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E-commerce Speaker Terry Jones

Terry Jones

Founder of Travelocity & Founding Chairman of Kayak.com | Built Two Billion-Dollar Unicorns | Bestselling Author & AI Innovation Expert

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Only 0.01% of companies reach unicorn status — Terry Jones built two. As founder of Travelocity and founding chairman of Kayak.com, he helped create the trillion-dollar e-commerce travel industry, with IPOs and exits totaling over $10 billion. A bestselling author, venture capitalist, and board director for over 20 companies, Jones delivers keynotes on AI, innovation, and disruption that blend startup war stories with actionable frameworks.

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    Terry Jones biography

    Terry Jones is one of the rare entrepreneurs who has built not one but two billion-dollar companies from the ground up — and reshaped an entire industry in the process. As the founder and CEO of Travelocity.com and founding chairman of Kayak.com, innovation speaker Terry Jones helped create the trillion-dollar e-commerce travel industry, transforming how hundreds of millions of people plan and book travel worldwide.

    Jones spent 24 years at American Airlines, rising through marketing and technology roles to become Chief Information Officer of its SABRE division — at the time one of the largest privately owned computer networks in the world. While leading SABRE, he oversaw a small team of six engineers working on an internal project that would become Travelocity. He served as CEO for seven years, growing it into a publicly traded company generating three billion dollars in annual travel sales.

    From Travelocity to Kayak: Building Two Unicorns

    After Travelocity was taken private, Jones joined the founding team of Kayak.com and served as chairman from its inception until its sale to Priceline for $1.8 billion in 2013. Across his career, his IPOs and exits total over $10 billion — a track record matched by very few entrepreneurs in any sector. He has served on more than 20 boards of directors, including Boingo, SonicWall, and Kenzie Academy, and is a venture partner helping startups scale. Most recently, he joined GeoSure as a senior strategic advisor, bringing his expertise in AI and growth strategy to the travel safety platform.

    Jones is the author of two bestselling books: ON Innovation, which distills 72 actionable ideas for building a culture of innovation, and Disruption OFF, which maps the ten technologies reshaping industries and offers leaders practical tools to turn disruption into competitive advantage. He also co-founded WayBlazer, an AI-powered travel platform, demonstrating his continued commitment to building at the frontier of artificial intelligence.

    As a speaker, Terry Jones brings a rare combination of founder credibility, board-level perspective, and storytelling ability. Having presented in over 25 countries to more than 300 companies, his keynotes on AI, innovation, digital disruption, and customer experience are consistently praised for being entertaining, deeply customized, and packed with actionable takeaways that audiences can implement immediately.

    Terry Jones Speaking Videos

    Terry Jones - Speaker Reel
    Terry Jones - Disruption Off

    Terry Jones Keynote Topics

    The way customers interact with businesses is being fundamentally rewritten by artificial intelligence. In this keynote, Terry Jones draws on his experience building Travelocity, Kayak, and WayBlazer to explain how generative AI and conversational interfaces are replacing traditional digital touchpoints. He explores concepts like contextual, connected, and anticipatory user experience — and shows why companies that fail to rethink their interfaces risk falling behind. Audiences leave with a clear understanding of how AI is transforming both customer and employee experiences, and practical steps to leverage these shifts for competitive advantage.

    Every organization wants to innovate, but few know where to start. Drawing from the lessons of founding Travelocity inside American Airlines and scaling Kayak from zero to a $1.8 billion exit, Terry Jones shares a practical blueprint for embedding innovation into organizational culture. He covers how to build innovation teams, generate and filter ideas, overcome corporate inertia, and create an environment where experimentation is rewarded rather than punished. Attendees walk away with a step-by-step plan they can begin implementing immediately.

    Leaders across every sector are facing disruption at unprecedented speed, yet most struggle to identify the forces driving it — let alone respond effectively. In this high-energy keynote, Terry Jones maps the ten technological forces transforming industries and introduces the new business models emerging from them: platforms, ecosystems, subscriptions, and outcome-based services. He shows how startups are stripping away legacy complexity to own the customer edge — and how established companies can do the same. Audiences gain frameworks to anticipate disruption, identify opportunities, and turn technological change into strategic advantage.

    Face-to-face relationships are not disappearing, but companies without a sophisticated digital engagement strategy are setting themselves up to fail. Terry Jones takes audiences through the full landscape of modern customer interaction — from search and social media to mobile, big data, logistics, and AI-driven personalization. Drawing from his decades of experience building digital-first companies, he provides actionable strategies for creating seamless omnichannel experiences that meet the expectations of today's connected consumer.

    Speaker topics

    E-Commerce SpeakersDigital Strategy SpeakersInnovation SpeakersKeynote SpeakersLeadership SpeakersTED Speakers

    FAQs on Booking Terry Jones

    Why Terry Jones?

    Booking Terry Jones for your event means bringing a speaker who doesn't just talk about innovation — he's lived it at the highest level. As the founder of Travelocity and founding chairman of Kayak.com, Jones built two billion-dollar companies and helped create an entirely new industry. His keynotes combine real founder war stories with practical frameworks on AI, disruption, and digital transformation that senior audiences can act on immediately. With over 25 countries and 300+ corporate engagements under his belt, he delivers customized, high-energy presentations that consistently rank among the best at every event. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to book Terry Jones for your next conference or corporate event.

    Did Terry Jones found both Travelocity and Kayak?

    Terry Jones founded Travelocity.com while serving as CIO of American Airlines' SABRE division, leading it as CEO for seven years and growing it into a public company with $3 billion in annual travel sales. After Travelocity was taken private, he joined the founding team of Kayak.com as chairman and helped build it until its acquisition by Priceline for $1.8 billion in 2013. Together, his ventures helped define the modern online travel industry.

    What topics does innovation speaker Terry Jones cover?

    Terry Jones delivers keynotes on artificial intelligence and its impact on user experience, building a culture of innovation, navigating digital disruption, and strengthening digital customer relationships. Drawing from decades of experience founding and scaling billion-dollar companies, his sessions are highly customized, data-rich, and packed with actionable frameworks. He is an ideal keynote speaker for events focused on innovation, AI, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Book Terry Jones through Aurum Speakers Bureau.

    What books has Terry Jones written?

    Terry Jones is the author of two bestselling books. ON Innovation offers 72 practical ideas for fostering innovation within organizations, drawn from his experience building Travelocity and Kayak. Disruption OFF examines the ten major technological forces disrupting industries today and provides leaders with strategies and new business models to turn disruption into opportunity.

    How to book Terry Jones as a keynote speaker?

    Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Terry Jones as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Terry Jones's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Terry Jones or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.

    How much is Terry Jones speaking fee?

    Terry Jones speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Terry Jones to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Terry Jones.

    How can I contact Terry Jones?

    We only work with Terry Jones on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Terry Jones and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Terry Jones speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Terry Jones for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.

    Can I book Terry Jones for a virtual keynote?

    Yes, Terry Jones is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Terry Jones for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.