HOW I CARRY ON
FROM GENERAL COUNSEL TO CEO — A FULL CIRCLE JOURNEY
Here ’ s how knowing a little bit about a lot of things laid the groundwork for Greg Takehara ’ s 34-year career .
WORDS / JENNA BUEGE
In 1988 , Greg Takehara was a fresh law school grad ready to kickstart his career . Not quite sure if private practice would be the right fit , the trajectory of his life changed forever when an old friend presented him with an incredible opportunity : a job in travel and tourism .
LEARNING THE ROPES At first , Takehara was skeptical : “ I said , ‘ what could I possibly provide to The Mark Travel Corporation ?’” However , The Mark Travel Corporation — a Milwaukee-based tour operator — was still growing , and with that came meetings with lawyers and confusing legal jargon . Takehara ’ s friend explained that the company could benefit from somebody who could work with attorneys and talk the legal language . “ I said , ‘ wow , I think I can do that !’”
And so , he did . He learned the ins and outs of the business firsthand , negotiating leases for agencies , implementing a consumer protection plan and representing The Mark Travel Corporation at USTOA ’ s annual conference . “ Getting the
opportunity to meet with all different types of suppliers , other active members and really learning the business , that was just invaluable to me ,” said Takehara .
“ You had to be a very good generalist ; you had to know a little bit about a lot of things , and that suited my talents well ,” said Takehara . “ When I think about a legal career , there are a lot of people who specialize in one particular area day in and day out . And what I loved about my job at Mark Travel Corporation was that it was something different every day … I think it formed the basis of really giving me a toolkit to move forward in my career .”
After The Mark Travel Corporation , Takehara transitioned to managing a professional liability program for an insurance company . The change felt natural . “ I had the chance to represent The Mark Travel Corporation , now I got to represent the interest of tour operators at large ,” said Takehara . “ In my current role with Tourism Cares , I often say that , in a sense , I ’ m doing the same thing ; I ’ m representing the interest of the travel and tourism industry at large .”
TOURISM CARES IS BORN In 2003 , Takehara was living in New York City . It was a post-9 / 11 world and travel was in a period of recovery . “ There was a lot
20 / THE COMPASS / SPRING 2023 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass