who is taking part

Profiles of individual speakers will be posted here shortly.

Named speakers so far include:

Grant Appleton, Commercial Director, Hotel Reservation Service
HRS
Grant Appleton has been in the corporate hotel industry for over 20 years.

From working in the sales team at Thistle hotels in the early 90's, he was approached to join BSI as Senior Account Manager where he was responsible for managing some of their larger accounts for over 5 years during some of the most turbulent times in the travel industry.

In 2004, he moved from BSI to head up the hotel sales for BTI, now HRG, before joining HRS in 2006.

Colin Brain
Colin Brain is the CEO of the Corporate Travel Management consultancy, Management Solutions (UK) Limited.

A former corporate travel agent he was at the forefront of the technological revolution and responsible for implementing the first GDS in an agency situation in 1985 and the first Corporate self booking tool in a Corporates office in 1986! An eleven year servant of the Association of British Travel Agents he was twice elected Chairman of the Travel Agents Council of ABTA by his peers.

With over 35 years experience in the corporate travel sector of the travel industry he became the first Consultant specialising in Travel to gain the status of Certified Management Consultant in Europe as well as the first consultant to be enrolled as a member of the ITM.

Anthony Charlton, Corporate Travel Management team, Intel

Anthony Charlton is a Procurement Strategist at Intel Corporation, based in the UK.

Anthony has spent 9 years in the technology industry, in a variety of roles that has spanned treasury, information systems, and most recently procurement. Today Anthony is responsible for Intel's global sourcing strategy in Cards and Meetings Management and manages a number of virtual teams across the globe. He has previously managed Intel's Lodging, Ground Transportation, and Travel Agency categories.

Anthony has a bachelors degree in Systems Analysis.

Nigel Coombs
During his 40 years as a journalist since leaving Manchester University, Nigel Coombs has worked principally for United Newspapers and the BBC.He has also worked for NBC and other US companies.

He was editor of TTG for 20 years,is a travel correspondent on BBC Radios 4 and 2, a conference moderator and a public speaker. He also works as a media consultant.

Married with six children, his main interests are the study of religions, golf and psychotherapy.He lives in Kent.

Chris Crowley, Senior Vice President, Sales - Europe, BCD Travel

Chris is charged with successfully steering and managing a dynamic, client-oriented sales programme, enabling BCD Travel to underpin and expand its established position as a leading global corporate travel management company.

Alongside the responsibilities he holds within BCD Travel, Chris is also an active figure within the corporate travel industry - most notably serving as a Director of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) for the past 4 years and a contributor to various industry publications' editorial advisory boards.

His extensive industry knowledge and expertise are also called upon at numerous UK and international industry forums where he is a regular panelist and speaker.

Paula Cullen, Director RailOOTO
Paula Cullen joins Capita Business Travel from The Trainline where she was responsible for business development. Her career in business travel spans 18 years and includes roles in account management and sales for companies including TQ3 and BTI UK. During her career Paula has been responsible for a number of major sales wins with blue chip clients and is well regarded by both customers and peers.

Her wealth of experience in both managed travel and specifically the corporate rail market will further strengthen the senior management team at Capita Business Travel.

Matthew Frost, Director KDS

Matthew Frost is KDS UK Sales Director. Matthew was formerly sales manager with Ariba where he spent six years.

He was the company's first UK employee, where he opened the UK office and effectively established Ariba's presence in this market.

Matthew, 46, has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. He graduated in 1982 from Wadham College, University of Oxford.

Klaus Goddard, Director, Technical Sales & Adoption EMEA, BCD Travel

Klaus works within BCD Travel's Online Technology Solutions team and manages a team of Technical Sales Managers based throughout Europe. The team is responsible for working with customers to identify 'best fit' online technology solutions. These comprise Online Booking Tools as well as solutions from BCD Travel's extensive 'Source™' product suite, delivering end-to-end online solutions including online profile management and data & risk management tools. Klaus's team also has responsibility for driving customer online adoption.

