Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel (No. 14 on Travel Weekly’s Power List), will retire at the end of December. She will be succeeded by Stacey Barber.
Paula Twidale
Twidale’s career in the industry spans 40 years. She began with a post at Boston Logan Airport before moving into leisure travel and tours.
At AAA, Twidale has led the business through many initiatives, from brand satisfaction to brand awareness. She led the organization through the pandemic, as well, pivoting to providing travelers with advice and advocating for them.
She was the first woman to chair the U.S. Tour Operators Association in 2016.
“Paula has played an integral role in transforming AAA Travel, bringing new and exciting offerings, expert advice and excellent benefits to our members and beyond,” said Gene Boehm, president and CEO designate for AAA.
Barber, executive director for AAA Travel, will take on the role of vice president of travel services, leading AAA Travel’s products and services.
Stacey Barber
In her current role, she has led a number of projects for the organization, including reimagining its AAA Diamond hotel ratings.
Twidale joined AAA in 2015. Before that, she worked at TravelClick, LightMaker, Darden Restaurants, RG Crown Bank and Hannover Life RE.
Twidale said Barber “is an integral part of the AAA Travel team and is well prepared to take on this new role. Since joining AAA, she has demonstrated exemplary leadership over AAA Travel’s editorial content, travel technology and Diamond inspection program.”