Valerie Ann Wilson, Chairman and President of Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school in northeastern Iowa and the Chamberlain School of Retailing in Boston, she moved to New York City to pursue a fashion career. Within two years, she was hired as Vice President for Gant, where she established the ladies shirt division.
In late 1967, Valerie chose to dedicate her attention to raising a family. She applied her extensive business experience to the volunteer community for the next thirteen years by serving on numerous committees, boards of directors and raising funds for not-for-profit organizations.
In 1977, the Wilson family was transferred to London for three years where she expanded her volunteer efforts. As a founding member of The Junior League of London, Valerie initiated the idea and was the editor of a book entitled Living in London: A Practical Guide. This indispensable guide for English-speaking people living in London is in its ninth edition as a fund raising project of the League. Her years in London fostered her passion for travel. When she was unable to find a satisfactory travel agency, she started researching and planning business trips and deluxe vacations for her family. In 1981, Valerie combined her business acumen with her commitment to creating the most professional and knowledgeable travel consulting firm and opened her agency in New York City.
Today, under her leadership, Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. is among the largest privately owned travel agencies in the United States. She and her company have earned a solid reputation for providing quality advice with impeccable customer service. In addition, Valerie is actively involved in many facets of the travel industry and serves on numerous travel advisory boards such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, The Oberoi Group, Cambridge Beaches in Bermuda and Abercrombie & Kent International. She is regularly invited to participate in industry roundtable discussions.
Valerie Ann Wilson is continually honored with travel industry awards. In 1995, the Association of Retail Travel Agents honored her as the First Runner-up for Agent of the Year. Since 1997, she has been named annually among Travel Agent's "The 100 Most Powerful Women in Travel." The 1999 "Best of New York" issue of the Daily News touted Valerie as the "Getaway Star" with the agency being "Top-Rated." She began the new millennium with her inclusion in the "Winner's Circle" of Travel Agent's "The People of the Year" issue, was selected by Condé Nast Traveler as a Travel Guru in their June 2000 issue and was most recently included in Condé Nast Traveler's "Book of Indispensable Travel Agents" in their August 2001 issue.
Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. is also often recognized for its achievements. Every year since 1998, the agency has been counted among Travel Weekly's "Top 50 Travel Agencies" and most recently in Travel Weekly as the 32nd largest agency.
Additionally, Business Travel News has rated the company among the top 40 corporate travel agencies in the country annually since 1999. In 2000, Crain's listed Valerie Wilson Travel as the second largest woman-owned firm in the New York area and in "The Private 200: New York Area's Top Privately Held Companies." Valerie Wilson Travel employs nearly 300 people from Boothbay Harbor, Maine to Greenwich, CT to Hilton Head, South Carolina, with the headquarter office in New York City. The agency has a 65% corporate and 35% leisure business mix with a strong emphasis on international travel.
Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. was one of only three full-service travel agencies selected for inclusion in the publication of America's Elite 1000 - The Ultimate List, a guide to the best of American life and style.
Valerie Ann Wilson is often named and quoted in a myriad of publications, including industry publications, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Crain's. Her role as a respected industry spokesperson continues, as she was the Travel Industry panelist at the third annual Women's CEO Summit, The Corporate State, held in New York City in September 2000.
Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. has been a member since 1998 of Virtuoso, a members-only organization that provides marketing and sales support to an elite group of agencies that specialize in upscale luxury travel. 2002 marks her third year as one of six members of the Virtuoso Properties Committee.
Valerie Ann Wilson has fulfilled a long time dream by publishing Valerie Wilson's World…The Top Hotels & Resorts. This coffee table book on the world's best accommodations is filled with inviting text and luscious photographs and is expected to be the definitive guide for discerning travelers.
Valerie is as passionate about her personal interests as she is about her company. In addition to travel, her interests include fashion, ballet and theater, antiques, gourmet food and wine.
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