Travel management company veterans Kevin O'Malley and Michael Qualantone have launched a firm aiming to "promote and advance the integrity of managed travel" by collaborating with players across the managed travel ecosystem.
Qualantone was with American Express Global Business Travel for 34 years, most recently as chief revenue officer, and retired from the TMC in 2023. O'Malley was with Travel & Transport for 17 years, including six as CEO, and more recently was Corporate Travel Management's CEO for North America until stepping down last year.
The pair this week officially launched their new firm, New M.O.—M.O. standing for modus operandi—that they formed late last year. Since its formation, O'Malley and Qualantone said they have been engaging with TMCs, global distribution companies and technology firms as well as a client advisory board of senior corporate travel buyers, which M.O. is keeping anonymous. In collaboration with those players, the firm hopes to work toward solutions in such industry obstacles as fragmented content, inconsistent technology standards, lack of alignment and entities acting in self-interest, according to the firm.
"We're here to bring clarity, accountability and strategic focus to an industry that's too often reactive and fragmented," O'Malley said in a statement.
Among the goals O'Malley and Qualantone have set for this year are defining managed travel's "true size and impact" and the "must-haves" of travel programs as well as advocating for accountability, innovation and transparency from all parties.
"This isn’t about nostalgia for an old model—it’s about developing a better one," Qualantone said in a statement. "We believe travel is a force for good—economically and socially—and managed travel is the engine that makes business travel work at scale."