FCm Travel Solutions this month publicly announced the appointment as president of North America Gregory Lording, replacing Dan O'Brien, who left FCm following a short stint beginning in August 2007.
Lording has been with FCm parent Flight Centre for more than eight years, most recently as global leader for FCm's entertainment logistics company, Stage and Screen Travel Services.
In the past year, FCm opened offices in Boston, Dallas and Phoenix and will open a "couple in Canada and probably two more in the U.S." this year, according to Lording, currently based in Flight Centre's Vancouver regional headquarters.
In North America, Australia-based FCm remains focused on companies with about $2 million in annual air spending. Lording also plans to build synergies between FCm's corporate brands in the region.
FCm recently launched a group travel business that Lording plans to expand over the next 12 months. Lording represents FCm on the Garber/FCm Travel Solutions board, in which FCm has a 26 percent stake. Unlike O'Brien, who forecasted a Garber buyout
(BTNonline, Aug. 20, 2007), Lording said there are no plans to increase FCm's stake.