INTERVIEW: Certares Founder, American Express GBT Chairman Greg O'Hara

Arlington, Va.—Last year, a group led by Certares and its founder, Greg O'Hara, invested $900 million in American Express Global Business Travel, establishing a 50-50 joint venture with American Express. Now, the longtime industry power broker is chairman of American Express Global Business Travel; sits on the board of Travel Leaders, in which Certares also has invested; and is looking far and wide for more places in travel and related sectors to inject capital. Previously chief investment officer of JPMorgan Chase's Special Investments Group and managing director of JPMorgan private equity arm, One Equity Partners, he has held executive roles at Worldspan and Sabre and has sat on the boards of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Travelport, Worldspan and others. O'Hara sat down with The Beat Editor-in-Chief Jay Boehmer at The Beat Live conference here last week for an on-stage interview. An edited transcript follows.