Khristina Quigley is a passionate hospitality technology and payments leader, currently serving as Head of Payments at Journey, where she develops innovative FinTech solutions that help hotels create seamless, secure and guest-centred experiences.
What was your first job? Sports co-ordinator for a children’s summer camp in NUI Galway. What are your main priorities and goals in your current role? My focus is on helping our hotel partners unlock new revenue opportunities while creating a smoother, more personalised experience for guests. The data shows just how powerful that can be. Across more than 750 luxury hotel partners, guests who add extras such as spa access, dining experiences or pet-friendly services at the time of booking generate an average 16% increase in reservation revenue. This is especially relevant in Ireland, where many of the country’s highest-value tourism segments are driven by experiences rather than accommodation alone. My priorities are to drive measurable revenue growth for our partners, optimise conversion at every payment touchpoint, and build products that make it easier for guests to create the stay they want. At the same time, I’m focused on growing adoption of our solutions, strengthening strategic partnerships, and using data to continuously refine performance and unlock new commercial opportunities. What pushed you to pursue a career in this field? A passion for technology and hospitality – I fell into hospitality and haven’t left! How do you motivate yourself and your team? It’s about seeing the tangible impact of what we build. When you connect a person’s daily work directly to how it actually moves the needle for our partner’s motivation takes care of itself. In one sentence, how would you define success? Success is building things that genuinely move the industry forward, while delivering measurable commercial impact and earning trust along the way. How do you relax? You will find me at my BBQ smoker, on a run, or with a book. What is your favourite (non-business) book? The absolute pinnacle of “cooking with fire” and live-flame books is Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by world-renowned Patagonian chef Francis Mallmann. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? “Focus on what actually moves the needle.” It’s a simple line, but it’s shaped how I prioritise everything, cutting through noise, avoiding vanity metrics, and putting energy into the decisions and actions that genuinely drive commercial impact and better customer outcomes. How do you handle adversity? Stay anchored in data and reality, strip the problem back to what’s actually controllable, and move quickly. I communicate early, take ownership, and focus on practical solutions that protect both the customer experience and commercial outcomes. What are the aspirations for the future of the business? To build a payments and guest experience ecosystem that feels invisible to the customer but drives meaningful revenue growth for partners, combining seamless checkout, smarter data, and products that genuinely elevate how hospitality sells and serves.
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