Jennifer Atkinson has legendary status in the world of travel.
She first made her name at ITC Travel Group, where she went from marketing manager to CEO, growing turnover from £40m to £90m and a £5m profit.
Now, she’s at the helm of Travel Seen, which she’s already grown to more than £20m turnover with plans to grow even further.
Atkinson is the latest guest on BusinessCloud’s Northern Leaders podcast, where she talks about these two events – and also contending with divorce, Covid, menopause and imposter syndrome.
You can listen to the episode – which has been sponsored by Lockton, the world’s largest independent and privately held insurance brokerage – on Spotify or Apple Podcasts; or watch it on YouTube below.
Atkinson also talks about why there are so few women in senior leadership positions and why she’s yet to find the magic formula of having it all.
As a child, she grew up in a semi-detached house in Leeds to an Austrian mother and an academic father. Her brother is Juergen Maier, who is chair of Great British Energy and is the former CEO of Siemens.
Big break
Her first job was at a marketing agency but her big break came when she went to work at ITC Travel Group, initially as the marketing manager before being promoted to CEO by her mentor Drew Foster, who tragically died in 2009.
Foster is credited with pioneering luxury travel and he had a huge impact on Atkinson’s life.
“He gave me belief,” she said. “I don’t need much but I need someone alongside me to say ‘you can do that’. That’s what he gave me at ITC. He really believed in me.”
One of the first things Atkinson had to do as CEO was make 40 people redundant, which although incredibly difficult was credited with turning the company’s fortunes around.
ADHD
The single Mum has been told by multiple people that she has ADHD but she’s resisted the need for an official diagnosis.
“Everybody laughs at me and says I obviously have ADHD but I think you have to see it as a superpower,” she said.
“We’re all going through our own mess. I’m keen not to put labels on things.
“I’m keen to be open, honest and vulnerable and try and learn the lessons as opposed to give myself a label.”
Atkinson admitted she ‘100 per cent’ has imposter syndrome. “Anyone who says they haven’t is a sociopath in some way,” she said. “I think women find it easier to show vulnerability than men. I do believe you can’t be, what you can’t see.”
Menopause
Atkinson turned 50 this year and has spoken openly about the menopause.
“I think it’s incredibly important,” she said. “We’ve all got stuff. It isn’t as it seems on Instagram. Some people are affected by the menopause. I’m no expert, I’m no campaigner but you’ve got to realise you go through stages of your life where your energy levels diminish or increase and for women that happens around the menopause stage.”
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She added: “Truthfully, honestly, I feel better at 50 than I did at 30.
“What’s amazing about it is once you recognise that and once you get a grip of it, women in their 50s can be at the peak of their life.
“There aren’t enough women in leadership positions and that’s because it’s really, really hard.
“I’m yet to find the magic formula of having it all. I don’t think you can have it all.”
This episode of the Northern Leaders podcast is sponsored by Lockton, the world’s largest independent and privately held insurance brokerage.
It was produced by What Media. The interviewer was BusinessCloud’s executive editor Chris Maguire.
You can listen to the Northern Leaders podcast on Spotify; on Apple Podcasts; or on YouTube.
You can submit a nomination for the 2025 Northern Leaders list via the form below.