Business Travel News Europe Business Travel News Europe
Business Travel News
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence
  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence
  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide
Business Travel News
  • NEWS & FEATURES
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
    SubscribeBTN Europe NewsletterBTN Europe Magazine
  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Expert Q&A
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
    Andrew Foster appzenHow to revamp T&E in the age of Covid
    Sarah Wilkin, founder and CEO, Fly Green AllianceSustainability should be front and centre of travel’s recovery
    Scott Gillespie tClaraBusiness travel has peaked. Here's our future
  • IN DEPTH
    • Global Insights: India in motion
    • A class of its own
    • Cracking the data puzzle
    • Culture club: How to engage global stakeholders
    • Artificial intelligence: Don't believe the hype
    • Artificial Intelligence

  • DATA & INSIGHTS
    • Reading the cards
    • Come together
    • Experience is everything
    • Stay for a while
    • Data disturbance
    • VIEW ALL
    Reading the cardsReading the cards

    BTN Europe presents an overview of business travel and MICE predictions for this year

  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
    5th Annual Global Travel Risk Summit Europe Virtual Event

    Virtual Event - 21 April 2021

    Sustainable Business Travel Summit Europe

    Virtual Event - 9 June 2021

    Business Travel Show Europe

    ExCeL London - 30 Sep - 01 Oct 2021

  • RESOURCES
    • Leading 50 TMCs
    • Corporate cards & payments 2020
    • Podcasts
    • Recent Issues
    • Business Travel Buyer's Handbook
    • Business Travel Buyer's Techbook
    • Taking On Travel Risk Management
    • The Distribution Issue
    • Data Sources: The Reference Guide

Management

Former Portman CEO joins Firebird as TMC sector consolidates

By Mark Frary / 16 November 2020 / Contact Reporter
Share
Steve Allen former Portman travel CEO

Former Portman Travel CEO Steve Allen, who is joining The Firebird Partnership

The Firebird Partnership, a strategic consultancy to help travel companies “survive, develop and thrive”, has appointed Steve Allen as a director at a time when the business travel sector faces a critical few months.

Allen was formerly Portman Travel CEO and Wexas managing director and recently returned to the UK after a three-year stint as senior vice president at dnata, part of the Emirates Group. 

Firebird was launched by business strategist and experienced company director Ian Finlay and corporate finance specialist Stewart Lambert in June 2020 to help travel businesses affected by Covid-19 rebuild, as well as offering pathways to exit.

Finlay said: “Steve brings a wealth of experience and insight, particularly in the corporate sphere. The coming months will be critical for many in travel, and there are few consultancies who can match our growing team’s skill and experience.” 

Allen told BTN Europe, “The business travel sector in the UK is under severe pressure given the state of demand and the constraints around international travel. Elsewhere, in China, Australia and the US for example, domestic travel is recovering and represents an important part of the business of TMCs serving customers in those markets. In the UK, the reliance by most TMCs on international travel has led to very limited travel activity. 

“The UK TMC sector will see more consolidation and at pace in the coming months, as companies adjust to reduced demand levels through 2021, a recovery that will take several years, and with an outcome that will see different travel profiles for many companies and organisations compared to 2019.”  

He added: “With the very welcome furlough scheme highly likely to finish end-March, companies have to map their recovery plans for 2021-22 mindful of cash burn and the lower levels of activity to come. Many TMCs had low profit margins pre-Covid and will be working out how best to survive. For many, the answer will be through scale, which means merging or selling to a competitor.” 

The TMC sector has faced a brutal few months, with Horncastle Executive Travel the latest TMC to cease trading.









More Travel Management
Related
Berg-Hansen signs technology deal with SabreBerg-Hansen signs technology deal with Sabre
ATPI acquires German travel agencyATPI acquires German travel agency
Budget furlough extension welcomed but industry calls for return of international travelUK Budget: furlough extension welcomed but industry calls for return of international travel

More Travel Management

Berg-Hansen signs technology deal with Sabre
ATPI acquires German travel agency
UK Budget: furlough extension welcomed but industry calls for return of international travel
TMCs facing decimation of revenues and accelerated transformation

VIEW ALL
Subscribe to the

BTN Europe Newsletter

pixel2

Click Here for our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. UK government to launch review of international travel
  2. BA suspends Manchester-Gatwick services
  3. British Airways launches new agency-only flexible fares
  4. Qantas to restart international services from October
  5. Analysis: Worker protection red tape ties up EU business travel
  1. Qantas to restart international services from October
  2. Emirates to introduce surcharges for GDS content
  3. Travelogix partners with Trees4Travel
  4. British Airways launches new agency-only flexible fares
  5. UK government to launch review of international travel
Business Travel News Europe Business Travel News Europe
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • EDITORIAL CALENDAR
  • Business Travel Show
BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS
NORTHSTAR TRAVEL GROUP
Business Travel News
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Editorial calendar
  • Editorial guidelines
  • Subscribe to BTN Europe
  • Subscribe to BTN U.S.
  • Subscribe to Travel Procurement
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & conditions
Business Travel News Europe
Business Travel News Travel Procurement The Beat
Northstar Travel Group
  • Corporate travel
  • Business Travel Show
  • Business Travel Awards
  • BTN U.S.
  • The Beat
  • Travel Procurement

  • Travel Technology
  • Travel Tech Show
  • Phocuswire
  • Phocuswright
  • Intelliguide
  • Meetings & incentives
  • M&IT
  • AMI
  • ConventionSource
  • M&IT Awards

  • Retail travel
  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Pulse

  • Northstar Travel Group
  • View all Northstar brands
Northstar Travel Group
Copyright ©2021, Northstar Travel Media Ltd, The Epworth, 25 City Road, London EC1Y 1AA, UK
RRManagement rrtestprocurement