Michael Brown

President & CEO, Travel + Leisure Co., Orlando

Brown just completed a three-year term as chairman of the American Resort Development Association, which works to expand the travel experiences of timeshare owners and emphasize the value of timeshares amid rising travel costs. Since 2017, he has led a team of 19,500 associates at Travel + Leisure Co., which delivers more than 6 million vacations each year at more than 245 timeshare resorts worldwide. It has been a sector leader with the introduction of the points-based vacation ownership program at Club Wyndham and the first vacation exchange network, RCI.

EDUCATION: University of Virginia (BS)

READING/LISTENING: I frequently listen to the podcast Morgan Stanley Thoughts on the Market. I also enjoyed University of Texas swim coach Eddie Reese’s book Coaching Swimming, Teaching Life.

INSPIRING FLORIDIAN: I was inspired by Harris Rosen’s work to create a scholarship program in Tangelo Park in Orlando. We know that real change is possible when corporations work hand-in-hand with local communities to engage citizens in programs driven by a shared purpose. Based on his example, we launched the Travel + Leisure Eatonville Scholarship Program to promote educational excellence within the Eatonville community — the oldest African-American-incorporated municipality in the United States.