Advantage Global Business Travel appoints 14 to new advisory board

Advantage Global Business Travel has unveiled the 14 members of the new advisory board it announced in August that it would establish.

The new board includes representatives from aviation, technology, accommodation and other disciplines, who will meet quarterly to provide insights, skills and guidance to Advantage’s Global Business Travel senior leadership team.

The members will support Advantage’s Global Business Travel’s “ambitious goals and strategic direction”, while raising the consortium’s profile.

Andrea Caulfield-Smith (pictured), Advantage Global Business Travel managing director and chair of the advisory board, said: “We’re proud to announce this incredible selection of key figures from across the business travel industry to form our Global Business Travel Advisory Board.

More: Advantage Global Business Travel to create advisory board

“Between them, they will be able to bring proven expertise and valuable strategic insights into all aspects of global business travel and help support the strategic development of our business, as well as help us remain laser-focused on supporting our key objectives of sustained growth and ambitious plans for new product development for all our stakeholders.

“It is vital for us to remain agile in a rapidly evolving industry and we are continually looking to identify opportunities to help our stakeholders further succeed.

“This is the latest step as part of our strategic plan to drive a complete One-Stop Business Hub approach and we are looking forward to working together with the new advisory board to take bold steps and drive positive disruption in the business travel sector.”

The board for Advantage’s Global Business Travel division is the first step in a “new dynamic approach” to all the Advantage Travel Partnership’s steering groups.

The Global Business Travel Advisory Board includes:
• Ashley Bowling – commercial solutions business development vice-president, Europe, Mastercard
Bowling has more than 20 years’ experience in the commercial payments industry.

• Clive Wratten – chief executive, The Business Travel Association
With more than 40 years in travel, Wratten has led industry advocacy, notably during Covid-19, and held leadership roles at Etihad, Gulf Air and Amber Road.

• Craig Burdett – operations director, Media Flights
Burdett oversees travel for productions and media companies.

• David Oppenheim – global sales director, British Airways
His team manages relationships with agency and corporate partners worldwide.

• Diogo Carvalho – managing partner, Travelcare
He is a key figure at Portuguese TMC Travelcare, which is also a representative of the Advantage Global Network.

• James Beagrie – managing director, Meon Valley Travel
Beagrie is described as “the antithesis of corporate blandness” who is a “specially driven individual and profoundly knowledgeable on business travel”.

• Jeanette Harper – international travel and partnerships senior director, Avis Budget Group
With more than 15 years at Avis Budget Group, Harper is responsible for driving sales and marketing strategies across the travel sector, including airlines, OTAs, TMCs, leisure accounts, financial card partners and loyalty partners.

• Kim Renouf – commercial solutions and business development director, Continental Travel
Renouf has more than 25 years of corporate travel experience in various roles from agent to customer success manager with experience in operations and personnel.

• Jo Layton – chief executive and founder, CAP Worldwide
Layton has extensive accommodation experience and a passion for ESG. Her career spans more than 30 years in hospitality holding senior roles in Marriott, IHG and across the global extended-stay sector.

• Matt Masson – chief executive, CT Partners
Masson has 20 years of management experience in travel businesses across APAC.

• Michael E White Duarte – global sales and member experience vice-president, Hickory Global Partners
With more than 35 years in the industry, he has held leadership positions at American Express Global Business Travel, Air France, Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

• Paul Cronje – managing director, Clyde Travel Management
He has been MD of marine and energy specialist Clyde Travel Management since 2017, and is a council member of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association.

• Simon Ferguson – senior vice-president, Modaxo
He has more than 20 years’ leadership experience in the travel and technology sectors and works at Modaxo, a global provider of technology to public/private transportation and aviation sectors.

• Suzanne Horner – chief executive, Gray Dawes Travel
Approaching 40 years in the industry, with a career that spans retail, leisure, technology and corporate Travel, she is the leader of one of the fastest-growing independent TMCs in the UK.