When Mobile Travel Agents (MTA) co-founder Karen Merricks looks at the business she and her husband Roy built, she doesn’t see something that needs fixing. She sees a grown-up child, ready to stand on its own.
“It’s like we say – the baby’s grown up. They’re adults,” Merricks told Travel Weekly in an exclusive interview. “This isn’t fixing anything. This is a great business with great staff. And I can tell you now — it’s going to be the same because it’s always been the same.”
Earlier this week, Helloworld Travel announced it had acquired the remaining 50 per cent stake in MTA for approximately $36 million, lifting its total investment to $50 million. Helloworld first took a half share in 2017.
Merricks is adamant that the move will not change things for MTA staff and advisors, highlighting that Helloworld has already owned half the business for nine years.
“It’s going to be the same because it’s been the same for the last nine and a half years,” she says.
The news came just days after MTA took home Most Outstanding Mobile Advisor Network at National Travel Industry Awards (NTIA) – a win that made Saturday night at The Star Brisbane emotional for Merricks and the team, who had no idea an even bigger announcement was around the corner.
“No one knew,” Merricks said. “When we won the award, it was just… oh my God. I knew the announcement was coming Tuesday morning, and Roy and I were the only ones who knew, along with Ben and Sara [Merricks]. So it was incredibly emotional. But that reaction – that’s how much they love this company.”
“If you hire good people, listen to them”
For Merricks, the secret to MTA’s longevity is simple: build a strong team and actually let them lead.
“We’re good at listening,” she said. “We might say, ‘Oh look, we’re thinking of doing this,’ and then we have a meeting and Kerryn in marketing or someone else will say, ‘Have you thought of this?’ And we’ll go – that’s brilliant. Let’s do that.”
“If you hire people to do the job, and they’re good at their job, and they’re nice people, it’s a pleasant working environment. That, if anything, is what will be the thing moving forward. They’ve got this amazing team. Helloworld isn’t walking in and going ‘who will I put in that role?’ Everything’s already there.”
That stability, she says, is key to why the sale isn’t about stepping aside so much as passing the baton with confidence.
Advice for founders: “Don’t make yourself indispensable”
Merricks is acutely aware that many travel agency owners are weighing similar succession or retirement plans. Her advice is clear: “If you’re heading towards retirement and you’re in a great business, the best thing you can do is make sure your existing staff know their roles. Whoever comes in – yes, they’ll miss you, but if you’ve planned ahead, it’s easy for the incoming and the outgoing.
“Don’t make yourself indispensable. Allow the people you hire to have a voice, have an open-door policy and listen. If you want to make all the decisions for the company yourself, you’re setting yourself up to fail.”
She and Roy began future-proofing MTA more than a decade ago by bringing in CEO Don Beattie – not to “fix” anything, but to manage growth and embed structure. That foresight, Merricks says, has paid off.
What’s next: Finland, Santa’s Village and Fiji sunsets
With the deal now sealed, Merricks is looking forward to a very different kind of itinerary.
“We intend to spend more time with our grandchildren,” she said, smiling. “We’ve planned a winter holiday – we’re taking them to Finland to see the Northern Lights and Santa’s Village in Rovaniemi, then to London for Christmas. It’s going to be a beautiful end of the year.”
And when she’s not chasing Santa, she’ll be in Fiji, where the Merricks have an apartment they’ve been visiting for more than 40 years.
“We renovated it over COVID. We’ve got lovely friends over there – it’s our second home.”
While she and Roy will be taking a step back, there’s no set departure date, and they will continue to attend Helloworld events as part of MTA.
A legacy of listening
As Merricks reflects on the sale, she’s not talking about exits or endings. She’s talking about legacy – and trust.
“We’ve always had an open-door policy. The systems are in place, the people are in place. It’s a company built on relationships and listening,” she said.
“It’s sad, of course – but it’s also exactly how it should be.”
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