Philip Wolf, a pioneer in leveraging the power of the technology to benefit the travel sector, and proponent of online travel distribution since the late 1980s, died today following a brief battle with leukemia. He was 64 years old.
Among his other accomplishments, Wolf was the founder of Phocuswright, the foremost authority for travel, tourism and hospitality intelligence. First launched in 1994, the research firm has become the industry's most-quoted and trusted source for data, information and analysis.
Wolf graduated from Duke University with a BA in Public Policy Studies and received his MBA from Vanderbilt University, first entering the travel sector in 1989 by heading up travel agency operations at Travelmation, an early booking engine. As CEO, he grew the company until it was sold in 1992 to Rosenbluth International (now part of American Express).
Wolf went on to establish himself as the go-to consultant for everything involving technology within the travel industry. When the World Wide Web became accessible to the public, he became a driving force behind the channel's development as a sales outlet for travel.
He brought his experience in analyzing, scrutinizing and projecting market trends and strategic change within the industry to bear when he created his own brand, Phocuswright, by launching a conference that continues to be hugely influential to this day. A year later, he added a research arm to the company that would continue expanding for decades.
"Philip was a brilliant communicator, with a hunger for excellence and a no-holds-barred attitude, who helped shape many lives in and out of the travel industry," said Lorraine Sileo, whom he hired to start his research division. "Numerous careers were born from Philip's vision 25-plus years ago to launch Phocuswright."
In 2011, he sold the business to Northstar Travel Group, which is also TravelPulse's parent company, and the Phocuswright Conference continues as an annual must-attend event for travel technologists, investors, entrepreneurs and media.
After the sale, Wolf became an advisor and independent board director for over 25 private and listed companies spanning four continents, including Hopper, TrustYou, SmarTours and MakeMyTrip.
"Philip was more than our founder; he was Phocuswright's guiding light," Phocuswright's Managing Director Pete Comeau told Travel Weekly. "A legend and pioneer of online travel and travel tech, he touched so many in the industry. He gave freely of his knowledge and expertise, and we are all poorer with his loss."
Northstar Travel Group's Chairman and CEO Tom Kemp said, "Philip was a true visionary in the travel industry and the cornerstone of the travel technology revolution as well as our founder and leader of Phocuswright."
"The industry has lost a genius today. Philip was an integral part of the Phocuswright and Northstar family. We are all heartbroken," added Northstar Travel Group President Bob Sullivan.
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