First in Service Travel has named longtime industry veteran Cindy Schlansky as its president for North America. In the role, Schlansky will lead North American business strategy and operations, including the expansion and enhancement of advisor support services, operational process improvement, technology initiatives, and staff development.
"Cindy brings a rare combination of exceptional operational rigor, deep advisor empathy and proven leadership," said Fernando Gonzalez, who has worked closely with Schlansky for more than 20 years. "Her strong history of building scalable support, mentoring teams and driving smart, practical solutions makes her the ideal leader to strengthen our global advisor community and the systems that support them."
Schlansky brings decades of travel industry experience and an operations-first approach, having progressed from entry-level roles filing brochures and delivering tickets to leadership positions across storefront, regional, and agency environments. She spent 26 years with Tzell and Global Travel Collection, rising to senior vice president of operations and then co-president, where she embraced and further refined the independent advisor model.
After a brief retirement in early 2025, Schlansky returned to the industry as an executive advisor with First in Service and quickly moved into a senior operational role. Her focus is on building support for independent advisors, developing support staff and future leaders, and creating efficient processes to improve service delivery. She works closely with F1S country leaders and the technology team on enhancements, new products, and operational opportunities.
"I love this business, and I love helping people do their best work," Schlansky said. "I'm excited to partner with our advisors, country leaders and tech and operations teams to make F1S an even stronger, more responsive network."
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