Advisors From The Field

In The Company Dime’s From The Field program, industry leaders contribute guideposts and other commentary for publication to the business travel audience. We task these advisors to focus on opinion, analysis and education rather than marketing. You are encouraged to contribute to the dialogue by commenting on their posts. Want to go a step further and become an advisor? Email us for more details. Participation is complimentary, but does come with some requirements. We thank all participants. Learn more about them here …

Advisors

David LitwakDavid Litwak

David Litwak is the CEO of Mozio, a ground transportation aggregator that integrates 3,000 limos, express trains, rideshare, taxis and even public transit, and provides corporations with websites and apps to book on-demand and in advance. Mozio runs American Express Global Business Travel's GBT Ground platform and counts Carlson Wagonlit as an investor. David can be reached here. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: David Litwak On How To Earn Discounts From Lyft And Uber
John HarveyJohn Harvey

John Harvey is founder and chief marketing officer at Globalyse, a strategic marketing company specializing in the world of travel. He is the former group marketing director of Hogg Robinson plc, where he held responsibility for marketing and communications across both HRG and Fraedom. He describes his career in four phases: Firstly, a foundation in travel (1979-1994), starting as a junior travel agent and ending as director responsible for client management. Secondly, going it alone (1994-2009), diversifying into IT and creating a successful sales and marketing consultancy. Thirdly, returning to travel (2009-2018), leading the HRG global sales team and taking on marketing. Phase four began with the launch of Globalyse in January 2019. Connect with John on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: John Harvey On The Vision Of A New Channel Model
Ted PerlsteinTed Perlstein

Ted Perlstein has two decades of travel industry experience. He's held marketing, partnership and strategy leadership positions at AmTrav, Orbitz, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Travel Spike and LastMinuteTravel.com. In his role at AmTrav, Ted and his team evangelize the AmTrav service while continuously evolving the product to make managing travel easier. When not at the office, you can find Ted trying to keep up with his wife, two young children and golden retriever. Or you'll find him traveling for fun: 45+ countries and counting. Ted holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and an Electrical Engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Find him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Ted Perlstein On Getting Involved In Politics
Paul TilstonePaul Tilstone

Paul Tilstone is one of two co-founders of consultancy Festive Road. Prior to this he acted in senior roles for travel management companies for 13 years, CEO for the Institute of Travel & Meetings UK for seven years and chief global development officer for the Global Business Travel Association for a further five. In July 2017 he was appointed to GBTA's board, the first elected international director in the association’s history. Paul has received the U.K. Buying Business Travel Diamond Award for services to sustainability and was listed by the magazine in the industry’s 2013 “Hot List” as one of 30 professionals driving change in the industry. He has twice been listed as one of the world’s top 25 business travel industry influencers by Business Travel News for work in advocacy and sustainability. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Paul Tilstone On Balancing Business Growth And Environmental Awareness
Louise MillerLouise Miller

Louise has more than 30 years experience in the travel industry including airline, car rental, buyer and travel management company roles. As an executive team member of a top three global TMC for over 20 years, she reported to the president and CEO. Louise consults on the entire travel value chain in her role as Areka Consulting managing partner for the Americas. Her areas of experience include P&L management, finance, pricing, marketing, sales, account management, operations, product portfolio management, IT infrastructure and innovation. Louise actively promotes innovation with customers, associations, suppliers and the media. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Louise Miller On TMC Innovation Coming Back Into View
Gabe RizziGabe Rizzi

Gabriel "Gabe" Rizzi is the chief revenue officer of Altour, a division of Travel Leaders Group, one of the top 10 travel management firms in North America and the United Kingdom. Since his appointment in 2016, Gabe has led the enterprise through a period of significant growth, effectively integrating acquisitions of several well-established corporate travel management companies. Prior to joining Travel Leaders Group, Gabe served in senior sales roles for SenecaOne Finance Co. and then Dun and Bradstreet. Earlier in his career he worked in sales, product, marketing and operations at Gateway Computers Inc. and AT&T Corporation. Gabe earned a Bachelor of Arts in Businesses Administration from Virginia Wesleyan University. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Gabe Rizzi On What Your CEO May Be Looking For From T&E Management
Tristan SmithTristan Smith

