Pleasant Holidays CEO Jack Richards will retire on Jan. 31, ending a 46-year career in travel that included leading several tour operations as well as a stint as senior vice president, product marketing and strategy for Hotels.com.
Former Classic Vacations CEO David Hu will succeed Richards. Hu will assume the CEO position on Jan. 1, with Richards staying on as an advisor for a month.
When Richards joined Pleasant Holidays in 2007, the company was associated closely with its roots in Hawaii. During Richards' tenure, Pleasant expanded globally and now operates in 84 countries and sells 15 cruise lines.
Richards said he had considered retiring in 2020, but then the pandemic hit. "There's no way I could walk away then," he said. "It hit this company very hard, and I just didn't have it in my soul to walk away during a crisis. That said, I didn't know I would be staying another four years."
Following what Richards characterized as "the most rewarding career I could have hoped for," he plans to take an online sommelier course and spend more time with his two grandsons. And, of course, travel.
"I love this industry, it gets in your blood," Richards said. "The wanderlust is still there. My wife and I really enjoy river cruising, and I think Egypt may be of particular interest."
Pleasant Holidays is owned by AAA Auto Club of Southern California.