Top Finance Chiefs of the Season Named

For many companies, summer is a make-or-break season, with a few months of peak demand often determining whether the entire year meets expectations. This is particularly true for seasonal businesses like airlines, cruise lines, and travel booking platforms.

Summer Bookings

Despite conflict in the Middle East and travel advisories in Mexico, many travel companies have reported strong demand this year. Europe’s TUI Group has seen its best-ever first half, with 7.9 million summer bookings already in place. Expedia has also posted its highest first-quarter EBITDA margin in 15 years.

According to the report, the CFOs of these companies spend months forecasting demand, managing labor and capital, and preparing for risks that could derail the season. For example, Max Mertz, CFO and co-owner of Alaska Seaplanes, says that summer accounts for two-thirds of his company’s revenue.

Seasonal Concentration

The seasonal concentration of revenue is a major challenge for these businesses. As Mertz notes, “Aviation is a high fixed-cost industry,” and the higher the volume, the more the company can cover its fixed costs. To mitigate this risk, Alaska Seaplanes has invested in specialized navigation systems to increase aircraft safety and reliability.

Other seasonal businesses, like motorsports racing, face similar challenges. Mike Morrisey, CFO of Green Savoree Racing Promotions, says that the summer is where his company makes its revenue. With a big race weekend often being a single 72-hour window when gate revenue, hospitality, suites, sponsorships, and concessions converge, there is no making it up later.

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Green Savoree operates with fewer than 50 full-time employees year-round, but this number swells to about 270 during the peak summer season.

Golf’s Seasonal Challenge

Gordon Dalgleish, president of luxury golf travel company Perry Golf, faces a stark seasonal challenge. His company sells access to some of the world’s most coveted golf inventory in a region that is closed for business for roughly half the year. The peak season runs from late April to early October, and the business operates at near-full capacity during this time.

Booking lead time has changed dramatically, with inquiries for July 2028 arriving in spring 2026. By Christmas, Dalgleish expects to have 40% to 50% of next summer’s bookings in hand. One possible driver of this shift is affluent Americans, who have reoriented their spending toward experiences rather than assets and plan farther in advance to secure what they want.

The supply of premium Scottish golf inventory has barely grown, and demand is running ahead of last year’s pace. Father-son trips are booking at high volumes, and Dalgleish notes that “there’s an affluence slushing around in golf just now.”

Diversifying Seasonal Risk

Josh Greear, CFO of Authority Brands, manages seasonal concentration across a portfolio of businesses, each facing different summer inflection points. The company has invested in large-language-model-driven forecasting to better manage risk and has seen success with this approach.

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CFO Dustin Bertram says that the platforms that win will be those that remain focused on the customer experience, maintain diversified offerings, exercise disciplined cost control, and invest in evolving their programs. By taking a diversified approach, companies can reduce their reliance on a single season and create a more stable revenue stream.

As the summer season comes to a close, CFOs like Max Mertz are already looking ahead to next year. Mertz leads a post-mortem of the season, dissecting the financial results and building budgets for the year ahead. He maps out fleet and capital needs and evaluates staffing levels against forecasts from major users of Alaska Seaplanes.

This planning process runs from October until it’s set by March or April, and it’s a critical part of ensuring the company’s success in the next summer season. By carefully managing seasonal concentration and diversifying their revenue streams, companies like Alaska Seaplanes and Green Savoree Racing Promotions can thrive in industries where the summer season is a make-or-break period.

For instance, when searching for a website design agency, it is essential to consider their experience in handling seasonal businesses.