Jay Johnson is President of Coastline Travel Group, where he leads a fast-growing network of travel advisors and oversees the company’s strategy and growth. A second-generation leader, Johnson has spent decades evolving the family-founded company into a modern travel collective designed to support advisors and their clients at the highest level.
Johnson grew up around the business but never expected it to become his career. While putting himself through college, he worked at the agency part-time, delivering airline tickets, running reports, and learning the mechanics of the business from the ground up. At the same time, he explored other paths, from coaching high school football to roles in finance and real estate.
Travel changed that trajectory. The more he explored, the more he realized it was the right path for him. Ultimately, he found himself drawn back to the company and has taken on nearly every role, from sales to operations. That hands-on experience has shaped his leadership style and given him a deep understanding of how the company operates at every level.
Johnson has guided Coastline through the highs and the lows, including multiple periods of disruption: 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic. “When things get tough, you dig a little deeper and find a way through,” he says. “And if you do it right, you come out in a better position.”
Today, Johnson is working to expand Coastline’s advisor network by attracting entrepreneurial talent and creating a structure that prioritizes support, autonomy, and the ability to build and scale a business within the network. His philosophy is simple: “We look at advisors as clients,” he says. “We listen to their pain points, adapt to what they need, and if we’re doing our job right, we all grow.”
That approach, combined with significant investment in technology and a flexible, team-based model, has fueled the company’s recent momentum. It also shapes the traveler experience, with Coastline advisors equipped to deliver seamless planning, highly personalized itineraries, and access to preferred perks across a global network of partners.
A passionate traveler himself, Johnson is drawn to adventure experiences, from hiking and biking to cheering on the Rams or enjoying a beer with friends. He loves destinations that offer a sense of discovery and returns to Africa whenever possible. One of his most memorable trips was taking his daughters on safari when they were little. “Watching the expressions on their faces when they first saw an elephant was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had,” he says. Today, his daughter Logan Johnson is part of the business as a travel advisor and was recently recognized as a top talent in the industry.
For Johnson, the goal is simple: build a business where both advisors and travelers can thrive. “If you surround yourself with great people,” he says, “there’s no limit to what you can do.”