Tristan Smith is Egencia vice president of customer success for the SME segment. Her responsibilities include leading Egencia’s Small and Medium Enterprise account management team globally and facilitating the success of their travel programs. She began her career in the airline industry in strategy and sales in Australia and the United States, before moving to strategy consulting at Bain. After six years in consulting with Bain working across a variety of industries and business issues, Tristan joined Egencia to run the TMC's Strategy and Mergers and Acquisitions team. In that role, she led the acquisition and integration of Orbitz for Business and was responsible for the company's growth strategies. A native of Australia, she currently lives in London with her husband and three kids. Connect with Tristan on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Tristan Smith On How Professionals, Processes and Partners Scale Your Business
Alex KaluznyAlex Kaluzny

Alex Kaluzny, CTO at Egencia, is specialized in building high-performance technology platforms for global travel companies, for both leisure and corporate travel. At Egencia, he heads up worldwide technology and development with a mission to create game-changing web, mobile and customer service solutions to make business travel better. Based in Paris, France, Alex leads a team of over 500 engineers and IT specialists located in R&D centers in the United States, France and India. Prior to joining Egencia, he served as group vice president of technology at Chicago-based global online travel agency Orbitz Worldwide. Alex holds degrees in Computer Science from the University of Illinois and Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Alex Kaluzny On What Every Business Should Know About Data Visualization
Craig FichtelbergCraig Fichtelberg

Craig Fichtelberg, an expert in operational strategy and management, co-founded 1-800-CheapAir with Jeff Klee and built out a network of nationwide call centers. In the early 2000s, Craig successfully led the offline business transition to CheapAir.com. Most recently, he launched AmTrav with the goal of simplifying business travel. Craig's unwavering focus has been on disrupting the status quo with products and services customized to the needs of the evolving traveler. When not at work, Craig can usually be found on the slopes in the winter, at the lake in the summer, and always enjoying quality time with his wife, teenage twins and Rhodesian Ridgeback. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business and an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. Connect with Craig on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Craig Fichtelberg On A Better Stimulus, A Cohesive Plan And A Little Luck
Ron ShahRon Shah

Ron Shah is the founder and CEO of Bizly. Bizly’s mission is to keep relationships at the center of business by making it easy to design in-person events and measure the impact. Bizly works with several Fortune 500 companies and has a proven track record of delivering on adoption and ROI around smaller relationship events, which comprise over 50 percent of all event volume. Prior to Bizly, Ron spent 15 years in venture capital, supporting leading technology companies in the United States and the emerging markets. Ron spent three years as an on-air contributor on CNBC. Ron earned his BBA from the George Washington University and his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. During business school, Ron moonlighted as a sales rep at a conference and events center in New York. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Ron Shah On What 2019 Will Mean For The Events Industry
Mat DomaradzkiMat Domaradzki

Mat Domaradzki is the travel manager for ConsenSys, a global blockchain technology company building the infrastructure, applications and practices that enable a decentralized world. Aside from maintaining the ConsenSys travel program, Mat also assists the company's internal travel industry vertical Ansero by testing its corporate travel solutions on the ConsenSys travel program. Mat’s lengthy career in travel has taken him from tourism and hotel development classes to stints at Korean Air, AAA, STA Travel & Club Med and most recently at Hilton Worldwide where he spent nearly eight years in Luxury & Lifestyle Brand Development. Connect with Mat on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mat Domaradzki On Blockchain’s Potential In Corporate Travel
Mark HollyheadMark Hollyhead

As COO of Egencia, Mark Hollyhead brings over 25 years of global experience in sales, marketing and operations across the travel and telecommunications industries. Before joining Egencia in 2010, Mark was with Vodafone as head of transformation and prior he spent 15 years at British Airways in a variety of leadership positions, including VP of e-commerce and customer contact, head of revenue management for the long-haul business worldwide and head of London Heathrow customer operations. Mark earned a MBA in Strategy and Distribution from the City of London Business School and received post graduate honors in Economics at Birkbeck University of London. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.

Op Ed: Mark Hollyhead On Capturing More Customer Value In Business Travel
Kathy KentKathy Kent

Kathy Kent is senior consultant and GoldSpring Consulting. She has committed her entire career to the corporate travel industry. After quickly moving from entry-level to management positions, she joined Carlson Wagonlit Travel, where she spent 31 years in operational senior management. For the last 15 years, Kathy led the global implementation and client service configuration teams, where she insured the successful implementation and operational design of CWT's global and multinational clients, implementing over $10 billion in volume in more than 100 countries. Kathy's expertise in global capabilities, service configuration options and successful implementation processes has helped clients reach their service and savings objectives. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: GoldSpring Consulting On Best Practices In Booking Tool Implementations
Mark WilliamsMark Williams

