Ellen Davis is Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of U.S. Travel Association, where she leads the organization’s operational strategy, growth and performance. She also oversees the association’s membership, industry engagement and events functions, ensuring these core areas remain closely aligned with U.S. Travel’s broader strategy and priorities.

A member of the executive leadership team, Davis has played a central role in the association’s multi-year transformation—instituting a new membership model, evolving signature events, launching new industry networks and restructuring the organization to operate with greater focus, agility and business rigor. Her leadership has strengthened U.S. Travel’s value proposition, grown revenue by 37% and positioned the association for long-term impact.

In her first three years at U.S. Travel as Executive Vice President of Business Strategy and Industry Engagement, Davis led an 18-month initiative with executive board members to redesign member categories, dues and benefits in alignment with the association’s strategic plan. She also implemented significant changes to the organization’s industry offerings and helped reshape U.S. Travel’s culture and structure to support a more collaborative, performance-driven association.

Davis joined U.S. Travel from the Consumer Brands Association, where she substantially grew membership, built a strong CEO community and led a 50% increase in revenue over three years. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at the National Retail Federation, including serving as President of the NRF Foundation, where she launched nationally-recognized initiatives such as the NRF Foundation Honors and the RISE Up training and credentialing program. She is also widely known for her role in coining the phrase “Cyber Monday” and has appeared frequently on CNBC, CNN, Fox News and ABC News.

Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Millikin University and an executive MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. She serves on the board of Soles4Souls and lives with her family in Arlington, Virginia.

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Speaking Topics

  • Long-term business and organizational strategy for U.S. Travel.
  • Strengthening and evolving the U.S. Travel membership model to deliver measurable value.
  • Aligning industry leaders around shared priorities to drive growth, engagement and impact.