Orbitz for Business senior vice president and COO Dean Sivley will leave the company at the end of the month to become president and CEO of travel insurance provider Travel Guard.
Sivley, who joined Orbitz for Business—then Travelport for Business—in 2004, also runs Orbitz Worldwide's alliance marketing business segment, which includes partner marketing and Away.com. According to an Orbitz spokesperson, the company learned of Sivley's decision in the last few days and is still evaluating successor candidates.
During his time at Orbitz for Business, Sivley oversaw the brand's multinational deployment
(BTNonline, Dec. 8, 2008), integration with the former Travelport booking tool products and development into a full-service travel management company with the launch of such offerings as onsite agent services
(BTNonline, Aug. 15, 2007).
Sivley replaces Travel Guard founder and 24-year CEO John Noel. According to the Stevens Point, Wis.-based company, it is the largest travel insurance and assistance provider in North America. American International Group acquired the company in 2006. AIG plans to spin off Travel Guard and some of its other operating companies into AIU Holdings.
Meanwhile, like its travel agency brethren, Orbitz for Business parent Orbitz Worldwide reported stark year-over-year gross booking and revenue declines for the first quarter of 2009 contributing to a net loss of $336 million, the company announced today. Gross bookings fell 17 percent to $2.38 billion. International gross bookings decreased 36 percent far outpacing a 13 percent drop domestically. Net revenue decreased 14 percent to $188 million. Orbitz for Business signed 17 new clients in the quarter.