Lara Barlow is a board-ready executive with over two decades of cross-sector leadership experience spanning digital media, consumer goods, travel, and nonprofit organizations. Renowned for her visionary leadership, operational discipline, and customer-centric mindset, Lara has held transformative roles including Vice President of Impact at TVO and General Manager and Acting COO, North America, at Travelzoo.
Lara is known for bridging strategy with execution to drive measurable impact. At Travelzoo, she led a successful turnaround during unprecedented global disruption, securing financial stability while growing engagement and revenue. Under her leadership, B2B partnerships increased by 400%, customer engagement on flagship content rose 50%, and productivity improved by 35%. As GM Canada, she consistently delivered year-over-year revenue growth and drove a 50% increase in brand awareness through strategic partnerships and demand-generation campaigns later adopted globally.
At TVO, she championed a digital-first operating model, modernized the brand, and drove recurring revenue growth through customer and donor-focused strategies. Her integrated leadership across marketing, philanthropy, communications, and partnerships resulted in stronger cross-functional alignment and executive board confidence. She also led innovation in ESG-aligned sponsorship and diversified income streams to ensure long-term sustainability.
Beyond her executive roles, Lara has been a prominent voice in the industry. Her media engagements have positioned her as a thought leader, with appearances on platforms like Breakfast TV discussing topics such as spontaneous travel, and travel trends, as well as how geo-political factors will impact travel (such as cannabis legalization in Canada). She has spoken frequently at trade events, and webinars to share insights and recommendations based on proprietary data. She has also been instrumental in internal communications, fostering organizational alignment through town hall meetings, inspirational speakers, and team excursions.
Lara is celebrated as a people-first leader, praised by peers and direct reports alike for her empathy, integrity, and ability to inspire action. Whether driving transformation, mentoring emerging leaders, or aligning complex teams around shared outcomes, Lara consistently leads with purpose and pragmatism. Her governance experience spans both board and executive leadership roles in corporate and nonprofit settings, including her directorship at 360°kids.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Lara holds an International MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and a BASc in Food, Nutrition & Consumer Behaviour from Toronto Metropolitan University. She brings to any board a unique blend of strategic foresight, growth marketing, operational rigor, and an unshakable commitment to impact.
Character: Lara Barlow is a visionary and people-first leader known for fostering innovation, resilience, and inclusive workplace cultures.
Knowledge: With 25 years of expertise in digital media, marketing, business transformation, and operations, she has successfully driven growth and strategic turnarounds in multiple industries.
Strategic: She excels in optimizing business operations, expanding revenue streams, and implementing digital-first strategies to enhance organizational performance and sustainability.
Communication: A skilled communicator and mentor, Lara effectively engages stakeholders, leads high-performing teams, and builds strong strategic partnerships to drive business success.
