Christoph Carnier will continue to lead VDR as president
Christoph Carnier will continue in his role as president of German travel management association VDR, following elections at the association’s annual general meeting in Ingolstadt on Tuesday (20 May).
Carnier, who was first elected as VDR president in 2019, will now begin a third term in office. Meanwhile Inge Pirner, travel manager for Gräfin Brühl Immobilien, has been re-elected as VDR’s vice-president.
Commenting on his re-election, Carnier thanked VDR members and said the organisation has achieved “many goals” in recent years.
“The association has been able to increase the political visibility of business mobility, advance the development of young talent in travel management, and create significant added value for members – rising membership numbers are testament to this. I am pleased to be successfully continuing this journey within the VDR,” he said.
Carnier, who is senior director of travel, fleet and events at Merck Group, said he will also continue work to advance the adaptation to new technologies in corporate travel as well as help to “shape business mobility in a forward-looking and sustainable manner”.
Olaf Lehmann, who works for TRUMPF Group, and Michael Krenz, from Corporate Rates Club, have also been re-elected to the VDR executive committee. Meanwhile, Oliver Bransch, senior manager of strategic procurement at PWC, and Marina Christensen, head of sales at BWH Hotels Central Europe, have joined the committee for the first time. Previous committee members Karina Kaestner and Richard Thompson have now stepped down. VDR general manager Jens Schließmann is also an executive member of the committee.