First European to hold post
Chris Crowley is to be the next president of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
He will be the first European to hold the post.
Mr Crowley, senior vp for sales for EMEA and Asia Pacific regions for BCD Travel, was elected president -elect yesterday (October 26) at ACTE's Global Education Conference in Prague.
He will take up this role in January and succeed the current president, Richard Crum, president and ceo of AirPlus International, at the next global conference in Chicago next May.
Mr Crowley has worked for 18 years in the industry, first with hotel groups Accor and Concorde before joining in 2005 The Travel Company, an independent UK agency which was taken over by BCD Travel.
He served as ACTE's director-at-large between 2005-07.
On his appointment, Mr Crowley said: "I think one of the greatest deliverables of this Association is to assist the industry with innovative global solutions to enhance their professional growth."
'I am looking forward to bringing a European and Global perspective to the role of ACTE President and feel honoured with this opportunity to work for our members and stakeholders across the many ACTE regions and communities.'
He said two "critical" issues facing the industry were "the need for a global voice for the business travel industry partnered with recognition and training for key executives and business leaders around the world".
Earlier in the conference, Mr Crum called on the 800 delegates to act as leaders and "push pull the industry from one of the darkest points into a new reality".
He added: "It is our leaders who inspire innovation and change that will prepare us all to thrive ... not just survive.
"This world runs on one major fuel source (and it's not oil), its optimism. A belief that no matter what things look like today, tomorrow has the prospect of being better, and our industry is the same.
"When companies believe that the future hold promises of growth and profits, they travel. It takes leaders to inspire the optimism we need, and our leaders look forward and upward towards new opportunities."
ACTE also appointed industry stalwart Cathrine Lundberg as its country champion for Sweden.
Ms Lundberg is a former travel manager for Skanska and now principal consultant for CMM Consulting in Stockholm.
She was chair of the Swedish Business Travel Association from 1997-2002 and has also served on ACTE's education committee.
www.acte.org