New appointments heighten focus on target customer groups.
LANGLEY, UK – Travelport, a leading Travel Commerce Platform providing technology, distribution, payments, mobile and other digital solutions to the global travel industry, announces a number of leadership moves and expanded roles within its commercial organisation. The new appointments, which are designed to provide even greater focus on supporting the growth plans of Travelport customers across the globe, all take immediate effect.
The leadership changes being announced are:
Sandra McLeod has been named as the new CEO of Locomote, the fast-growing Australian corporate travel technology company in which Travelport took a majority ownership stake in October. Most recently as Group Vice President for Global Accounts and Corporate Development, McLeod previously had overall global responsibility for developing and executing a customer-focussed strategy to service, support and help grow Travelport’s largest travel management company (TMC) customers and global corporate accounts. McLeod wil leverage her corporate travel experience and key relationships with the global players, along with her 25 years of international experience in international sales, training and customer service delivery within Travelport, in her new role at Locomote.
Scott Hyden, formerly GVP and Managing Director for Travelport Americas, becomes GVP, Enterprise Customer Group. This newly formed group takes on responsibility for McLeod’s former role with global TMCs and corporate customers and adds to it responsibility for the company’s largest Online Travel Agency customers, such as Expedia and Priceline who operate across multiple geographies and with whom Hyden already has close working relationships. Before joining Travelport, Hyden served as President of STA Travel Inc., the largest global student and youth travel agency, and before that he was General Manager for Travelocity Business. Prior to this he spent 10 years in a number of roles at American Airlines.
In turn, Bret Kidd, has been appointed as the new GVP and Managing Director for Travelport Americas and will have overall responsibility for the company’s travel agency, TMC and regional OTA customers across the region. Kidd joined Travelport from Stratos Management Systems, a private equity backed IT services firm that he co-founded and grew to over 130M. Previously, Kidd worked for HP in a number of senior roles including leading the HP Enterprise Services’ Global Public Sector Group and managing large customer accounts in the Travel and Transportation sector.
Dan Westbrook replaces Kidd as Vice President and General Manager for Travelport’s Air Commerce Technologies business. Travelport Air Commerce Technologies delivers IT and Business Intelligence solutions to airlines around the world and names Delta and Emirates amongst its customers. An experienced airline industry executive, Westbrook joined Travelport in April 2009 and previously held senior roles in travel merchandising at Sabre and before that spent nearly 20 years at American Airlines.
Commenting on developments, Gordon Wilson, Travelport’s President and CEO said: “These changes enable an even tighter alignment of Travelport around our desire to redefine travel commerce and fuel the growth of our customers around the world. We are fully intent on continuing to grow in key geographies, and amongst key customer segments, and these moves, which realign some of our key executives in our commercial function give us greater momentum to do just that. Also, when our new Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen Shurrock, joins the company from Telefonica in early January, he will play a further pivotal role in leading and delivering growth across Hospitality, Airline and Agency Commerce.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
