TERRI RICKARD

President & Founder

Learn More About Terri Rickard

Terri Rickard is the Founder and President of Southwestern Travel. She began her career with the Southwestern Family of Companies in 2012 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. In her role as Executive Assistant she took on a major project to create an internal managed travel program for the (then) 16 operating divisions, managing over $5 million in annual travel spend.

In just a few years of collecting company travel data, intense industry research and perfecting the vendor contract negotiation process, she achieved savings of over $500,000. In 2016, she turned this internal travel program into a public service and launched Southwestern Travel Group with the focus of helping other companies and organizations to save money on group travel.

Today, as founder and president, she focuses on the overall vision and direction of the company. She collaborates with her team to develop and implement strategies that ensure the company’s continued growth and success. This may include identifying new business opportunities, building relationships with key industry partners, and staying up to date on the latest trends and developments within the travel industry. She also plays a critical role in recruiting A+ people, providing guidance and support to team members ensuring that they are aligned with the company’s goals and objectives. Most of all, she is a hands-on team player, actively saving clients’ money through training, negotiating, and ensuring all best practices are adhered to for every event or adventure planned.

Learn More About Southwestern Travel Group

Fun Facts

Terri started her career as the Executive Assistant to Henry Bedford, CEO and Chairman of the Southwestern Family of Companies.

In 2019, in the third year of being in business, SWTG under Terri’s leadership joined the Southwestern Family of Companies Million Dollar Club, a few months later SWTG hit over 2 Million annual revenue.

In 2020, Terri was named to Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.

A Personal Touch

When not working, you can find Terri spending time with her husband, Jared, and their 4 children who range in age from 8 years old to 17 years old. Terri and her family enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and canoeing. They enjoy attending local community events and going to see the Nashville Predators play. And, yes, you guessed it… Terri loves to travel!