Michael Batt is the Founder and Chairman of Travel Leaders Group, a North American travel company that directly employs over 1,000 staff managing operations of more than 1,300 company-owned and franchised travel agencies in the United States and Canada. Mr. Batt serves as Chairman of the Minneapolis-based company.

Travel Leaders Group is comprised of five companies including: Travel Leaders Corporate, Travel Leaders Leisure Group, Travel Leaders Franchise Group, Connexions Loyalty Travel Solutions, and Tzell Travel Group.

With combined wholly-owned and franchised sales of over $7.1 billion in 2008, Travel Leaders Group enterprise ranks as the ninth largest travel company in the United States. In 2009, the company was named as the number one travel management company by Business Travel News. For the 13th consecutive year, a brand within the Travel Leaders Franchise Group was named as the top travel business franchise by Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®. Travel Leaders Franchise Group can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the franchise system “Ask Mr. Foster Travel,” which itself was North America’s first travel agency chain established in 1888.

Travel Leaders Group was formed when the management team of Carlson Leisure Group (CLG), led by Mr. Batt, acquired CLG’s extensive portfolio of businesses from Carlson Companies in January 2008. In March 2008 the company acquired Florida-based TraveLeaders and then in August 2008 merged with Tzell Travel Group to create the nation’s eighth largest travel company measured by sales.

Prior to his role as Founder and Chairman of Travel Leaders Group, Mr. Batt was President of Carlson Leisure Group – joining in 1996 – and was responsible for operations including divisions now known as Travel Leaders Franchise Group, Connexions Loyalty Travel Solutions and Travel Leaders Leisure Group.

Before joining Carlson, Mr. Batt was Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Alamo Rent-A-Car. He was responsible for worldwide sales and marketing for the car rental giant. Prior to Alamo, Mr. Batt served as Marketing Director (and member of the executive board) of British Airways where he was responsible for all advertising and promotion, product development and delivery of service standards (1987-1994). Mr. Batt previously enjoyed a 12-year tenure with the Mars Company, in various sales and brand management positions working in the United Kingdom, Spain, Africa and the Middle East.

Mr. Batt is a native of the United Kingdom and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Materials from the University of Wales.