Tanner Returns To The Americas

<B> Tanner Returns To The Americas</B>

By Mary Ann McNulty

<I>Fort Lauderdale, Fla.</I> - Travis Tanner, president and CEO of Carlson Wagonlit Travel's worldwide operations, will head up the agency's Americas operations as it begins the transformation prescribed under its Project Mercury reengineering.

Doug Ziemer, president of the Americas region for the past 18 months--and long-time right-hand man to Tanner--will spearhead the "change management" required to make the reengineering work.

Disputing rumors about the change, Tanner explained that he always planned to return to the intensive operations and customer management role in the Americas as CWT begins the roll-out of point-of-sale software, call center management and most importantly, a new structure organized by customer rather than region. When Ziemer was appointed to the post, Tanner's primary focus was on solidifying the worldwide business established with the merger of Carlson's and Accor's travel management operations.

"As CEO of this business, I have to be on the front line as we implement this with our employees and customers," Tanner said.

The North Central region is the first to implement the findings of Project Mercury, a global reengineering effort now rolling out (<I>BTN,</I> Apr. 13). With customer satisfaction at an all-time high, Tanner said, changes will be implemented slowly to preserve success. CWT just won $1 billion worth of corporate business in the first half of 1998. Among the new customers are Alcatel, Bombardier Business Jets, British Broadcasting Co., British Tire & Rubber, Honeywell, NCR, Republic National Bank, Shell Oil and Young & Rubicam. Provided the changes are successful, they will be implemented through the United States, Europe and Asia over the next three or more years.

Project Mercury is "a whole new process of how to handle transactions that benefits the customer and our employees," said Tanner. "If you look at how we manage GE globally, we handle them in 20 or so different countries in the world, but it reports up to one person in Phoenix." Others handling the account worldwide have dotted line reporting to the main account manager.

Tanner said CWT likely will hire people to head up operations and customer relationships, but will not fill the role of president as it currently exists.