John Noel, the founder of Travel Guard International, died Sept. 30, in Plover, Wisc. He was 78.
John Noel
Noel was a pioneer in travel insurance and was remembered by colleagues as an influential mentor and compassionate business leader always ready to help others.
In addition to founding Travel Guard International, Noel's entrepreneurial spirit spanned a number of other business endeavors: The Noel Group, Marathon Travel, MultiNational Underwriters, MyAssist, Insure America, Compass Properties and Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.
He stepped away from the business in 2015 after being diagnosed with early stages of Lewy Body Disease.
Sasha Gainullin, CEO of travel insurance company Battleface, said, "Travel Guard ultimately became one of the best-known names in travel insurance and assistance. John was also an early believer in the importance of travel advisors to the distribution of travel insurance and spent years working with and educating the agency community."
Gainullin recalled Noel as an advocate for simple insurance products that leverage technology to make customers' experience better. Noel was also a mentor to many, including Gainullin. He said opportunities from Noel shaped the careers of many people.
"That influence continues in what we do today," he said. "A lot of the principles behind Battleface and Robin Assist -- particularly thinking differently about insurance, assistance and how customers should be treated when something goes wrong -- can be traced back to things we learned from John."
Bonnie Raschka, vice president of leisure travel at Chubb, also remembered Noel as a mentor.
In college, Raschka planned on a career in marketing, but Noel encouraged her to try her hand at sales and marketing.
"That one decision changed the entire trajectory of my career," she said. "Everything I've built professionally traces back to John, who believed that putting the right person in the right role mattered more than the obvious path. I am grateful for all he did to shape my career and for the example he set: to be available, compassionate and ready to help others in their time of need. That is a legacy worth carrying forward."
Noel and his wife, Patty, were involved in a number of philanthropic efforts, including the Noel Compass Scholar Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County, the Noel Fine Arts Center, the Make A Mark Foundation and the Nyumbani Village in Kenya.
Noel is survived by Patty, six children and 14 grandchildren.