Toby O’Rourke
Inspired by her company’s mission of “connecting people to the outdoors and each other,” Toby O’Rourke is a thought leader and visionary for outdoor hospitality and travel.
As President & CEO of Kampgrounds of America, Inc., she oversees KOA, the world’s largest branded system of campgrounds with over 500 franchised and company owned locations across North America. The company also owns Terramor Outdoor Resorts, a new glamping venture with a flagship property in Maine. In addition to managing its outdoor hospitality portfolio, KOA, Inc. is the go-to source for industry research publishing the North American Camping Report annually as well as monthly data.
Since joining KOA in 2011, O’Rourke has helped push KOA, Inc. to be at the forefront of industry change and modernization fueled by her unique professional experience in digital marketing, brand management, technology consulting, business architecture and software development. She initiated an ongoing, cross-functional effort, Campground of the Future, which seeks to re-imagine camping and introduce new concepts and technologies to the business.
Prior to assuming the CEO position, she served as the company’s Chief Operations Officer and Sr. Vice President of Marketing. Before KOA, Inc., she held positions in consumer product goods at WhiteWave Foods and Sara Lee Corporation and consulting at Deloitte and STA Group.
O’Rourke has a master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame. She currently is a member of or has served on the boards of the RV Industry Association (RVIA), the Care Camps Advisory Council, the Outdoor CEO Council and the Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) Business Forum.
Toby lives in Billings, Montana, with her husband and has four young children. She and her family enjoy hiking, fishing, visiting national parks — and of course, camping.