Make plans to join the BTN
Group on Dec. 6 to induct the following four business travel luminaries into
the Business Travel Hall of Fame during the 10th Annual Business
Travel Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner at New York City’s St. Regis
Hotel. Registration and more details to come soon.
2021 Honorees:
David Kong
President and CEO, BWH Hotel Group
David Kong is President and CEO of BWH Hotel Group. Under Kong’s leadership, BWH Hotel Group has expanded its portfolio to 18 distinct brands in every chain
scale segment from economy to luxury and offering experiences from traditional hotels to extended stay and boutique/lifestyle hotels.
Kong has positioned the company as a frontrunner in innovation, being named one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the world by Fast Company in 2018. Kong’s achievements were further honored in 2019 with Hotel Interactive (USA) and GuestLab Magazine
(Italy) both naming Kong Innovator of the Year.
Prior to BWH Hotel Group, Kong held leadership positions with KPMG Consulting and Hyatt® Hotels. Kong is a University of Hawaii graduate, and also completed the Executive Development Program at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
Kong was the past Chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and currently serves on the AHLA Executive Committee and the AHLA Foundation Board of Trustees.
Michael Premo
Former President & Chief Executive Officer, ARC
As president and chief executive officer from June 2011 to December 2020, Mike led ARC’s strategy in bringing airlines and travel agencies together to do more business and do it more efficiently. He and his executive team oversaw operations
for ARC’s accreditation and settlement work, as well as its rapidly growing data business and omnichannel retailing solutions, including ARC’s first outside investments in Blockskye, Traxo, 3Victors and nuTravel. During Mike’s tenure as CEO, ARC’s
revenues grew nearly 50 percent and equity grew 570 percent. Both the strong balance sheet and Mike’s work to establish strong relationships with its agency customers and airline owners were critical to ARC’s ability to continue to deliver services
effectively during the unique challenges of the COVID pandemic.
BTN named Mike to the 2019 list of most influential executives in business travel for his efforts to advance the use of electronic miscellaneous document standards.
Before joining ARC in 2006, Mike was the senior vice president of global network for TQ3 Travel Solutions and held senior executive positions at Navigant International, TQ3’s parent company. He also served as the president of SatoTravel from 1990 to 1999,
oversaw its development as an effective competitor for government travel contracts and launched its entry into corporate travel. Having grown up in Minnesota, Mike began his industry career initially as a reservations agent at Northwest Airlines where
he also held analyst and management roles within the Reservations Division, after which he entered the agency business at Gelco Travel.
In retirement, he continues to be engaged in the industry, now serving on the board of directors for Onriva, as well as advisory boards at Fareportal and Blockskye.
Bill Tech,
CTC, CTIE
1949 ‐2019
Former President and CEO and Chairman Emeritus
Travel and Transport (now Corporate Travel Management North America)
Bill joined Travel and Transport (now Corporate Travel Management North America) in 1987 as a regional vice president in Chicago. In 1992, he moved to Omaha to assume the role of vice president of administration. He was later named executive vice president
in 1997, and in 1998, Bill was named president and CEO.
Bill remained CEO until December 2014, stepping down to retire after 27 years of service to Travel and Transport. He remained involved in the company as the chairman of the board and was named chairman‐emeritus in 2019 for his many contributions to the
company.
During his tenure as CEO, Bill oversaw Travel and Transport’s expansion, including key acquisitions, record growth in the five years immediately preceding his announcement to retire and a nearly 300 percent increase in employees.
Bill served on the Board of Directors for Radius Travel for many years and was the chairman of Radius for over 10 years. He was appointed to the Board of Trustees of The Travel Institute in 2002. In 2012, BTN named Bill to its 2012 list of the 25 most
influential executives in business travel, citing for his foresight in the acquisition of New York‐based Ultramar Travel Management.
A passionate philanthropist, Bill was also involved with the American Cancer Society, Boys Town, the Knights of Aksarben, the Omaha Sister Cities Association and The Salvation Army. He also served on multiple Omaha‐area boards, including the boards of
the Knights of Aksarben Foundation, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and First Westroads Bank.
Rita Visser
Director Global Travel Sourcing & GPO, Oracle.
Rita Visser has been in the travel industry for more than 25 years. Starting at Rosenbluth, where she literally fell into travel, she learned the workings of the industry from the inside out. Today, she oversees all of Oracle’s travel procurement activities
and in her GPO role, she set strategies that result in positive benefits for Oracle and its travelers.
Rita has been involved in many industry initiatives, teams and committees including the GBTA Technology Committee, acting as chair, as well as the GBTA Aviation Committee. She is currently serving as Direct At Large Member for GBTA, Member of the Board
and Founding Member of WINiT. She also serves on the North America TMAG for the NDC Initiative as well as number of supplier advisory boards. She has been the keynote speaker at a number of GBTA Chapter events.
Rita was recently involved in the revamping of GBTA’s bylaws, which will help to govern the association and its practices into the future. Business Travel News named Rita a 2014 Best Practitioner and to its 2014 list of the 25 most influential executives
in business travel for working with airlines to apply ancillary fee spending to market share shortfalls.