategy, growth, operations, and performance of all RBG brands.

Prior to his current position, Frank served in several leadership roles, notably as Vice President of Sales for Collette Vacations, and as President of Contiki Holidays, a Travel Corporation company.

Frank has been featured in Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, Travel Agent, Agent@Home, and Recommend magazines, and is a frequent speaker at industry-related events. Accolades include being named a leading executive in OC Metro’s “40 under 40,” as well as an honoree of the annual “Top 40 Under Forty” by Providence Business News which recognizes the next generation of business community leaders. He has also received the Travvy Award for the “Most Innovative Executive, Rail Travel.”

Frank has served on the Board of Directors for the Pawtucket YMCA, the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Heart Association, and the Boys & Girls Club in Anaheim, CA. Currently, Frank serves as a member of the board of the World Travel & Tourism Council as well as a member of the  U.S. Travel Association.

Frank holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. He lives 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 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.

Our Leadership

Our customers are the motivation for our leadership team as the driving force behind our partnerships, innovation, and market growth.

Chief Financial & Operations Officer

Zine Belhonchet
Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Jim Marini
Senior Vice President of Product

Andrew L. Channell
Vice President of Marketing

Kaitlyn Birkinshaw
Vice President of Global Sales

Cris David
Senior Director of Sales

Sam Bridge
Senior Director of Innovation & Process Improvement

Andreas Paminger

Chief Financial & Operations Officer

Zine Belhonchet

As CFO and COO of Railbookers Group, Zine oversees the global finance functions as well as Human Resources, Operations, Guest Experience and Quality 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 become 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 11-year-old 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 national and international partnerships, and Key Accounts and Business Development Managers for Railbookers Group’s brands (Amtrak Vacations, Railbookers & Yankee Holidays).

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, he oversees the development of new product offerings for Railbookers Group. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in leadership roles for large companies in the retail sales and finance sectors.

Before joining the Railbookers Group team, Andrew served in leadership and management roles for previous companies. He is a proven team builder and has developed successful sales and leadership personnel. He also served on numerous company boards for developing personnel, selling strategies, and product.

Throughout his professional career, Andrew has had proven success in identifying business trends and opportunities, developing teams, and delivering successful results. His skills include recruitment, process improvement, training, management, selling strategies, and product development.

Andrew obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. He currently lives in Massachusetts 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, Railbookers, and Yankee Holidays.

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 8 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 and son.

Vice President of Global Sales

Cris David

As Vice President of Sales – Canada, Cris oversees sales and partner relationships for Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations in the Canadian market. He also oversees international sales, working closely with Railbookers Group’s business development teams in both the United Kingdom and Australia.

As a travel industry veteran with over 23 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.

Senior Director of Sales

Sam Bridge

As Senior Director of Sales, Sam oversees Inside Sales at a global level as well as managing the company’s Sales Development teams. 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 heads up our sales training department to help unearth new talent, develop staff and mentor future leaders.

Sam obtained a Batchelor of Arts degree in Politics and Communication from the University of Loughborough and resides in London with his wife and daughter.

Senior Director of Innovation & Process Improvement

Andreas Paminger

As Senior Director of Innovation, Andreas is responsible for identifying, sourcing, and implementing workflow, technical, and systems solutions that will allow Railbookers Group to grow and scale more effectively.

Andreas has nearly 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.

Our Leadership

Our customers are the motivation for our leadership team as the driving force behind our partnerships, innovation, and market growth.

Chief Financial & Operations Officer

Zine Belhonchet
Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships

Jim Marini
Senior Vice President of Product

Andrew L. Channell
Vice President of Marketing

Kaitlyn Birkinshaw
Vice President of Global Sales

Cris David
Senior Director of Sales

Sam Bridge
Senior Director of Innovation & Process Improvement

Andreas Paminger

Chief Financial & Operations Officer

Zine Belhonchet

As CFO and COO of Railbookers Group, Zine oversees the global finance functions as well as Human Resources, Operations, Guest Experience and Quality 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 become 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 11-year-old 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 national and international partnerships, and Key Accounts and Business Development Managers for Railbookers Group’s brands (Amtrak Vacations, Railbookers & Yankee Holidays).

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, he oversees the development of new product offerings for Railbookers Group. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in leadership roles for large companies in the retail sales and finance sectors.

Before joining the Railbookers Group team, Andrew served in leadership and management roles for previous companies. He is a proven team builder and has developed successful sales and leadership personnel. He also served on numerous company boards for developing personnel, selling strategies, and product.

Throughout his professional career, Andrew has had proven success in identifying business trends and opportunities, developing teams, and delivering successful results. His skills include recruitment, process improvement, training, management, selling strategies, and product development.

Andrew obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. He currently lives in Massachusetts 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, Railbookers, and Yankee Holidays.

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 8 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 and son.

Vice President of Global Sales

Cris David

As Vice President of Sales – Canada, Cris oversees sales and partner relationships for Railbookers and Amtrak Vacations in the Canadian market. He also oversees international sales, working closely with Railbookers Group’s business development teams in both the United Kingdom and Australia.

As a travel industry veteran with over 23 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.

Senior Director of Sales

Sam Bridge

As Senior Director of Sales, Sam oversees Inside Sales at a global level as well as managing the company’s Sales Development teams. 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 heads up our sales training department to help unearth new talent, develop staff and mentor future leaders.

Sam obtained a Batchelor of Arts degree in Politics and Communication from the University of Loughborough and resides in London with his wife and daughter.

Senior Director of Innovation & Process Improvement

Andreas Paminger

As Senior Director of Innovation, Andreas is responsible for identifying, sourcing, and implementing workflow, technical, and systems solutions that will allow Railbookers Group to grow and scale more effectively.

Andreas has nearly 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.

Non-Executive Directors

United Kingdom

Peter Traynor
Australia

Tammy Marshall

United Kingdom

Peter Traynor

Peter serves as a Non-Executive Director for Railbookers Group (formerly known as Yankee Leisure Group) in the United Kingdom. With over 35 years of tour operating experience in the UK market, Peter is responsible for partnerships and business development in the UK.

Peter has served on the board of the Visit USA Association and PATA in the UK, as well as on the Association of Independent Tour Operators Council, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism.

Australia

Tammy Marshall

Tammy Marshall serves as a Non-Executive Director for Railbookers Group (formerly known as Yankee Leisure Group) in Australia where she oversees operations and corporate governance as the local Board Director. Her diversity of experience across geographies and industries includes tourism, cruise, transport and hospitality and governance structures.

Tammy is also the Founder of The B Hive – a business transformation consultancy that specializes in the Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Leisure, and Entertainment sectors.

Non-Executive Directors

United Kingdom

Peter Traynor
Australia

Tammy Marshall

United Kingdom

Peter Traynor

Peter serves as a Non-Executive Director for Railbookers Group (formerly known as Yankee Leisure Group) in the United Kingdom. With over 35 years of tour operating experience in the UK market, Peter is responsible for partnerships and business development in the UK.

Peter has served on the board of the Visit USA Association and PATA in the UK, as well as on the Association of Independent Tour Operators Council, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism.

Australia

Tammy Marshall

Tammy Marshall serves as a Non-Executive Director for Railbookers Group (formerly known as Yankee Leisure Group) in Australia where she oversees operations and corporate governance as the local Board Director. Her diversity of experience across geographies and industries includes tourism, cruise, transport and hospitality and governance structures.

Tammy is also the Founder of The B Hive – a business transformation consultancy that specializes in the Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Leisure, and Entertainment sectors.

Loading...