There are not many industry figures who left the relative comfort of a job in the media sector to eventually launch a travel startup.

Fritz Demopoulos is one such entrepreneur, having quit Rupert Murdoch's News Corp in the late-1990s to create two web companies in China in quick succession before settling on Qunar.

The metasearch brand arrived on the Chinese scene in 2005, amid a massive upsurge in the country's economy and a huge desire by a growing middle class to travel.

There are many elements that Demopoulos brought to the startup from his time in the media, as well as by then having an extremely useful level of experience with getting a new business off the ground in China.

The company eventually went public (two years after Chinese search engine Baidu took a majority stake), only to de-list in 2017 after a sale to Trip.com Group (then Ctrip).

Demopoulos, who now runs the Queen's Road Capital finance house, is the latest guest on the How I Got Here podcast.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

Other episodes: on PhocusWire and Mozio.

There are not many industry figures who left the relative comfort of a job in the media sector to eventually launch a travel startup.Fritz Demopoulos is one such entrepreneur, having quit Rupert Murdoch&apos;s News Corp in the late-1990s to create two web companies in China in quick succession before settling on <a href='http://www.qunar.com/'>Qunar</a>.The metasearch brand arrived on the Chinese scene in 2005, amid a massive upsurge in the country&apos;s economy and a huge desire by a growing middle class to travel.There are many elements that Demopoulos brought to the startup from his time in the media, as well as by then having an extremely useful level of experience with getting a new business off the ground in China.The company eventually went public (two years after Chinese search engine Baidu took a majority stake), only to de-list in 2017 after a sale to Trip.com Group (then Ctrip).Demopoulos, who now runs the Queen&apos;s Road Capital finance house, is the latest guest on the How I Got Here podcast.HIGH is a weekly show produced by <a href='https://www.phocuswire.com/'>PhocusWire</a> and <a href='http://www.mozio.com/'>Mozio</a>, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.Other episodes: on <a href='https://www.phocuswire.com/How-I-Got-Here'>PhocusWire</a> and <a href='https://www.mozio.com/move/How-I-Got-Here'>Mozio</a>.

The weekly How I Got Here podcast talks to those behind the success stories in travel and transportation, hosted by PhocusWire's Kevin May and David Litwak at Mozio.

How I Got Here - Inside stories behind innovation and startups in travel

19. Fritz Demopoulos of Qunar (FULL SHOW)

There are not many startups that manage to sign a partnership agreement with a big brand before they even launch.

And there are perhaps even fewer new businesses that get details written into the same deal that include how an exit via an acquisition might look.

But that's what happened to Boston, U.S.-based FlipKey, when it secured a partnership with Tripadvisor to help get the vacation rental marketplace off the ground in 2007.

This wasn't because it was the wild west of private accommodation at the time (although for many other reasons, this was the state of the rental nation during that period), but because the then-senior vice president of corporate development at Expedia Group, Mark Okerstrom, structured the agreement and understood what might emerge.

Jeremy Gall, a former lawyer, was one of the co-founders of FlipKey and knows how important that first signing was for the company.

Tripadvisor eventually separated from Expedia Group (Okerstrom went on to become CEO from 2017 to 2019) and made good on the terms of the deal to buy FlipKey in 2012.

Gall, like his fellow co-founders, stayed on for around a year after the deal and has since launched and heads another startup in the shape of rental tech and services platform Breezeway.

He joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by PhocusWire's editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

There are not many startups that manage to sign a partnership agreement with a big brand before they even launch.And there are perhaps even fewer new businesses that get details written into the same deal that include how an exit via an acquisition might look.But that&apos;s what happened to Boston, U.S.-based FlipKey, when it secured a partnership with Tripadvisor to help get the vacation rental marketplace off the ground in 2007.This wasn&apos;t because it was the wild west of private accommodation at the time (although for many other reasons, this was the state of the rental nation during that period), but because the then-senior vice president of corporate development at Expedia Group, Mark Okerstrom, structured the agreement and understood what might emerge.Jeremy Gall, a former lawyer, was one of the co-founders of FlipKey and knows how important that first signing was for the company.Tripadvisor eventually separated from Expedia Group (Okerstrom went on to become CEO from 2017 to 2019) and made good on the terms of the deal to buy FlipKey in 2012.Gall, like his fellow co-founders, stayed on for around a year after the deal and has since launched and heads another startup in the shape of rental tech and services platform Breezeway.He joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.HIGH is a weekly show produced by <a href='http://www.phocuswire.com'>PhocusWire</a> and <a href='http://www.mozio.com/'>Mozio</a>, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.It&apos;s hosted by PhocusWire&apos;s editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlitwak'>David Litwak</a>.