Mark Williams is managing director for the U.S. at consulting firm Nina & Pinta and CFO at Dots & Lines, a marketing, public relations and brand management firm. He previously served as a partner with GoldSpring Consulting. Before that he was a principal at Advito, the consulting division of BCD Travel, and worked in the Business Transformation Outsourcing practice at IBM. Mark has 25 years of experience in business travel management, beginning in the late 1980s working for WorldTravel Partners, followed by 10 years as the director of travel for Price Waterhouse and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has a Bachelor's degree in Accountancy from Wake Forest University and a Master of Taxation degree from Georgia State University. Mark is a former president of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mark Williams On FAA’s Apparent Lack Of Concern (Or Its Ineptitude)
Duane FutchDuane Futch

GTAS founder and CEO Duane Futch is a highly accomplished influencer in the corporate travel and aviation industries. Duane consults to an array of North American and international corporations and governments. Among his previous positions, Duane was vice president of global government programs at Sabre Travel Network and director of the Aviation, Travel, and Leisure Travel division at Walmart Stores. Duane obtained both his Bachelor’s Degree in Air Commerce (Economics) and Associate Degree in Flight Technology from the Florida Institute of Technology. He also holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, and he is a Certified Flight Instructor and a former FAA Designated Air Carrier Check Airman. Connect with Duane on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Duane Futch On Signs Of Trouble For Job Security
Graham WarehamGraham Wareham

Graham Wareham has over 20 years of experience in the airline industry and is the global director of ATPCO's distribution portfolio. He is leading the development of Data Platform Services and NDC solutions to transform the future of the airline industry. Graham is a groundbreaking strategist, working with airlines, GDSs and stakeholders across the airline ecosystem to implement new technologies that improve the data distribution processes. He ensures ATPCO delivers timely, cost-effective and efficient enhancements and solutions to customers and owners. Prior to joining ATPCO, Graham served as senior director, distribution and consumer direct, for Air Canada. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Graham Wareham On Keeping Distribution Infrastructure Up To Speed
Mike EggletonMike Eggleton

Mike Eggleton has been a member of the BCD Travel research and intelligence team since 2013. He joined the travel management company after a career at British Airways, bringing a wealth of experience in business strategy, network planning, competitor analysis, economics, market analysis and forecasting. He is responsible for producing BCD Travel's industry forecasts and providing insights and thought leadership on a range of trends and issues relating to the business travel industry. Mike has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Southampton. He is based in Rickmansworth, U.K. Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mike Eggleton On How Covid-19 Could Change Airline Ticket Refunds
Rajiv RajianRajiv Rajian

Rajiv Rajian is executive vice president, global business travel and travel channels, Americas, for Amadeus. He leads the global business travel portfolio worldwide with a focus on serving the needs of global travel management companies. He oversees a team dedicated to delivering the technology and services to Amadeus' corporate travel partners to transform the corporate traveler journey. Connect with Rajiv on LinkedIn. Find more information about Amadeus on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Op Ed: Rajiv Rajian On What ‘End To End’ Really Means
Adam GordonAdam Gordon

Currently a senior consultant at GoldSpring Consulting, Adam Gordon has over 20 years of meetings and events, business travel and hospitality industry experience, supporting a variety of market sectors. With hands-on team management experience for several high-quality service portfolios, often in highly regulated environments, he is skilled in defining the underlying value propositions and has a proven track record in strategic vision planning. Originally from the United Kingdom, Adam has held several meetings and events management roles. He joined American Express Meetings and Events in early 2016 as director of business development and client engagement, and then GoldSpring in 2018. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: GoldSpring Consulting On Finding Strategic Value In Meetings Management
Dickie OliverDickie Oliver

As vice president and chief information officer, Dickie Oliver brings to ARC extensive experience in the information services space. In his 25-plus year career he has held numerous leadership roles in well-respected organizations such as YUM! Brands. In addition to a strong blend of global experience, Dickie brings an intense work ethic and passion for his people. Individuals he has guided have risen to hold roles such as head of IT for Fortune 500 companies. Dickie’s role on the Dartmouth Tuck Business School CIO Council reflects his intense passion for learning and staying current in his field. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Dickie Oliver On Challenging The Status Quo For Digital Transformation
Robert QuigleyRobert Quigley

