Industry Leader Bob Griffith Passes Away

Travel management company executive Bob Griffith, 57, died last week after a heart attack. Griffith became executive vice president for Carlson Wagonlit Travel earlier this year, following its $510 million acquisition of Navigant International, which closed in August. Griffith, who had served as CFO and treasurer of the Denver-based Navigant since before the roll-up spun off from parent company U.S. Office Products in 1998, became COO in 2003. Griffith also served as CFO for Professional Travel Corp., the travel management company he joined in 1993 and which Navigant officially acquired in 1997.

"I met Bob in mid '80s when he was a tax partner at Deloitte & Touche and he became my personal accountant and friend," said Ed Adams, former CEO of Professional Travel and Navigant. "I prevailed upon him to come work for me in 1993 and he proved instrumental in helping me build Professional Travel and Navigant. He was in on every deal and was the architect of the structure of the deals we made as we bought dozens of travel agencies. He was a driving force in the industry and we could not have done what we did without him. He was an easygoing, honest guy with a real Midwestern work ethic who brought a real calming influence to an industry that seemed always in turmoil. He was excited about diving into his new role at Carlson Wagonlit, and this will be a real loss of a resource for them."