Newsmakers: Former CRS Chiefs Take Helm Of XTRA On-line

<B> Newsmakers: Former CRS Chiefs Take Helm Of XTRA On-line</B>

By Sarah Welt

<I>Dallas, Texas</I> - XTRA On-line, a start-up software developer and publisher of online Internet travel reservations products, has hired two former presidents of CRS companies as part of an aggressive new management strategy to rapidly grow the company.

Bill Diffenderffer, formerly president and CEO of System One Amadeus, began serving as XOL's CEO March 2, and Paul Blackney, previously president and CEO of Apollo Travel Services began in January as chairman of the board.

Rick Kumpf will continue to serve as XOL's president, however, Diffenderffer will run day-to-day operations. Kumpf will "report directly to me," said Diffenderffer. "He is going to be involved in sales and marketing and he will retain his title of president based on his founder status." Diffenderffer also will have strategic responsibility.

Blackney, who served at Apollo's helm from 1993 to 1997, will be responsible for giving direction to the board and XOL's executive team. He will help XOL look for strategic partners in technology and other areas of the industry. Blackney also will provide consulting services. He said, "I am actually down here with the management team, trying to bring something from 30 years experience in the industry to a company that is only two years old."

Diffenderffer, a 21-year industry veteran, served as president of System One and then System One Amadeus from 1991 until last month. He said his new company plans to grow "ten times a year--meaning a thousand percent." The company is getting financing from venture capital firms, and, Diffenderffer said, "Obviously Paul and I wouldn't be here, since we're relatively bright guys, unless we were certain the capital structure was in place already to accomplish the goal." Additionally, he said that XTRA On-line plans to go public in the next two years.

"XOL has the product--it certainly will have it as required as of the end of May," Diffenderffer said. "It has the capital--it needed the management. Rick did a great job getting everything started, getting everything flowing, but Rick recognized, as did the board generally, that there is a tremendous likelihood of success if properly managed," said Diffenderffer. "So if you think of where you would find the best management talent for this particular effort, the CRSs are the best place to go."

Blackney has been with the CRSs since the drawing board. He pioneered travel automation as the first full-time employee to work on United Airlines' original Apollo reservation system in 1976.

Moving forward, Blackney said the industry is going through a "big dynamic shift" from a distribution system that was "basically supplier supported to a distribution system where everyone in the chain has some interest in what happens," and is excited to be involved in the industry in a time of transition.