Robert L. Quigley, M.D., is senior vice president and regional medical director in the Americas for International SOS Assistance and MedAire. He also is the executive chairman of the International Corporate Health Leadership Council and chairman of the council for U.S. and Canadian Quality Healthcare Abroad. Prior to joining International SOS, Dr. Quigley was a board re-certified cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon who directed two open heart programs within the Jefferson Health System in Philadelphia. He is also board re-certified in general surgery and critical care. Dr. Quigley is a subject matter expert in aeromedical transportation, international healthcare, duty of care, mental health and crisis management. Connect with Robert on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Dr. Robert Quigley On Business Diligence In Addressing Covid-19
Frank MorogielloFrank Morogiello

Frank Morogiello was vice president of global sales for American Airlines until 2012. He now sits on several advisory boards for companies with interests in travel and technology. Frank is global practice leader for travel and hospitality at Caldwell Partners. He recruits C-suite executives and board directors to global companies, and leads complex negotiations, sales team reorganizations and customer relations development and management. Connect with Frank on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Frank Morogiello On Connectedness And Leadership
Gaurav SundaramGaurav Sundaram

Gaurav Sundaram is the president of ProKonsul Consulting , a business travel management consulting firm focused on India and Asia. Gaurav brings three decades of leadership experience in the global business travel, technology and consulting domains. His span of experience includes significant success in managing complex businesses, establishing successful startups, strategic multinational business development and account management. Gaurav previously served as Egencia's country director in India. He introduced fully integrated enterprise self-booking technology to the corporate travel industry in India in 2009 and is recognized as an industry expert across India and Asia. Connect with Gaurav on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Gaurav Sundaram On Global VAT Reclaim
Tony O'ConnorTony O'Connor

Tony O'Connor is the founder and CEO of Airocheck, the fare auditing company specialising in audits for TMC fare markups. Airocheck issues the FairFare accreditation to TMCs that prove good practice through a detailed process, and also conducts audits for travel buyers directly. For 20 years, Tony has also been the managing director of Butler Caroye Asia Pacific, an independent travel management consultancy. Tony manages the Global Business Travel Association in Australasia and is a frequent speaker at global events. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Tony O’Connor On The Window Of Opportunity For A Better Travel Supply Chain
Brandon StraussBrandon Strauss

Brandon Strauss is a partner at KesselRun Corporate Travel Solutions. He's been at the Atlanta-area consultancy since 2003. His practice focuses on all areas of corporate travel and meetings. Before that, Brandon worked for four years at World Travel BTI. He also spent four years at Ernst & Young as a manager in its middle market supply chain practice where he helped create the company's first web-based self-service consulting tools. Brandon graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science in Management degree and earned his MBA in Finance at Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business. Connect with him and KesselRun on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Brandon Strauss On Why Now Is A Good Time To Review Your Corporate Travel Program
Arlene CoyleArlene Coyle

Arlene Coyle is SVP commercial at Amadeus IT Group. She has been in the managed travel and technology industry for over 20 years. Her career has taken her from Amadeus to the world’s leading travel management companies and back. Her focus has always been on client-facing roles. Arlene has authored a number of blogs and whitepapers on managed travel. She is an advocate of how the individual — led by technology, convenience and lack of time — will play a key role in managed travel of the future. Arlene holds a Bachelors with Honours in Modern Languages, a Masters in Strategic Marketing and a diploma in Leadership and Innovation from IESE. She loves music, books, travel and technology. Arlene is active on LinkedIn and loves to give opinions on various industry topics.

Op Ed: Arlene Coyle On Who Owns Business Travel
Alan TysonAlan Tyson

A graduate of the University of Rochester with a degree in Philosophy, Alan Tyson quickly failed as a writer. He was, however, good at taking tests. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis offered him a job as a computer programmer which Alan reluctantly accepted and his career in IT was off and running! Well, maybe it was more of a jog ... It wasn't that Alan couldn't program. He was actually quite talented. The problem was that he was a lousy employee. After leaving the Commerce Department, to the relief of all, he joined Control Data Corporation (the predecessor of Ceridian) where he developed one of the first microcomputer-based accounting systems. Alan later founded Databasics, a software-as-a-service provider of expense reporting and time tracking solutions, where he continues to serve as CEO. Alan is married, has a daughter and lives in Great Falls, Va. Find more info on the Databasics blog, LinkedIn page and Twitter feed.

