Max Hopper died Monday after a brief illness.

His work and reputation were well known beyond the borders of the travel industry. But within travel circles he was highly respected. Max served with American Airlines and later as chairman of Sabre. He is credited by an article in CIO magazine as being “the pre-eminent modern-era CIO and founding father of IT-inspired competitive advantage.”

The travel industry is perhaps where the impact of his work was greatest. In his time at Sabre, he guided the creation of one of the most important IT implementations our industry has ever known. “Max could be considered the father of electronic travel distribution,” says PhoCusWright analyst Bob Offutt. The systems that were created by Sabre in that era are now integral to the way our industry does business. The big three GDS companies process over 1 billion travel transactions each year.

Max Hopper’s name may not grace the signage of hotels or airlines, but the legacy he left on our industry is indelible.

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