As Vice President - Services Management, Worldwide Technical Operations for Worldspan, Terri Nichols has responsibility for the 24/7 operations of the Worldspan system, managing customer interfaces, and the physical security and maintenance of Worldspan's global Data Center. Nichols also oversees change, problem and asset management for Worldwide Technical Operations. Nichols was promoted to her current position in January 2003. From 2000 through 2002, as director - Computer and Network Operations, she oversaw the Worldspan Data Center and all operations supporting mainframe, network and e-commerce systems used by Worldspan's airline and Internet customers. Previously, Nichols served as manager - Production Control and Infrastructure Support for Worldspan.
Among her significant achievements at Worldspan, Nichols directed the implementation of the company's original scheduling and change management tools, and remains a driver for consolidating problem and change tools. She supported the move of Worldspan's global database from Kansas City to Atlanta by process of electronic transfer, a first-of-its-kind operation by a GDS company. As part of a major Data Center refresh, Nichols managed the consolidation of large systems, resulting in substantial cost savings for the company. She was responsible for transitioning daily operations to a 24/7 Technical Service Desk, oversaw the Data Center's move from manual tape operations to virtual, and was responsible for increasing service performance levels from 97 percent to 99.99 percent.
Nichols joined Worldspan in 1993 from the PARS Service Partnership (PSP), a combined computerized reservations system serving Northwest Airlines and Trans World Airlines, where she was an automation programmer. During her tenure with PSP, Nichols earlier served as a supervisor over the production control area and was also a Support Systems project manager. She began her career in travel technology in 1976 with TWA.
In 1997, Nichols was selected for the Georgia 100 list and continues to serve as a mentor in the program. A native of Hutchinson, Kansas, Nichols studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, and Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. She has two grown children and currently resides in Peachtree City, Georgia.