Op Ed: Alan Tyson On Boycotting The Dorchester Collection
Sam HilgendorfSam Hilgendorf

Sam Hilgendorf is the chief information officer at Fox World Travel. He is responsible for the vision and roadmap for Fox's technology portfolio, including the product development strategy, and technology implementation and support for clients. A relative newcomer to the travel industry, Sam spent 20 years in the technology services industry as an engineering consultant, project manager and executive with CDW and OneNeck IT Solutions. His background in cloud and IT managed services offers a unique perspective in improving the corporate travel experience. He and his family reside near Milwaukee, Wisc. Connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Sam Hilgendorf On Travel Management Company Business Model Resiliency
avatar for Katharine FarrellKatharine Farrell

Katharine Farrell is president of Dots & Lines, an boutique marketing and communications consulting firm serving the corporate travel industry. Katharine currently serves as the chair of the GBTA Ladders Media & Communications Committee. She also previously served as a member of the WINiT Conference & Event Planning Committee and was a WINiT mentee. Prior to taking the helm at Dots & Lines, she served as product line director of the marketing division of GoldSpring Consulting, an independent travel management consultancy. Katharine joined the company in June 2015 after receiving her MBA from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She began her career with roles in marketing and communications within the higher education, professional sports, and large-scale special events sectors. Connect with Katharine on LinkedIn and find more information on Dots & Lines on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Op Ed: Katharine Farrell On Best Practices In Travel Management Communication
Steve GlennSteve Glenn

Steve Glenn founded Executive Travel 31 years ago and was a pioneer of online travel fulfillment, virtual agents and zero online fees. He serves as the company's chairman of the board and CEO. During his career Steve has served as president, officer or director at more than 20 organizations around the state of Nebraska and the nation. As a serial entrepreneur, he started more than 40 companies. Steve was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln College of Business Administration, and Business Owner of the Year by the Lincoln Independent Business Association. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the UNL College of Business Administration in 1979. Connect with Steve on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Steve Glenn On Enforcing Your Travel Policy, Or Getting Rid Of It
Kurt KnackstedtKurt Knackstedt

Kurt Knackstedt's experience spans over 20 years and four continents, across technology, travel, leadership and marketing roles at global multinationals, start-ups and his own consulting business. In early 2015, Kurt co-founded and was appointed CEO of Troovo, a technology company focused on virtualizing and removing manual intervention within transaction-based industries. Kurt is currently chairperson of the ACTE Centre. He leads the Centre's efforts in research, advocacy and community engagement. From 2014 to 2017, Kurt was global president of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. An avid traveler for both work and play, Kurt is based in Sydney, Australia, and is a dual citizen of the United States and Australia. Catch up with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Kurt Knackstedt On Why Corporate Is Much More Interesting Than Leisure Travel
Liam MoroneyLiam Moroney

Liam Moroney is the vice president of marketing at Rocketrip. He has over 10 years of experience leading marketing SaaS technology startups. Before joining Rocketrip, he previously led growth marketing at Monetate and was vice president of integrated marketing at NewsCred. Liam is an active member of the marketing community, working with Techstars and Revenue Collective. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Liam Moroney On Analyzing Airline Traffic Recovery Trends
Kevin CoffeyKevin Coffey

A highly decorated police officer and detective (LAPD retired), Kevin Coffey is a senior consultant at GoldSpring Consulting. He is an author, teacher, duty of care and risk management professional focused on traveler safety and risk reduction for the hospitality, tourism and meeting industries. In addition to his career with the LAPD, Kevin founded the Los Angeles Airport's Crime Investigation Detail. He also is an instructor with the University of Southern California’s Safer Communities Institute and frequent resource for print and broadcast media. Kevin is certified as an Associate Protection Professional with the American Society of Industrial Security. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Kevin Coffey On What Travel Managers Should Know About The Coronavirus
Tony D'AstolfoTony D'Astolfo

Tony D'Astolfo is a 35-year travel industry veteran and an accomplished executive with deep expertise in travel and technology. In 2018 he joined Australasia-based online travel and expense company Serko to lead efforts in North America. Tony was previously chief commercial officer at Deem, where he was responsible for developing and driving the commercial strategies for all sales, marketing and customer-related activities. Prior to joining Deem, he was managing director of research and consulting firm Phocuswright. Tony's career started with United Airlines, where he spent more than 19 years in leadership roles. He also worked for GetThere and GroundLink. Tony is a long-time member of GBTA and ACTE, and a former member of the Board of Directors of ACTE and Board of Directors of WINiT (Women In Travel). Connect with Tony on LinkedIn.

