What are your responsibilities at itravel2000? Contracting, working closely with the tourist boards, airlines, etc., and overseeing the running of the company. My favourite colour is black: we don't apologize for having black on our balance sheets.
How many staff do you have? Over 200.
How long have you been in the business? I ran the first charter from Canada to Acapulco in 1969, a year after I emigrated to Canada from Ireland.
How many people does itravel move to Mexico in a year? Over 100,000.
What's your favourite destination? Apart from Ireland? Mexico and Jamaica.
What's the best and the worst part of your job? The best is the people. Worst? The airlines!
What do you think is going to be the biggest challenge for the industry over the next year? Rising fuel prices.
What was your proudest moment? When my children and grandchildren were born.
What book's on your bedside table? The Bible.
What kind of car do you drive? An Escalade. My grandkids love it because it's got all the shiny stuff.
When were you most scared? I was a white knuckle flyer for many years - people found it hard to believe because I'm such a big man.
If you could sit next to anyone on a long-haul flight, who would it be? Actually I did sit beside Ed Mirvish [famous Toronto retail entrepreneur and theatre promoter]. He told me "always go against the trends."
