10 Compete for Three GBTA Allied Board Seats

Ten candidates are vying for three allied member at-large seats on the Global Business Travel Association's board of directors. The race, which also includes elections for a new president and vice president as well as three direct member seats (two regional and one at-large), will be the most consequential in at least a decade in terms of reshaping the composition of the board. Coming off a tough year for the association, which on top of Covid-19 industry devastation included loss of revenue opportunities from a cancelled convention, staff layoffs and a leadership crisis, the association is looking to the future as a fresh start. The candidates have positioned themselves as changemakers who will represent the full GBTA membership, bring their unique experience-sets to the table and roll up their sleeves to do what they've characterized as the hard work ahead to transform an organization they believe in.

Altour VP and head of North America Sales Kari Bigot built her platform on her extensive base of local knowledge of GBTA chapters. Among other volunteer roles at GBTA, she served as the president of the North Carolina BTA from 2004 to 2007, and she cited that experience as well as her role at Altour for allowing her to be involved with 14 GBTA chapters during her career. She emphasized how that experience has shaped her view of how GBTA should leverage its network to distribute education, networking and value locally, as well as develop and grow future leadership for the larger organization. Bigot's campaign pillars focus on driving value to members: value of a GBTA membership, value of the chapter network and value of individual professional development. Her video appeal was notable for its focus on education, professional development and career opportunities as the central to that value. Creating it will require resources, she acknowledged. Bigot called on allied members, many of whom cut back support during the pandemic, to do more. "It will be imperative for our allied member companies… [to] continue to or invest more in supporting GBTA’s efforts and initiatives throughout the world," she wrote in her platform statement. In return, Bigot vowed to enhance membership value for allied members through quality networking opportunities, diversity efforts and initiatives to develop future leaders.

Another proponent of professional development, PredictX EVP customer success Maria Chevalier presented herself as an industry change agent. She pointed to her track record as a grassroots organizer that led her to form an industry mentoring program CTME Search Party, which she described in her platform statement as "a 500-member volunteer organization" that has "helped thousands of people who have been displaced find great new opportunities." Chevalier also emphasized her commitment to diversity and inclusion, citing her role as a founding member of GBTA's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee as well as her work with BTN's DE&I editorial advisory council. In her video campaign, Chevalier said that recovery is about more than getting back to where we were in 2019. "We have to know better, do better and be better," she said. "I want to be part of driving that change into our industry and make sure as we recover that's included in the focus." Chevalier's background as both a supplier and a buyer, but also her work with large companies like Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett Packard and Hilton Hotels as well as small firms like her current role at PredictX gives her a unique perspective on the needs of different types of GBTA members. Unique to her platform, she focused attention on those smaller firms, and said she would represent their interests at the board level.

Tripbam acount management EVP Jeff Hillenmayer entered the allied director at-large race with a pitch for transparency in the managed travel industry and at GBTA, urging the industry's component parts to work together. "The power of being open, honest and sticking to the facts have allowed me to have difficult conversations. But, it's always led to more effective communication," he said, and committed to do the same as a GBTA board member. Tripbam CEO Steve Reynolds contemplated withdrawing the company from GBTA last summer in the midst of the association's leadership crisis. Putting forth a senior executive as an allied director at-large now is a push for change, as Hillenmayer states in his campaign video. "I believe the association is finally heading down the right path, and if elected, I'm committed to continuing to drive change and creating transparency, not just for GBTA but for the entire industry," he said. Hillenmayer cited his work in multiple countries and underscored the importance of breaking down international siloes to achieve GBTA's goals. He championed the role of innovation and technology solutions to drive industry changes, and he vowed to bring an innovative mindset to the table. Coming from a company that has disrupted traditional paradigms of hotel program management, Hillenmayer signaled that he isn't afraid of finding new ways to address current and historic industry challenges.

Among recent criticism of the GBTA board of directors has been concern regarding board member inexperience and whether members have fully understood the function and role of a nonprofit board of directors. Risk management veteran and president of McIndoe Risk Advisory Bruce McIndoe addressed that concern in his campaign video, putting himself forth as a globally aware candidate with long experience on both corporate and nonprofit boards, both within the travel industry and outside of it. He focused on the concept of governance and the importance of providing support in times of greatest need. The latter was particularly pointed regarding the association's crisis last summer and the transformative moment it is in now. "I was really disappointed with so many people that jumped off the GBTA train just when it needed real attention, and so I joined many others in rolling up my sleeves and reimagining GBTA," he said. He cited his role in Project Unite, which brought ACTE assets into the organization, and his participation in forging the new bylaws. "I would love to have the chance to see that vision, our combined vision, for the new global GBTA come to light," he said. In his platform statement, McIndoe said he would work to put allied and buyer members on equal footing within the organization, particularly when it comes to professional development and education. This is McIndoe's second run for a board seat.

Teneo Hospitality Group VP of sales and industry relations Gary Murakami also brings board of director experience to the table, with current and previous board-level roles at the Professional Convention Managers Association Foundation, Meeting Professionals International and the IGLTA Foundation, which supports initiatives for industry organizations, leaders and communities to advance LGBTQ+ travel around the world. Murakami leaned on this experience in his video pitch. "I will bring to this GBTA board extensive governance and leadership experience in serving on other industry association boards and committees and understand the responsibilities and role this position would involve," he said. Murakami also underscored his 20-year commitment to the GBTA organization, including his role as president of the Bay Area chapter. Murakami communicated his positive outlook for the organization as it emerges from Covid-19 and as the travel industry works to recapture its role as a major economic engine and job creator. His platform statement made clear his passion for diversity, equity and inclusion and his desire to bring diversity to the board—as a way to ensure all GBTA members would be empowered to have their voices heard at that level and to shape the organization to meet individual and industry needs for education and advancement.

