Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors since 2016, has been instrumental in the company’s growth since joining as Managing Director in 2004. Under his leadership, Steve orchestrated a successful MBO in 2014 with backing from Equistone Partners Europe Limited and led a secondary buy-out in 2018 with Vitruvian Partners.

Steve has overseen the development of Travel Counsellors to become the UK’s largest and fastest-growing technology platform and community for travel entrepreneurs, connecting over 2,000 independent business owners and enabling them to deliver exceptional levels of customer service. The company operates across six countries (UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and the UAE) and employs a 300 strong support team in its UK headquarters and overseas offices, all underpinned by the knowledge and power of a global community and strong people first culture.

The company is currently investing £10m in its technology platform and aims to facilitate rapid growth for both individual travel counsellors and the company. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, Travel Counsellors has not only recovered but thrived, achieving Total Transaction Value of over £900m through the platform in the last financial year (to 31 October 2023).

 The company's commitment to excellence is reflected in its multi-award-winning status and a consistent five-star 'Excellent' rating on Trustpilot. Its numerous accolades include three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise and listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2023.