70. Jeremy Gall of FlipKey

Dean Donovan has one foot in the past and, without doubt, one foot in the future.

After a five-year career at the Bain consultancy, Donovan and his business partner (Brian Flynn) played central roles in 2004 to the creation and backing of Volaris, Mexico's first low-cost carrier.

DiamondStream Partners, the investment house that they created the year before, has since go on to become an important player in the development of companies and technology in the mobility sector.

Transforming "rough diamonds into fully cut gems" is not an easy task, especially when it comes to the aviation business, with high costs attached to the creation of next-generation technology that will lower costs of operations and do so in a more sustainable way.

Investments have included those in electric propulsion systems, autonomous aircraft, software platforms and global distribution services for private air carriers.

Dean joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by PhocusWire's editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

Dean Donovan has one foot in the past and, without doubt, one foot in the future.After a five-year career at the Bain consultancy, Donovan and his business partner (Brian Flynn) played central roles in 2004 to the creation and backing of Volaris, Mexico&apos;s first low-cost carrier.DiamondStream Partners, the investment house that they created the year before, has since go on to become an important player in the development of companies and technology in the mobility sector.Transforming &quot;rough diamonds into fully cut gems&quot; is not an easy task, especially when it comes to the aviation business, with high costs attached to the creation of next-generation technology that will lower costs of operations and do so in a more sustainable way.Investments have included those in electric propulsion systems, autonomous aircraft, software platforms and global distribution services for private air carriers.Dean joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.HIGH is a weekly show produced by <a href='http://www.phocuswire.com'>PhocusWire</a> and <a href='http://www.mozio.com/'>Mozio</a>, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.It&apos;s hosted by PhocusWire&apos;s editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlitwak'>David Litwak</a>.

69. Dean Donovan of DiamondStream Partners

Stepping into the hot seat of a family-run business that has been operating since the 1920s must be a fairly daunting task.

That's what Brett Tollman in 2000 when he became CEO of The Travel Corporation - one of the oldest groups of companies in the travel industry.

The business remains privately-owned and now operates in over 70 countries, with over 40 offices and more than 10,000 employees.

The Travel Corporation operates 29 brands including specialists in guided holidays, luxury river-cruising, youth travel and sightseeing specialists, as well as the luxury boutique chain, Red Carnation Hotel Collection.

Tollman is also vice-chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council and creator and director of The Treadright Foundation, a non-profit organization that looks to bring about sustainable initiatives in the industry.

He joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.

HIGH is a weekly show produced by PhocusWire and Mozio, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.

It's hosted by PhocusWire's editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO David Litwak.

Stepping into the hot seat of a family-run business that has been operating since the 1920s must be a fairly daunting task.That&apos;s what Brett Tollman in 2000 when he became CEO of The Travel Corporation - one of the oldest groups of companies in the travel industry.The business remains privately-owned and now operates in over 70 countries, with over 40 offices and more than 10,000 employees.The Travel Corporation operates 29 brands including specialists in guided holidays, luxury river-cruising, youth travel and sightseeing specialists, as well as the luxury boutique chain, Red Carnation Hotel Collection.Tollman is also vice-chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council and creator and director of The Treadright Foundation, a non-profit organization that looks to bring about sustainable initiatives in the industry.He joins us as the latest guest on How I Got Here.HIGH is a weekly show produced by <a href='http://www.phocuswire.com'>PhocusWire</a> and <a href='http://www.mozio.com/'>Mozio</a>, aimed at getting the inside stories behind startups and innovation in travel and transportation.It&apos;s hosted by PhocusWire&apos;s editor in chief, Kevin May, and Mozio co-founder and CEO <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlitwak'>David Litwak</a>.

19. Fritz Demopoulos of Qunar (FULL SHOW)

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