CWT Italy plans to cut 190 jobs, according to unions representing its employees, as it undergoes what those unions describe as a “radical” transformation following its acquisition by rival American Express Global Business Travel.
Italian trade unions representing CWT employees announced the travel management company’s planned redundancies last week, marking the start of negotiations expected to focus on the “social consequences” of technological innovation in the business travel industry. The unions pointed to what it called CWT's “significant investment” in artificial intelligence as a factor in the move.
In a joint statement, the Filcams CGIL, Fisascat CISL and UILTuCS trade unions said: “If new technologies enable productivity gains, cost reductions and organisational improvements, some of the value generated must be translated into job protection, investment in training, professional development, skills retraining and new opportunities for people to grow.”
They went on to say that the “drastic” job cuts – which represent 45 per cent of the company’s Italian workforce – cannot be dismissed “as a routine organisational measure: it is a decision that radically reshapes the future of CWT Italy and raises questions about the industrial and strategic responsibilities of those who have managed the group in recent years”.
The trade unions are calling on CWT to begin “genuine and transparent discussions” and to prioritise “any solutions that could protect jobs and make the most of the expertise within the workforce”.
The parties are expected to meet in Milan on Friday (16 October) to begin negotiations. The unions will also “seek clarification on the commercial policies adopted following Amex GBT's acquisition of CWT, which may have disadvantaged CWT by restricting its opportunities for commercial growth in favour of Amex GBT”.
Following the trade union notice, an Amex GBT spokesperson told BTN that “all steps are being taken in accordance with the applicable legal requirements, and no final decisions will be made until the full consultation process has been carried out”.
The spokesperson added: “CWT Italy remains committed to delivering for our customers and investing in our business in Italy.”
Industry response: Debate over AI role
The redundancy notice, posted on 5 October, prompted an outpouring of support for CWT staff on LinkedIn from business travel professionals across the country. Many recounted spending formative years of their careers at CWT, which entered the Italian market in 1996.
Industry professionals on LinkedIn described the TMC as a “trendsetter” and “school” for corporate travel management in Italy. Some past and present employees also described the company as a “second family”.
However, multiple sources told BTN Europe that increased automation across the business travel sector was not the sole reason for CWT Italy’s layoffs, warning that AI should not be used as “an excuse” to cut costs.
Alfredo Pezzani, CEO and managing director of technology-focused TMC HuTechTravel, said attributing everything to artificial intelligence “risks oversimplifying the issue”.
“We cannot expect to work today using the same methods and tools from 30, 20 or even just 10 years ago. Technology is advancing rapidly, and continuous upskilling is essential. But this responsibility cannot fall solely on employees. Companies must invest in training and support people through change,” he said. “The question we should be asking ourselves is: How much are we investing to enable people to grow alongside technology?”
Although HuTechTravel is among the market’s newest entrants and offers an AI-powered booking platform, Pezzani has extensive experience in Italy’s business travel sector. He has held leadership roles at ACI Blueteam, Uvet American Express GBT, Cisalpina and HRG, giving him first-hand knowledge into the inner workings of some of the country’s biggest TMCs.
“CWT’s competitive gap in the Italian market was well known to industry professionals and those who make their living in business travel,” he said.
BCD Travel Italy managing director Edoardo Maria Priori said that while the role of TMCs is “evolving”, the key lies in “balancing automation with the value of human skills and experience”.
“The organisations seeing the greatest benefits are those that use AI to augment employees rather than simply replace them,” he said.
The Association of Italian Travel and Mobility Managers (AITMM) has also weighed in on the AI debate. Its president, Ivano Gallino, said both sides of the corporate travel divide will need to assess new ways of working, with ongoing investment in skills development amid increased automation.
“This will require new training and the creation of new roles and structures, including changes to how work is organised. It is therefore a significant challenge for everyone, across all sectors, over the coming years.
“It’s the classic law of evolution: innovate or become extinct. It’s harsh to put it that way, but in many cases, that’s what will happen,” he said.
“What we’re asking for is a degree of gradual change and balance, because behind every number there’s a person. Behind those 190 [CWT employees] being made redundant, there’s an individual, a family, a life… It’s very easy to talk in numbers. But for those directly affected, it’s not that simple.”
Inevitable post-merger cuts?
The company’s recent acquisition by Amex GBT is another factor. The $540 million GBT-CWT deal was completed in September 2025 after nearly 18 months of regulatory scrutiny in the UK and US. Amex GBT was subsequently acquired by AI investment firm Long Lake Management in a $6.3 billion deal finalised just two weeks ago.
The Long Lake deal took the company private and paves the way for what the companies called "heavy" investment in AI deployment across the business.
Consultant and former CWT director of product delivery technology Martijn van der Voort said job losses were to be expected following a merger between two global players, describing the “rightsizing” of CWT’s Italy operation as “inevitable” after the acquisition.
Van der Voort, who spent 15 years with CWT in the UK before being “let go” in 2024, said on LinkedIn: “The people who kept the company going through the tough times during and after Covid, despite the lack of any meaningful strategy from the leadership back then, were always facing an uphill battle. They lived under constant anxiety about losing their jobs, stuck in a repeating cycle, remaining in delivery mode so CWT's numbers stacked up for an acquisition.”
Amex GBT also has an established presence in Italy through its joint venture with Uvet Group. Uvet Global Business Travel is the country’s largest travel management company, with eight offices nationwide.
The company recently reported an 11.9 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for its business travel division, reaching €677.8 million for the 2025 financial year.
Uvet Group president Luca Patanè told BTN Europe that the company “continues to invest in the people and expertise needed to support its development” and has hired five people from CWT so far this year.
“Uvet Group has vacancies open on an ongoing basis and publishes its positions across various platforms. We assess candidates on the basis of their abilities and skills, regardless of which company they come from. Employees currently working at CWT who wish to apply are therefore welcome to do so.”
Responding to questions regarding the CWT redundancies, he added: “The market rewards sustainability, efficiency and productivity. Companies that fail to remain competitive may, over time, find themselves having to undertake restructuring or deal with even more complex situations, regardless of whether automation or artificial intelligence has been introduced.”
The path ahead under Long Lake, however, is less clear.
Patanè said it’s “too early” to assess the implications for the relationship between Uvet and GBT.
“We do not yet know the new shareholders' intentions, and we will need to engage with them to understand the direction they intend to take the company. For our part, we will approach this phase thoughtfully and with a willingness to engage, while also considering how Uvet might contribute to future developments,” he said.