Skift Power Rankings: Ahmed Al Khateeb

As president of STR, Amanda Hite oversees the hospitality division of parent company CoStar, and her 290-person team produces the hospitality sector’s most widely read benchmarking reports.

Jonathan Gray is a heavyweight in finance. He’s the chief operating officer of Blackstone, the largest private equity firm in the world, which manages over $1 trillion in assets. Gray is also widely seen as a successor to the firm’s CEO Stephen Schwarzman. 

In an industry often criticized for sluggishness, Sébastien Bazin is known for moving fast. Bazin spent much of his early career as a financier at investment banks and private equity firms rather than rising through the ranks of a hotel company.

Alex Dichter is set to retire as leader of McKinsey’s global travel practice this year, but he’s not leaving the industry any time soon. He’ll be board chairman for HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions), which provides cruise expeditions.

Ariane Gorin, who took the reins as Expedia Group CEO in May, is trying to make the company more global. Gorin, who’s been a member of the Expedia Group senior leadership committee since 2015 and previously headed Expedia for Business, is well-positioned for the international challenge.

Brad Gerstner founded Altimeter Capital in 2008, and his first trade was for Priceline at $50 per share. Now known as Booking Holdings, the company trades at around $3,440, and has a market cap of $115 billion.

Whether it’s his strong stance on ultra-low-cost carriers or his brutally honest criticism on the current state of Boeing, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has become one of the most influential — and candid — voices in the airline industry. 

Sundar Pichai is CEO of one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world: Google. The company’s growing Flights, Hotels, Vacation Rentals, Maps, and other businesses have made the tech giant a powerhouse in travel as well. 

Christopher Nassetta, a Virginia native with a shock of salt-and-pepper hair, has the air of a senior industry statesman. Since taking the reins at Hilton Worldwide in 2007, Nassetta has orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in the hotel group’s fortunes while also advocating on behalf of the whole travel industry at the governmental level.

Of all the cabinet positions in a presidential administration, Transportation Secretary has never been seen as the sexiest. But Pete Buttigieg, also known as Mayor Pete, has made an often-overlooked department relevantHe’s probably the most high-profile Transportation Secretary in recent times. 

Royal Caribbean Group CEO and President Jason Liberty makes waves in the industry with his ability to pull off industry-changing projects.

Fred Dixon has won a lot of fans during his 30 years in the tourism industry, in large part because of his willingness to fight for the interests of travel businesses.