Newsmakers: Galileo Hires New Team

<B> Newsmakers: Galileo Hires New Team</B>

By Mary Ann McNulty


Agency, airline and even its own sales representatives have been tapped to head up Galileo International's new sales efforts in recent weeks, replacing the United and US Airways sales force that until this year had been contracted to sell the GDS, along with any airline products. Four women have been hired as new regional directors, including Eileen Wingate, Shelley Earhart, Ellen Japczyk and Patricia Elliott.

Wingate, who spent the past eight years as a sales executive at Omni Travel Management in Cambridge, Mass., and its acquirer Navigant International, was enticed to join Galileo to handle the Eastern region. In her previous position as travel manager for Harvard University, she was recognized by BTN as the 1989 Travel Manager of the Year.

Earhardt, a former United Airlines program manager, will handle the Central region. At United, she worked closely with corporate customers piloting United's Corporate Connection. Japczyk, who has been with Apollo/Galileo for a number of years, will handle the Southwestern region, while Elliott, formerly with Mutual Travel in Seattle, also a Navigant agency, will cover the Northwest.

Each of the four will be based in her region and report to Leo van Dorp, vice president of the Americas and Japan. And the four are hiring other sales reps to assist them, though Galileo executives declined to reveal how many will be hired in total. Earlier this year, Galileo said it planned to add a total of 40 to 60 employees to the new sales force.

Senior vice president Dave Near said executives were "happy with the blend of airline, agency and CRS" backgrounds in the group of "smart, high-energy" directors. Given their knowledge of the industry, they quickly began suggesting ways to generate new accounts and entice existing customers to enhance their business. Near noted that changing market conditions forced Galileo to bring on new talent to sell in a more consultative style.

Commenting on the new hires, a spokesperson said the four are charged with both retaining and developing new clients and ensuring "same store sales," meaning the same or more bookings from each agency location. They must know not only Galileo's product lines, but also those of its third-party providers and partners. Although Galileo recently hired former Hertz sales veteran John Hach to handle the largest corporate customers, the regional directors likely will work with both agency and smaller corporate customers in their territories.

Galileo ended its sales contracts with United and US Airways earlier this year, saying its own sales force would be more cost-effective and efficient.