As the single European candidate for an allied director at-large seat, CIBTvisas regional managing director of Europe Carston Ostberg summed up his pitch—"a vote for me is a vote for Europe"—but his platform is more than a regional play. Ostberg's expertise lies in regulatory knowledge around international travel and immigration issues. As the travel industry emerges from Covid-19, he argues, the complexity around opening borders, new regulations and restrictions won't be one-and-done. Advocating to governments for an open travel industry will be an ongoing effort and the regulations they put forth, he said, will be an ongoing challenge for travel buyers—so much so, he claims, that travel departments could be fundamentally altered to combine with mobility departments. As such, he sees needed change in GBTA to include mobility education and prepare members for an expanded role. As an allied director at-large, Ostberg would define the path for GBTA into that future. Ostberg's outlook may resonate more with those who manage and serve global travel programs than those with only domestic travel in their purview. Should Ostberg win an allied at-large seat, it would create a two-member bloc with the European regional direct member seat, which is also up for grabs in this election (look for coverage July 7).

BCD Travel VP, digital & product strategy Will Pinnell is running for a second term—and final, given the association's new limits to board membership. Pinnell played a lead role in the efforts to craft those limits and several other bylaws changes that are impacting this election cycle and the composition of the GBTA board moving forward. Pinnell cited the bylaws changes and other transformation initiatives he and the current board pushed forward in the past year, including a comprehensive organizational review by third-party association consulting firm MCI USA, the globalization of the board of directors and the executive director search and hire of Suzanne Neufang, who took that role in February. He acknowledged GBTA's struggles, including the staff layoffs in the wake of Covid-19 devastation and the cancelled and postponed conventions in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In his video pitch, he emphasized the work yet to come and his desire to see it through. "With the restart of travel there is still much work to do," he said. He underscored the importance of engaging international membership and representation, providing more organizational transparency to all GBTA members and investing in the future through the GBTA ladders program "as a mentor program that engages the next generation of leaders in the travel industry."

TripActions senior customer success specialist for program optimizationMira Rosenzweig has been outspoken in the past about driving change through GBTA. Her video pitch and platform statement position Rosenzweig as an independent thinker who will ask the difficult questions and who isn't afraid to upend the status quo. She cited her leadership of the accommodations committee, which suspended participation in GBTA last summer pending the outcome of the organization's workplace investigations; her insistence upon engaging international members for that committee and her willingness to push back against a committee agenda prescribed by the GBTA board. She emphasized the diversity of her past roles in the industry, from hotelier to meeting planner to consultant to client success management. The latter, she said, suits her as a person who likes to dig into program challenges, roll up her sleeves and do the work that needs to be done. She sees a similar role for herself as a board member—not just to direct GBTA strategy, but to work side-by-side with the organization to respond to today's challenges and opportunities. Rosenzweig outlined both the challenges and opportunities in her platform statement as inclusiveness, education, innovation and partnership. She emphasized creative thinking, representing all members and providing more value through education and driving the industry toward collaborative solutions.

Recording his video pitch on location at Arches National Park, Southwest Airlines senior director of sales Kevin Sullivan celebrated the return to travel. Sullivan was unique among allied director at-large candidates in the emphasis he placed on GBTA's role in business travel industry recovery. While most candidates acknowledged the organization's general role in that area, Sullivan was more specific and pragmatic. He focused on GBTA's position as a communicator and advocate for business travel, naming the organization's current Ready. Safe. Travel. initiative as an area where GBTA should concentrate its efforts with more messaging and campaigns. He also made the case for GBTA as a conduit for both buyers and suppliers who will need support as the industry recovers—a process that may be a bumpy road as parties re-engage after a hiatus and re-establish partnerships that may operate differently than before the pandemic. Sullivan wrote, "…it will take time to rebuild to pre-pandemic levels. It will require trust and transparency from GBTA and its membership base. GBTA should be the leader in driving healthy dialogue amongst members." Sullivan also stated the importance of diversity at the board level and his drive to build the GBTA membership base across all regions to create a stronger and more diverse organization. Bringing that global perspective and diversity to the table, he said, also would deepen the organization's understanding of global sustainability conversation and GBTA's sizeable role in it.

American Airlines chief experience officer Allison Taylor underscored her international credentials as an industry veteran with Starwood Hotels & Resorts and now with American Airlines. She cited living and working in nine countries, and leading teams through economic recovery efforts in "multiple points of sale." She also cited her past experience on industry boards of directors, both at the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and at Meeting Professionals International. In her platform statement, she wrote of her vision to transform GBTA from what is now a governing role to what she called a "coordinating body," which, she wrote, should not only embrace the buyer and supplier communities as members but also advocate for needs of the business traveler—to the industry and to governments. "GBTA should be a trusted voice with regulators all over the world that advocates for the needs of business travelers and the companies that send their employees to conduct business near and far," she wrote. This position reflects her business and meetings travel roots but also integrates the perspective of her current role, honing individual customer experience at scale and the foundations that must be in place to deliver that. Business traveler experience will be a shared concern for travel managers and suppliers as the industry recovers—and a focus on the business traveler at the board level could bring new ways of thinking about the industry and how to structure its future.

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This article is the second in a series that will cover each candidate running for a board seat or board leadership position in the ongoing GBTA elections. Look for our coverage of direct member board seats on July 7.