Tony D’Astolfo On Witnessing, And Possibly Enabling, The Demise Of The Managed Travel Program
Fernão LoureiroFernão Loureiro

Fernão Loureiro is the outsourced regional travel and events manager at Philips LATAM, based in São Paulo, Brazil. Before that he worked for the U.S. Embassy in Brazil and as regional sourcing manager for Agrega Intelligent Procurement and Ambev Procurement. Fernão is a member of HSMAI Brasil's board and coordinator of its Corporate Travel Committee. He also is a professor at SENAC São Paulo. In the past Fernão has served as president of GBTA Brazil and an instructor for GBTA Academy. He is a mentor, career coach, writer and speaker, and in 2017 he was elected one of the 75 Most Influential Tourism Professionals in Brazil by Panrotas. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Fernão Loureiro On Embracing Loyalty Programs
Vanessa Zeiher-KayaVanessa Zeiher-Kaya

Vanessa Zeiher-Kaya is the global principal corporations segment marketing manager for Sabre. She has been with Sabre since 2015. Vanessa has over 19 years of leadership experience in sales, marketing and account management roles for high-tech brands in the business-to-business sector. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Vanessa Zeiher-Kaya On What To Consider When Choosing A Travel Technology Partner
Caroline StrachanCaroline Strachan

Caroline Strachan is managing partner at Festive Road. Her work experience can be summarized as 10 years the meetings and events supplier, 10 years the travel buyer (at Cisco, Yahoo and AstraZeneca) and more recently as VP global consulting at American Express Global Business Travel. Caroline has also held a number of industry leadership positions including ITM chairman and GBTA Europe president, and has received a number of awards in recognition of her services to the industry. Caroline is often called "the most credible business travel expert" in the industry, further supported by being published as one of three "industry influencers" in the Buying Business Travel 2016 Hotlist. Find more of Caroline's information on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Caroline Strachan On The Move To Attribute-Based Online Travel Shopping
Charlie MitchellCharlie Mitchell

In 2006, Charlie circumnavigated the globe during his semester at sea, and he hasn’t stopped traveling since. He entered the travel industry in 2007, helping to book properties for incentive trips at Prestige Resorts. Soon after, Charlie rolled out a new platform for competency and interviewing tools at Korn/Ferry International. In 2013, he graduated with his MBA in entrepreneurship and marketing from the University of St. Thomas. In 2014, Charlie merged his love of travel and technology into one at CWT, quickly working his way up to lead a digital solutions team. Now, Charlie is technology solutions consultant at GoldSpring Consulting. In his spare time, he can be found strumming his guitar, playing hockey, or training for his next triathlon. Connect with Charlie on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: GoldSpring Consulting On How Buyers Should Assess Direct Vs. TMC-Provided Technology
Mike PremoMike Premo

As president and CEO since 2011, Mike Premo plans and leads the execution of ARC's overall corporate strategy. With the help of the executive team, he also oversees the company's operations in support of revenue growth and customer satisfaction. Mike previously served as ARC vice president of business development. Before joining ARC in 2006, Mike served as senior vice president global network for TQ3 Travel Solutions and held senior executive positions at TQ3 parent Navigant International. He also served as president and CEO of SatoTravel from 1990 to 1999. Mike began his industry career at Northwest Airlines before entering the agency business at Gelco Travel. Find him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mike Premo On What NDC Means For Corporate Travel Managers
Eben PeckEben Peck

Since 2017, Eben Peck has served as executive vice president, advocacy at the American Society of Travel Advisors, where he is responsible for ASTA’s work to advocate for the travel advisor community at all levels of government, within the travel industry and before the traveling public. Eben joined ASTA in 2012 after seven years with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, where he served as senior director, government affairs. Before that Eben served for five years on the staff of U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME). He lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife Colette, daughter Lucy and son Stuart. Connect with Eben on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Eben Peck On How The FAA Bill Impacts Business Travel
Jeff KleeJeff Klee

AmTrav CEO Jeff Klee is a self-described computer geek who developed and sold his first video game at the age of 13. In college, he and a buddy got a crash course in the intricacies of the airline business while planning their own backpacking trip and later decided to use that know-how to help others save money on airfares. What was first known as 1-800-Cheap-Air was founded out of a University of Michigan dorm room in 1989. When the company took off, Jeff ditched his law school plans for a far more exciting journey, combining two passions — travel and software development. CheapAir.com was born, and soon after AmTrav for Business, which together serve almost 400,000 travelers annually. Jeff grew up in Los Angeles. He still lives there with his wife, two young kids, and golden retriever, none of whom, when the Dodgers are losing, want to be anywhere near him. Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Jeff Klee On Measuring What Matters With NDC
Mark MeaderMark Meader

