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ABOUT US
At REBEL Travel Corporation, we think differently about travel distribution. By leveraging our extensive industry expertise and strategic partner network, we provide innovative turn-key and customizable solutions which enable our partners to increase revenues while also decreasing distribution costs.
Team Biographies
Fred L. Bean, President & CEO
Fred L. Bean has more than 15 years experience in the hospitality technology industry. Prior to founding REBEL, he served as Vice President of Hotel Business Development for Cendant Corporation with direct responsibility for the management of the merchant model hotel programs of Orbitz, Cheaptickets, Lodging.com, Neat Group, and Galileo.
Before Cendant, Fred served as Vice President of Hotel Relations for Travelweb LLC, a joint-venture between Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Marriott, Starwood, Pegasus Solutions, and Priceline. In this role, he led Travelweb's efforts to change the landscape of online hotel bookings. Under his leadership Travelweb became the largest automated merchant hotel distribution company (by # of participating hotels) at a record pace by contracting what was at that time a market leading 15,000 hotels in less than two years.
Fred has also worked at Travelocity.com where he was Senior Manager for the Merchant Model Vacations product. Prior to Travelocity.com, he spent years in the hospitality technology and online distribution industry with WorldRes.com, Sabre, and Hyatt Hotels, holding positions in reservation sales, customer service, call center management, operations, product management, systems development, and sales engineering.
Nicole Hockin, Chief Creative Officer
Nicole Hockin is Chief Creative Officer for Rebel Travel Corporation. In this role she oversees the marketing strategy for REBEL and its clients. From web design, to trade show and conference planning, special events, media relations, and direct to customer marketing, Nicole Hockin knows what travel technology companies need to succeed with creativity plus.
Prior to joining REBEL, Nicole owned Hockin Communications, Inc., a full service marketing and public relations consultancy. Other past positions include Public Relations Manager for Hotels.com, Marketing Communications Director for Travelweb, and Marketing Communications Manager for Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
A travel industry veteran, Nicole has been quoted in various magazines and news programs including CBS Marketwatch, SoapTalk, BusinessWeek, TravelWeekly, USA Today, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and numerous network stations across the country. Additionally, Nicole Hockin, is a regularly featured television travel expert on various television morning programs including the Daily Buzz on CW Network, WLS Chicago ABC 7, and Good Day Colorado providing audiences with practical travel advice and recommendations.
Rachel Neal, Chief Innovation Officer/VP of Technology
Ms. Neal is new to the REBEL team and brings with her over 10 years of experience in hospitality and online distribution technology. Prior to REBEL, Rachel was Sr. Director of Online Services and Solutions Center for Pegasus Solutions. Before Pegasus Rachel played key roles in optimizing the distribution solutions and hotel programs of Cendant Corporation and Travelweb. She started her career over 10 years ago with Pegasus as a Web Administrator. She is a graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with BS' in Math, Theatre, and Computer Science.
Caryn Smith, Chief Financial Officer
Caryn Smith’s experience in finance operational leadership, private equity and business planning extends more than twenty years. Her focus is forming and expanding your businesses through finance and business planning, capital development and exit support and financial operations. This focus is complemented by business development, sales and marketing experience. Caryn blends information and insight to capitalize on emerging trends, improved business models and new technologies. Most recently, she has consulted in a variety of industries including travel distribution and technology, airline, tour operator, sustainable travel, health and wellness, publishing, e-commerce currency management and electronic data discovery.
Previously, Caryn was CFO and VP of Strategic Planning for Travelweb LLC, an Internet startup formed by the travel industry’s top five hotel chains to distribute hotel rooms on the Internet. As an initial member of the management team, she played a key role in building the business to $125 million in sales and selling it in 2004. Before joining Travelweb, Caryn focused on travel and leisure investments for The Destination Group, a private equity firm emphasizing the “Quality Living” segment. From 1994 to 2000, she held a variety of product development, strategy and planning positions with AMR Corporation, culminating in Director of Marketing for Sabre Inc.’s $1 billion information technology business.
Caryn also helped launch Argosy Software, joining the startup team as VP Marketing and Sales to deliver a line of Macintosh-DOS connectivity software. She also worked as assistant treasurer for Swiss Bank Corporation. Her international experience is in Canada, the UK, the European Union and the Middle East. Caryn earned her BA in Economics at Mount Holyoke College, and her Masters in Finance at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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