2026 · Hired Head of Supply, Travel
Head of Supply, Travel · a profitable Dubai fintech with 110+ people, launching a curated group-travel product inside its premium banking line
The first owner of the supplier network for a new group-travel product, hired after we rebuilt the candidate profile from what the client actually selected.
Search Overview
The Challenge
The client was building fixed-date group trips from zero and needed one person to own hotels, resorts, DMCs, charters and event partners from sourcing to signed contract. The job description asked for hands-on net rate negotiation, allotment and attrition management. In practice, strong candidates almost never show these skills in writing, and many senior travel profiles turned out to be brand or loyalty partnership managers rather than buyers of group inventory.
What VP Team Did
We started with a narrow profile: strict hard skills, native Ukrainian or Russian, eight countries. After client feedback on the first candidates we raised the seniority bar and separated outbound from inbound travel experience. When the team opened the role to contractors, we added a separate Dubai search. Once the first candidates were approved, we saw the real selection pattern: seniority, quantified commercial impact, travel or hospitality relevance and a recognisable brand in the career. We fixed the profile on that basis, dropped the geography and language limits and searched worldwide. We added two more filters: no generic enterprise procurement titles, and 1 to 5 years in the current role. We also rewrote the outreach message. The first version opened with the fintech angle and lost travel candidates before they reached the role, so we moved the travel product to the first line.
Result
The hired candidate brings 11 years in group travel partnerships and marketplaces, including onboarding 500+ tour operators across 30+ countries and growing annual bookings eightfold in three years. He accepted the offer at $8,000/mo gross and reports to the Head of Lifestyle & Travel, a role VP Team also filled for this client.
See the Head of Lifestyle & Travel case →
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