Jessica Matthias | Early Career
In her early career, Jessica Matthias was a PR consultant for the travel, transport, and technology industries. She worked as a Press Officer for Dignity in Dying, and then a PR Manager for Tribal Group. In 2011 she became a PR Account Manager for Automotive PR, providing consultancy work for Rockingham Race Track, Vauxhall, Bosch, AP Racing, and TomTom.
The following year, she became a Senior Account Director for Wordville, providing communications and strategy consultancy for the likes of VRBO, the United Nations International Telecoms Union, and the Kennedy Space Centre.
Her academic background includes a BA from the University of Surrey, a Chartered Institute of Public Relations Diploma (MCIPR) from the University of London, and further studies in Sustainable Corporations from the Said Business School, University of Oxford.
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Jessica Matthias | Sabre Corporation
Jessica has been working for Sabre Corporation since 2014 in a variety of roles. She initially worked as their Principal Communications Manager, working from as far as wide as the UK and US, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Türkiye, the Middle East, Italy, and Spain. She then became their EMEA Communications Director. In 2021 she became their Global Director of Communications, particularly regarding the sustainability activity across Sabre’s hotel and travel businesses.
In 2023 she became their Global Director of Sustainability, followed by the Senior Director of Sustainability a year later. The Corporation facilitates over 120 million hotel stays and 700 million air passenger journeys each year, and Jessica focuses on innovation, employee engagement, and strategic partnerships. Her main responsibility is setting environmental goals to help reduce the travel industry’s carbon footprint.
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Jessica Matthias | Speaking Topics
- The Environment
- Sustainability
- Travel and Tourism
- Eco-Consciousness in the Workplace
- Global Travel
- Perseverance
- Resilience
- Empowering Future Environmental, Government, and Social Careers
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Jessica Matthias | Keynote Topics
The future of sustainable travel: Emerging trends transforming how we explore the world.
This is a talk suitable for travel industry conferences, sustainability summits and futurist events.
It takes audiences on a journey into the future of travel, where sustainability is not just a buzzword but a driving force. Jessica highlights emerging trends like regenerative tourism, net-zero hotels, and the rise of carbon-neutral travel options. She delves into how cutting-edge advances in AI are revolutionising sustainability, illustrated with trendsetting and innovative examples from around the world.
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From teenage mother to sustainability leader: A story of resilience, reinvention, and the power of purpose
This talk is suitable for women’s conferences, leadership, corporate, and diversity and inclusion events.
This talk tells Jessica’s personal story of defying the odds. At 21, she was told to abandon my career aspirations because she was a single mother raising a child with severe disabilities. She shares how she shattered those limitations through perseverance, education, and an unwavering passion for making a difference. From working with the United Nations and legendary astronauts to leading sustainability for a global travel tech company, her journey is a testament to resilience, reinvention, and the transformative power of purpose.
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Your sustainable journey starts now: Simple steps for a big impact
This talk is suitable for schools, universities, community, corporate and sustainability training events.
An empowering talk that helps audiences see how they can make a difference – equipping them with practical steps to embrace sustainable living. It proves that even small changes can create a ripple effect of positive change. Jessica guides the audience on how they can reduce their carbon footprint, make conscious consumer choices, and become an advocate for change in their community. This talk aims to discover the power of individual actions in shaping a more sustainable world.
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Empowering the next generation of sustainability leaders: Building a talent pipeline for a net-zero future
This talk is suitable for educational institutions, career fairs, corporate events, and HR conferences.
Here, Jessica Matthias delves into the critical importance of nurturing young talent in the sustainability field. Drawing from her experience at Sabre Corporation, a major global travel technology company, she shares insights on mentorship, education, and career development opportunities for aspiring sustainability professionals. She discusses actionable strategies for companies to attract and retain top talent by fostering a culture of sustainability and social responsibility.
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Sustainability as a business imperative: Five steps to get started
This talk is aimed at business conferences (for sustainable brands), management events, and industry-specific forums.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are no longer optional—they’re a business imperative. In this talk, Jessica provides a practical roadmap with five actionable steps for companies to integrate sustainability into their core strategies. Through real-world case studies from Sabre and other leading organisations, she explores how sustainability initiatives can drive innovation, enhance brand reputation, foster customer loyalty, and ultimately boost profitability.
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Jessica Matthias | Advocacy and Volunteering
Beyond her professional achievements, Jessica is team lead for Sabre’s work with Travalyst, a not-for-profit coalition formed by Prince Harry in 2019 to drive more sustainable travel. She’s also an active member of the Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council, where she contributes to developing best practices for making travel more sustainable and accessible. Her commitment to conservation also extends to her personal life—she volunteers at Glastonbury Festival, helping to mitigate the event’s environmental impact, which draws a quarter of a million attendees annually.
Jessica also volunteers for City Harvest London, a charity that collects, sorts, and distributes food to homeless and vulnerable people across London. The charity takes donations from some of the country’s largest supermarkets, restaurants, and other businesses in the food space. She helps the team organise and redistribute donated food to those who need it.
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To check fees and availability for travel and tourism sustainability speaker Jessica Matthias, contact Great Business Speakers on 0044 (0)1753 439289