Mark Meader is senior vice president of industry affairs and education at the American Society of Travel Agents. He is responsible for advocating on behalf of agencies, travel advisors and consumer communities with travel suppliers, technology providers, other trade associations, coalitions and various government entities. Mark also serves as vice chair of the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance board of directors. He previously was vice president of business development at the Airlines Reporting Corporation. Mark also worked for American Airlines, United Airlines and Sabre. He began his travel industry career as an outside sales advisor at a Boston-area travel agency. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mark Meader On Real ID’s Looming Deadline
Nicolas DahbiNicolas Dahbi

Nicolas Dahbi is a data science and machine learning specialist. He currently serves as chief technology officer at Shree Partners, a boutique IT solutions provider servicing the travel, hospitality, healthcare, retail and financial services sectors. He leads the firm's business intelligence, application and data science teams, as well as AI strategy and solutions. He previously worked for about six years at BCD Travel in research and analytics roles. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Nicolas Dahbi On Changing Your Data Mindset
Eric TyreeEric Tyree

Dr. Eric Tyree is the chief data scientist at CWT. He brings 20 years of technical expertise and commercial and business insight to developing data-driven products and services for the corporate travel industry. An expert in data analytics, intelligent systems and product development, Eric has worked in a range of industries including HR analytics, fund management and algorithmic trading. His work building and leading high-performance organizations and driving technology makes him endlessly fascinated by the intersection of humanity and artificial intelligence. He earned his PhD in computer science from City University of London. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Eric Tyree On The Future Of Artificial Intelligence And Humanity
Scott GillespieScott Gillespie

Scott Gillespie often breaks new ground — and a bit of glass — in the corporate travel industry. He is a leading authority on travel procurement, travel friction and the total cost of travel. As managing director of tClara and head of analytics for ARC, Scott is developing the next generation of benchmarking for airfares and traveler friction. He is the author of a U.S. patent and has been named one of Business Travel News’ Top 25 Executives and a thought leader by Buying Business Travel. Scott writes the popular blog Gillespie’s Guide to Travel+Procurement, and speaks at travel industry conferences around the world. Scott holds an MBA from the University of Chicago. He and his family reside near Cleveland. Connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Scott Gillespie On Predicting The Value In Travel
Neil HammondNeil Hammond

Neil Hammond joined GoldSpring Consulting in May 2014. Previously, Neil led a team of airline and hotel consultants at Advito, the consultancy division of BCD Travel. He also led the Advito policy writing and benchmarking practice. Neil has experience as a global corporate travel manager with oil and gas industry supplier Schlumberger. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Neil Hammond On Managing The Resumption Of Corporate Air Travel
Keesup ChoeKeesup Choe

Keesup Choe is the CEO of SaaS data intelligence company PredictX. 
After founding Renaissance Software Inc., the first distributed system for managing financial derivatives, Keesup has spent almost 30 years working in finance and software. He has run his own hedge fund and acted as head of trading for major investment banks in the City and Wall Street. He has also successfully grown startup software companies in Silicon Valley and London. Keesup’s particular passion is empowering stakeholders to make better decisions. By discovering meaning in their data and automating routine tasks, Keesup believes stakeholders can have both the time and improved understanding to innovate and drive company-wide growth. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Keesup Choe On How Targeted Selling Algorithms Can Benefit The Buyer
Dave LukasDave Lukas

Grasp Technologies VP and chief sales officer Dave M. Lukas is a serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, investor and founder of the Misfit Entrepreneur podcast. His companies have been on the Inc. 5000 list multiple times. He has been featured on radio, TV, and many top business publications such as Forbes, Inc., Yahoo! Finance, BTN and BTE. Dave is the author of the Amazon best-seller "The Ten Year Career, The Fast Track to Retiring Young, Wealthy and Fulfilled." Through his 12 Minute Trading System, he has mentored and trained thousands of students worldwide. Dave lives with his wife and daughter in Columbus, Ohio. Find Grasp on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Op Ed: Dave Lukas On Solving Data Quality Issues In T&E
Steve ReynoldsSteve Reynolds

Steve Reynolds is CEO and founder of Tripbam, a hotel shopping service changing the way companies and travel agencies procure hotel stays. Based on the company's success, Business Travel News named Tripbam the most innovative technology for corporate travel in 2014, and in 2015 recognized Steve as one of the most influential executives within corporate travel. The company in 2015 also won Phocuswright's Battleground competition. Steve previously was managing director in North America for WNS Global Services, president and EVP at TRX and president of Travel Technologies Group. Find more of Steve's info in his LinkedIn profile, on Tripbam's Twitter feed and the company's Facebook page.

