BCD Travel has selected three candidates to participate in the Management Associate Programme (MAP), an international business travel immersion course developed in partnership with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE).
Recent graduates Serena De Martino, Douwe Stoer and Mila Buga will spend six weeks travelling to Paris, Amsterdam, Utrecht, New York City, Atlanta, Shanghai and Mumbai between May and July this year to learn about careers in the corporate travel industry.
Upon their return, the MAP associates will begin six-month paid internships at BCD offices around the world with an opportunity to earn offers for permanent positions with the TMC. They will receive formal training across departments within the company, as well as ongoing evaluation, coaching and feedback.
Christian Dahl, SVP of talent management and global human resources at BCD Travel, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome this year’s MAP associates to the BCD Travel team. This investment is not only evidence of BCD’s support of industry-wide initiatives in the talent management, recruitment and retention space, but our internal efforts as well.”
Leigh Bochicchio, president of ACTE Global, added: “ACTE is proud to support the MAP initiative through the Around the World Programme and to see these talented individuals grow and thrive in this industry. We’re excited to watch as this year’s MAP associates embark on their journey down this rewarding career path.”
The MAP scheme was established seven years ago in an effort to attract new talent to the business travel industry by highlighting the benefits and opportunities available.
The first BBT Roundtable found that students studying travel and tourism at colleges and universities were largely unaware of corporate travel as a potential career path.
2018 MAP associate and current global operations analyst at BCD, Korie Wilson, said: “Despite the size and global importance of the corporate travel industry, there seems to be little awareness among college students and recent grads of this great career path. There are few industries that provide as much opportunity to grow both vertically and laterally as corporate travel. There are an incredible number of different professional roles and verticals to explore.”
“Before applying for and being accepted into the MAP, I did not have any exposure to the corporate travel industry,” said Jenn O'Connell, 2018 MAP associate and current marketing coordinator at BCD Travel. “The benefits I gained extended well beyond the internship. The ability to be part of an incredible industry, gain exposure to and appreciation for different global perspectives, and access to senior leaders were unparalleled. All have helped me in my career thus far and will continue to do so well into the future.”
bcdtravel.com; acte.org