Roger Allard (b. 1954) has been involved in the travel industry for over 40 years and has built a number of successful, well-recognised businesses from scratch.

Starting aged 14 as a Saturday boy running errands in a travel agents on Tottenham Court Road, on completing his education Roger would remain in the industry and later be instrumental in creating Owners Abroad (now First Choice/TUI Travel PLC) and listing it on the London Stock Exchange in 1982. Roger stayed with the business for 20 years before vacating his role as Group Managing Director in 1993. The same year, he was drafted in to head up the repatriation of stranded holidaymakers when ILG, the UK’s second largest tour operator, failed. Roger applied common sense to the challenge and with judicious use of whiteboards, Post It notes and many contacts in aviation, the mission was successfully accomplished.

Roger was involved in the aviation industry until 1996, before acquiring the Voyages of Discovery brand the following year. He is now Executive Chairman of All Leisure Group PLC, which includes Voyages of Discovery, Page and Moy Travel Group, Swan Hellenic, Discover Egypt and many other successful companies in most areas of the market. He has been a Director of ABTA and several other non-competing travel companies and also sits on the Air Travel Insolvency and Protection Advisory Committee (ATIPAC) which advises the Civil Aviation Authority, representing ABTA.

Roger has received a number of awards for his contributions to the travel industry, including the Globe Travel Awards Outstanding Achievement Award in 2011.

Roger was honoured by the Hall of Fame in 2008.