Aaron Gowell named Chairman of Journey Hospitality

Board restructures following £5m growth capital investment, boosting Journey’s vision of revolutionising the hotel sector with ecommerce

Hotel tech company Journey Hospitality has appointed Aaron Gowell as Chairman, as the company commences a new growth phase.

Founder and CEO of SilverRail Technologies, Gowell has an excellent track record of growing technology companies, returning an average of over three times value growth, and creating more than 1,000 jobs.

Gowell was part of the founding team at General Catalyst, investing in pioneering travel technology companies such as Kayak, Airbnb and Sabre. His blend of ecommerce nous and successful entrepreneurship has changed the way various travel sectors operate, encouraging a broader ‘retail-first’ approach.

Gowell said: “At SilverRail, our technology improves the way rail travel is booked, and at National Leisure Group, we did the same for the cruise industry. With their onejourney® solution, Simon and the team at Journey have already started the ecommerce revolution within the hotel industry, and I’m excited to be able to help them step it up even further.”

The new-look Board also includes Simon Bullingham, Founder and CEO, and Simon Rowan, partner at Averroes Capital, the private equity firm who provided £5m capital growth funding to the company in November 2022.

Journey’s recent capital growth investment will enable the British company to deliver its vision to revolutionise ecommerce for the hospitality industry, particularly to advance product development and expand into new markets. The investment will also be used to enhance Journey’s team - including the bolstering of senior level executives alongside product development, sales and operations as the headcount increases to more than 100 staff in the short term.

Founder and CEO of Journey, Simon Bullingham, said: “Aaron’s thirst for improving the travel sector is legendary. Being able to tap into his business acumen and success in the sector will allow us to unlock the next stage of Journey’s development. The hotel industry is ready for a shake-up, and we’re delighted to be in the vanguard.”

Journey Hospitality has over 400 luxury hotel property customers worldwide. In the past year, its annual software revenue has grown by 151%, with revenue forecast set to grow rapidly in the next 12 months.