Roger E. Block, CTC, CFE, is president of the Travel Leaders Franchise Group, part of Travel Leaders Group – a North American travel company that includes over 1,300 company-owned and franchised travel agencies in the United States and Canada. Mr. Block reports directly to Barry Liben, CEO of Travel Leaders Group, which is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
 

In his current role, Mr. Block oversees the strategic development and growth of the Travel Leaders Associate Program, which includes hundreds of full-service, retail travel agencies across the U.S.  These franchise locations include a mix of both business and leisure travel. Highlighting its success, the Travel Leaders Franchise Group continues to maintain its edge as the leading travel franchisor in North America. In 2009, 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®.
 

Although the Travel Leaders name may be new, Travel Leaders Franchise Group can trace its beginnings to 1984 as the Carlson franchise system for “Ask Mr. Foster Travel” – which itself was North America’s first travel agency chain established in 1888. In 1991, Ask Mr. Foster changed its name to Carlson Travel Network and in 1997 (to reflect the merger of Carlson Travel Network with Wagonlit Travel) the franchised agencies were rechristened as Carlson Wagonlit Travel. That same year, Travel Agents International locations throughout the United States were merged into Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates.  Now known as Travel Leaders, the brand has quickly grown to become one of the nation’s top five travel organizations with a local presence.

What is now known as Travel Leaders Franchise Group was spun off from travel and hospitality company, Carlson, in January 2008. Mr. Block led Travel Leaders Franchise Group through this enormous change. Mr. Block had served as executive vice president of Carlson Travel Franchise Group, responsible for the company's travel franchise operations, including what is now Travel Leaders, Cruise Holidays, Results! Travel and SeaMaster Cruises brands. Under Mr. Block, over a thousand locations were added to the franchise system network.

In addition to his leadership within Travel Leaders Franchise Group, Mr. Block has served the overall travel industry in a variety of capacities.  He was a founding member and founding officer of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) Corporate Advisory Committee. He currently serves on the ASTA board, serving as an ASTA Executive Committee member from 2007- 2009. Previously, Mr. Block served on the board of trustees of ICTA, now The Travel Institute.
 
Mr. Block joined Carlson in 1997 following the acquisition of Travel Agents International (TAI) by Carlson Leisure Group, into which most TAI franchisees converted. Mr. Block was the chairman, president and founder of TAI.
 
Before TAI, Block was senior vice president, director and corporate treasurer of Community Banks of Florida, Inc., with responsibility for fund management of the Holding Company banks.