Ellen Keszler has a broad business background with companies ranging in size from start-ups to enterprise. She has significant experience as a board member and start-up advisor, with deep knowledge of corporate governance and board best practices. She also qualifies as an Audit Committee Financial Expert. In addition to serving on public, private, and non-profit boards, she has a real passion for achieving innovation through technology. She has advised numerous technology start-ups through to raising a series A round or to strategic acquisitions. She also led a successful new business launch and drove growth of large, mature businesses. She is an internationally recognized travel technology industry expert who frequently serves as a judge at travel technology innovation competitions and speaks at conferences about travel technology. She was named to the Skift30 as one of the 30 top movers and shakers in online travel.

Ellen has served on more than 10 private and public company boards (including Extended Stay America, PROS, Farelogix, Travel & Transport, and Routehappy), primarily in the travel technology, corporate travel, and hospitality industries. She currently serves on the board and chairs the audit committee for Sojern, a direct demand engine for travel, and on the board of Shep, a corporate travel booking and messaging technology solution. She serves an advisor to two venture capital companies: Thayer Ventures, a venture fund focused on early-stage travel/transportation tech companies and Wayfare, a seed-stage venture fund focused on hospitality and travel tech. Additionally, she is an advisor to multiple technology start-up companies.

She spent the first 20 years of her career in a variety of finance and general management roles at American Airlines, Sabre and Travelocity.

Ellen is a lifetime member of the Advisory Council of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. She served for eight years on the board North Texas Public Broadcasting, chairing the finance committee and serving on the Executive Committee for four years. She served on the board of Trustees of Preston Hollow Presbyterian School for 6 years, including as Vice President. She was on the board of the National Business Travel Association Foundation for three years and served for two years as its chair, and has served several terms on the Business Travel News Advisory Board. She has twice served as a mentor at Menttium, an organization dedicated to improving professional performance of high potential female executives through mentoring.

Ellen received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.