Posting to his LinkedIn page on Thursday (26 March), Pickles's family said it was with great sadness their "much-loved husband and father", whom they described as a "respected colleague" to many, had passed away.

Pickles's career in tech stretches back more than 30 years, much of which he spent in, or adjacent to, travel; one of his earliest efforts was to create a dynamic packaging solution with Thomas Cook Holidays.

Besides Cook, he worked with brands including Tui and Shearings, and for a four-year period, he went in-house at The Travel Corporation. He also held roles with travel tech outfits Kaptio Travel and Inspiretec.

Latterly, Pickles turned his hand to consultancy, founding his own practice Sygnifiq last year focusing on transformation and the advent and adoption of AI. He also chaired the Travel Technology Institute (TTI).

The family statement revealed Pickles had recently been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), which saw his health quickly decline. "He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family," they confirmed.

"He was highly regarded in his work and will be remembered for his professionalism, kindness and the strong relationships he built throughout his career," the statement added. Funeral details will follow in the coming weeks.

'He brought new energy'

The post has attracted dozens of comments left in tribute. Janet Butler, who worked with Pickles in his role as TTI chair, described him as "a great ideas man, reformer and listener". "He really set to work to streamline the organisation," she wrote. "He brought new energy and created a strong platform for future growth. We are all sad to lose him."

Paul Richer, senior partner at Genesys Digital Transformation, was another to work with Pickles during his spell as TTI chair, describing him as "one of the most dynamic and upbeat people" he had ever met. "He brought a great energy to TTI, revitalising its image and moving the organisation forward," said Richer. "He will be missed by me and so many people in the travel industry."

'Lovely chap', 'much respected', 'great company'

Other industry figures shared their memories. Simon Applebaum, managing director of Gold Medal parent dnata Travel Group, said: "Jon was such great company and very generous with his time and knowledge."

Kelly Jackson, managing director EMEA of TTG Tour Brands, continued: "Very sad news. [I] always enjoyed my time working with Jon and seeing him at events. A lovely man."

Audley Travel managing director Mark Hanson said Pickles was "a lovely chap and great fun to be around". "He left a lasting and positive impression on all he met," Hanson added.

Helen Baldwin, group HR director at Inspiretec, said she had "many fond memories" of working with Pickles at Inspiretec and Comtec. "[He was] always helpful and knowledgeable about so many things, he will be greatly missed. Many condolences to the Pickles family at this very sad time."

Former Expedia business development director and consultant Vicki Wickens said she would remember Pickles as "a much respected and well-loved veteran of the travel tech industry".