James Lemon

James Lemon is a passionate traveltech innovator and strategist, leading Stripe’s global growth in the hospitality, travel, leisure, transport, and automotive verticals. He helps organizations of every size transform their customer experiences, innovate at speed, and streamline operations by leveraging Stripe’s financial infrastructure. Prior to joining Stripe, James founded and exited Otolo, a mentoring and peer-to-peer platform for hospitality professionals, and worked across multiple travel industry segments—from hotels and property management to technology and consulting—serving in commercial and strategy leadership roles at IHG, Hostmaker, and Travelport. A regular speaker and thought leader at high-profile industry events like Web Summit and Mews Unfold, James also advises startups and private equity firms on market trends, product innovation, and value creation. An associate member of the Institute of Hospitality and a certified mentor on LinkedIn, he is committed to empowering the travel community to thrive in a fast-evolving environment. James is based in Wimbledon, UK, and is a proud father of two.