Travelocity Global late yesterday announced several senior executive changes, including the appointment of Yannis Karmis as president of Travelocity Business, effective Nov. 1. Karmis replaces Lesley Harris, who has shifted to the leisure online travel agency side of the company as head of North American Hotels and Packaging.
Karmis has served in various roles at Sabre Holdings over the past 12 years, most recently as vice president of global customer support for Sabre Travel Network and general manager of Sabre Uruguay, where he ran the company's Montevideo customer service and support center. He now will move to Sabre's Southlake, Texas, headquarters.
Harris, who replaced Ellen Keszler in spring 2007 as Travelocity Business president, now transitions to running the single largest generating line of business for Travelocity Global, according to the company.
Travelocity Business' leadership transition is the third this year among the Internet travel management companies. In May, Egencia president Jean-Pierre Remy left the company and was replaced by Egencia North America senior vice president Rob Greyber
(BTNonline, May 6). In June, Orbitz for Business named Orbitz Worldwide senior vice president of corporate development Frank Petito as president of the TMC, succeeding Dean Sivley, who left in May to become president and CEO of travel insurance provider Travel Guard
(BTNonline, June 18).