Ovation Travel Group, founded in 1984 by Paul Metselaar, is a prominent American travel management company specializing in high-touch corporate travel, luxury leisure travel, and meetings & events. Known for its personalized service and expertise in managing complex travel needs for demanding clientele, including law firms, financial services, and entertainment industries. In January 2021, Ovation Travel Group was acquired by American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), becoming a key part of Amex GBT's strategy to enhance its offerings for small to mid-sized clients and the luxury market. Ovation continues to operate as a distinct brand and division within Amex GBT, leveraging the parent company's extensive global network, technology, and resources while maintaining its signature high-service standards.
Serves as the central hub for Ovation's leadership, operations, client relationship management, supplier partnerships, and strategic direction within the American Express GBT framework.
Located in a prime Manhattan business district, offering modern office facilities and accessibility for clients and industry partners. The office is designed to foster collaboration and support its high-touch service model.
The work culture at Ovation emphasizes client-centricity, meticulous attention to detail, and deep travel industry knowledge. It fosters a collaborative environment where travel advisors are empowered to provide exceptional, personalized service. Post-acquisition, this culture is blended with the broader Amex GBT corporate values of trust, service, and innovation.
The New York City headquarters is significant due to its historical importance as Ovation's founding location and its ongoing role as the nerve center for its specialized travel services. Its presence in NYC underscores its focus on high-value corporate and luxury travel markets.
Through its integration with American Express Global Business Travel, Ovation Travel Group provides services in over 140 countries worldwide. This extensive global network supports multinational corporate travel programs, intricate luxury leisure itineraries, and global meetings & events. Functions supported globally include 24/7 travel assistance, local market expertise, VIP handling, risk management solutions, consolidated reporting, and negotiated supplier rates, all delivered with Ovation's characteristic personalized service approach.
440 Park Avenue South, 9th Floor
New York
NY
USA
Address: Operations integrated with Amex GBT's UK offices, e.g., 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU (Amex GBT UK HQ)
Serves as a key hub for European operations, managing multinational accounts, and fostering relationships with European travel suppliers. Caters to industries with strong presence in London, such as finance and law.
Address: Operations integrated with Amex GBT's West Coast presence.
Ensures comprehensive service coverage across different time zones in the US and manages relationships with West Coast clients and suppliers.
Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.
As of April 2025, Amex GBT Ovation' leadership includes:
Amex GBT Ovation has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:
Following the acquisition by American Express Global Business Travel in January 2021, the core leadership of Ovation Travel Group transitioned into key roles within the newly formed OvationNetwork division of Amex GBT. While there haven't been highly publicized, distinct Ovation-specific executive hires or exits in the immediate past 12 months separate from broader Amex GBT movements, the leadership team remains stable, focusing on integrating and leveraging the strengths of both organizations.
Discover the tools Amex GBT Ovation uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.
Ovation Travel Group, prior to and following its acquisition by Amex GBT, primarily utilizes standard corporate email formats. The most common structures involve combinations of first name, last name, and initial. While legacy @ovationtravel.com addresses may still be functional for some long-standing contacts, communications may increasingly originate from or be directed to Amex GBT email domains for integrated services.
[first_initial][last]@ovationtravel.com (e.g., jsmith@ovationtravel.com) or [first].[last]@ovationtravel.com (e.g. john.smith@ovationtravel.com)
Format
pmetselaar@ovationtravel.com
Example
80%
Success rate
American Express Global Business Travel • January 20, 2021
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Ovation Travel Group, a leading, independently owned travel management company. The acquisition will expand GBT’s footprint in the SME and premium travel segments....more
Skift • July 13, 2021
Ovation Travel Group is settling into its new role as part of American Express Global Business Travel, with a focus on maintaining its high-touch service culture while integrating into a larger corporate structure. The transition involves adapting systems and processes, with an aim to leverage GBT's scale and technology....more
Business Travel News • May 1, 2023
Tina Rose, Managing Director of OvationNetwork, discussed how the company is addressing evolving corporate and luxury travel demands, focusing on personalized service, duty of care, and sustainability, supported by Amex GBT's resources....more
See where a company’s workforce is located, by country or region.
View past and recent funding rounds with amounts and investors.
Understand company revenue estimates and financial scale.
Track active roles and hiring trends to spot growth signals.
Discover what a company offers—products, platforms, and solutions.
Get the company’s official SIC and NAICS classifications.
Analyze visitor volume, engagement, and top traffic sources.
Explore LinkedIn, Twitter, and other active social profiles.
Identify top competitors based on similar business traits.
Explore companies in depth — from the tech they use to recent funding, hiring trends, and buyer signals — all in one powerful view.
Highperformr AI helps you surface the right accounts and enrich your CRM with verified company and contact insights, so your teams can prioritize and engage faster.
Thousands of companies, including Amex GBT Ovation, are just a search away.