A hospitality operator with deep roots in upscale dining is crossing into luxury travel. Tully Luxury Travel has named Steven Salm Chief Executive Officer, succeeding founder Mary Jean Tully, who steps down after nearly four decades leading the Toronto-based firm and will continue in a brand ambassador capacity.
The New CEO's Background
Salm is widely known in Canadian hospitality circles as the founder and former CEO of PLANTA, the plant-based restaurant group that built a multi-market portfolio praised for culinary creativity and guest-first culture. Before that, he founded and led Chase Hospitality Group, developing flagship restaurant concepts across Canada, and held senior operational roles at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Forbes and Toronto Life both recognized his leadership — the latter placing him on its 50 Most Influential list from 2017 to 2019.
He joined Tully last year as Chief Operating Officer, and as part of the CEO transition has acquired founder Mary Jean Tully's remaining shareholding, becoming a co-owner of the business alongside Executive Chairman and majority shareholder Clive Jacobs. Jacobs, who has chaired the company since 2014, said Salm "brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial vision, operational expertise, and a deep understanding of luxury hospitality" to the role.
Why the Hospitality Cross-Over Matters
The appointment reflects how the boundaries between high-end dining, hospitality, and luxury travel continue to blur — a convergence that is reshaping how operators at every level think about the guest journey. Luxury travel clients increasingly expect the same hyper-personalized, relationship-driven service they receive at top-tier restaurants and hotels, making operators with fine-dining and lifestyle brand backgrounds particularly attractive candidates for senior roles in travel advisory.
For Salm, the move is an extension of the same core proposition that defined his restaurant career. "Travel is one of the most meaningful parts of people's lives, and at its best it brings desire, emotion, and expertise together in a single trusted relationship," he said.
With nearly 40 years of tenure and recognition from Forbes and Condé Nast Traveler, Tully has built its reputation on what amounts to a white-glove hospitality model applied to trip design — an approach Salm's background in experiential, guest-centric brands positions him well to develop further. Operators tracking the evolution of luxury hospitality leadership will find the appointment a useful signal of where executive talent is flowing across the broader experience economy.
Mary Jean Tully called the transition a natural progression. "He understands what makes Tully special and shares the values and commitment to excellence on which this company was founded," she said, adding that she looks forward to supporting Salm in his new role.
The leadership shift comes as luxury travel demand remains robust globally, with high-net-worth consumers continuing to prioritize curated, high-touch experiences — a dynamic closely tracked in food and beverage industry analysis given the central role of dining and culinary programming in premium travel itineraries. Jacobs and Salm will set long-term strategy together, with Salm directing day-to-day operations.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