Op Ed: Steve Reynolds On Finding The Right Mix Of Hotel Discounts
Victor PynnVictor Pynn

Vic Pynn is a long-time travel industry executive. After five years as a vice president at American Express, he rose through the ranks at TRX, ending his time there as chief operating officer. Vic then worked at Amadeus IT Group for nine years, most recently as COO for North America. Vic is now CEO of Shree Partners, a digital transformation and technology solutions company. Vic has authored pieces outlining the critical importance of nurturing talent and presented on various business topics. Also a certified general accountant, he graduated from Seneca College after studying and business and finance. Vic serves as a board member for the Global Business Travel Association Foundation and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter.

Op Ed: Vic Pynn On Three Ways To Value People, The Hidden Differentiator
Yael KleinYael Klein

Yael Klein is executive director of marketing for AirPlus International. She has extensive experience in the international credit card business, including the past 17 years with AirPlus. After years of success in German international key account management and global sales management, Yael took over the position of managing director AirPlus UK in 2007. In that role she contributed greatly to the development of the British market. Most recently she was CEO and president of AirPlus Inc., as well as head of the Americas. Connect with Yael on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Yael Klein On Apple’s Role In The Evolution Of Credit Cards
Igor MarchalIgor Marchal

Igor Marchal is a 20-year veteran in travel distribution. He launched Klomat Consulting in 2019 to advise on online distribution, negotiation strategy, procurement and vendor management. He recently took a sabbatical year to complete an Executive MBA at the Institut d’Administration des Entreprises in southern France, spending his free time consulting and teaching at business schools. Passionate about online travel technology, merchandizing and car rental, Igor has developed sophisticated airfare monitoring services and is a strong advocate for the development of ancillaries and NDC. Earlier in his career he held roles in supplier and revenue management at Expedia and product marketing at CWT. Igor also was an account manager for Europcar. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Igor Marchal On The Future Of Car Rental Distribution
Simon BarkerSimon Barker

Simon Barker is co-founder and CEO of Conferma. He is responsible for developing and executing the company’s strategic vision to optimize B2B payment processes through the use of innovative virtual card technology. Prior to establishing Conferma in 2004, Simon accumulated vast experience in the business travel industry during 18 years as managing director of NIS Travel Management Solutions. Simon was recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential Executives in business travel by Business Travel News for Conferma’s groundbreaking work modernizing the business travel industry’s payment processes. Connect with Simon on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Simon Barker On Artificial Intelligence Giving Us More Time To Think
avatar for Mary Ellen GeorgeMary Ellen George

Mary Ellen George is a highly regarded travel industry leader with a proven track record in building and launching profitable travel enterprises for Fortune Global 500 companies. As head of North America for Tramada, Mary Ellen is leading this Australian software company in the United States. Her past experience includes time on HRG's North America executive committee leading the region's commercial team; with American Express Global Business Travel in a global business development role; and with BCD Travel's global management board in general management, consulting and sales leadership roles. Connect with Mary Ellen on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Mary Ellen George On The Future Of Travel Management Companies
Anant KaleAnant Kale

Anant Kale, CEO and founder at AppZen has developed the world's first artificial intelligence solution for back office automation. He founded AppZen in 2012 with a vision to build the next generation of AI-driven back-office applications to enterprises around the world. Anant is responsible for the product vision and execution of the company's broad mission. Previously he was the vice president of applications at Fujitsu America from 2009 to 2012, responsible for product management and delivery of Fujitsu's applications and infrastructure for enterprise. He has 15+ years of experience in software development and an MBA and a BS in Finance and Engineering from Mumbai University. Connect with Anant on LinkedIn.

Op Ed: Anant Kale On The Automation Revolution And Which Jobs Robots Will Take
Mat OrregoMat Orrego

Mat Orrego has worked in the software and travel industry for over 20 years as CEO and co-founder of Cornerstone Information Systems, an automation and data services company. A graduate of Indiana University Kelly School of Business, he is an avid investor in a variety of enterprises, including technology, manufacturing and services businesses. He has continued to invest in travel-related companies such as Topaz International, a travel policy management and auditing service, and recently ApexConnect Inc., an expense integration and data services platform for ERP and HR platforms. Connect on LinkedIn with Mat and Cornerstone Information Systems.

Op Ed: Mat Orrego On Approaching And Solving Problems In The Travel Industry, Part 2