McDonald rose to fame after becoming the first person to run the 5,000 miles dividing the US’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts without a crew. He has also set a Guinness World Record for visiting the seven modern wonders of the world in the fastest time – six days, 16 hours, and 14 minutes.
“Having achieved so much in his career, often in the face of adversity, Jamie has raised more than £1 million for charity," said Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said.
"In 2019, he was awarded Pride of Britain ‘Fundraiser of the Year’ and continues giving back helping other sick kids in need through the charity he founded, Superhero Foundation."
Meanwhile, Simon Ferguson, senior vice-president at global technology provider Modaxo, has been named as another speaker at the conference.
An industry veteran of more than 20 years, Ferguson served as vice-president and managing director, Northern Europe, at Travelport for almost seven years before taking on Travelport’s Americas brief as president in April 2018.
After a two-year stint at London-listed intelligence firm Informa, Ferguson joined Modaxo in January 2022 where, over the past two years, he has focused on driving organic growth and identifying acquisition opportunities.
’Real practical learnings’
During his speech, Ferguson will address delegates on the major IT and technology trends impacting the global travel and business landscape. “He is passionate about technology and its impact on people and businesses, and his extensive first-hand knowledge of IT and the industry is second to none,” Lo Bue-Said added.
“I am confident that delegates will learn a great deal from Simon’s global overview of the tech world and also take away some real practical learnings for their own businesses."
The Advantage Travel Partnership conference will take place over 15-18 May in Mexico’s Costa Mujeres.