Klaus has worked in the travel industry for almost twenty years in the UK, Germany and Canada in a variety of commercial project and product-related roles both within TMCs as well as travel technology companies.

Lorna Keen, Head of Business Development, Clarendon Serviced Apartments

Lorna Keen has 7 years experience of the UK Serviced Apartment Industry & is the Chairman of ASAP. The UK, Association of Serviced Apartment Providers. ASAP is a fledgling organization ( 5 years old) & represents best practice for the Serviced Apartment Industry. Lorna works at Clarendon Serviced Apartments, a London operator of Serviced Apartments.

Her experiences are that she represents an owner operate serviced apartment company in London & she has experience of operating a serviced apartment agency representing other serviced apartment operators across London & regions within Europe.

Yael Klein, Managing Director, AirPlus International Ltd

Yael Klein is Managing Director of AirPlus International Ltd, the UK division of the AirPlus Group. Before taking over her current role at the start of 2007, Ms Klein headed the Global Sales division of AirPlus and has been with the company for nine years.

She has an extensive travel background and has profound knowledge of AirPlus having worked as a consultant and an International Key Account Manager for the company before being promoted to her current position.

Torsten Kriedt, Vice President, Innovation & Intelligence, AdVito Consulting

TorstenKriedt
Torsten is Vice President at Advito, the independent consulting unit of BCD Travel, that provides advisory, procurement and outsourcing services in travel and expense management. Based in London, Torsten leads a team of professionals responsible for service and product innovation, to drive strategic growth initiatives and to strengthen Advito's position as thought leaders.

Previously, Torsten headed the Professional Services division at TQ3 Travel Solutions. Here - and in an in-house business consulting unit for a major UK public sector organization - he garnered more than 15 years of international travel management and consulting experience working with blue chip companies from various industries.

Torsten holds a first-class dual degree in European Business Studies with a major in International Finance Management and is alumnus of the 'Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft', the foundation for high potentials initiated by the German employers' federation (BDA).

Torsten is an active member of the industry associations ITM and ACTE, and serves on the sustainability committee for the German travel management association VDR.

Brian Merry, Director of Non I.S. Products, HRG Worldwide
HRG
Brian Merry is Director of Products at Hogg Robinson Group (HRG). He joined the Company in 1976 and since that time has held a number of roles, culminating in his appointment as Director of Products.

Brian is widely respected for his expertise within the corporate card sector in both the card and business travel industries and over the last 20 years has assisted with the development of most of the lodge card products within the UK.

He is recognised as a leading exponent in the use of corporate cards both as a payment method and as a vital re-engineering tool for the travel management process and is regularly asked to undertake public speaking engagements on this subject. His extensive international experience adds to his ability to offer completely unbiased advice on the most appropriate card solution for clients on both a national and multinational basis.

Brian's career highlights include:

Creation of the world's first lodge card
Development and launch of the first, jointly branded, corporate card.

Brian is married with two grown-up children. He is an avid golfer and a keen gardener.

Ron Mitchell, Procurement Consultant - UK Procurement, Zurich Financial Services

Ron has some 20 years experience as a procurement professional gained in blue chip UK businesses. Within Zurich, Ron has been heavily involved with the introduction of Zurich's Global Travel Procurement Policies and Global T&E Category Team.

He was responsible for the introduction of and integration of the on-line travel solutions for air, rail and hotels.

Ron is an active member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and the Institute of Travel Management.

Jerry Murck, Senior Vice President - Hotel Relations, BCD Travel

Jerry has global responsibility for BCD Travel's hotel business strategy and management of its hotel relations function following the creation of BCD Travel in January of 2006 (through the merger of WorldTravel BTI, TQ3 Gmbh and The Travel Company).

Jerry's management team is located in the US and Europe and together they oversee the company's hotel industry relations, hotel distribution management and the BCD Travel Hotel Programme (consortia hotel programme).

Jerry has twenty years experience in travel management and has been with BCD Travel, the world's third largest corporate travel management company, for fourteen years. His previous experience includes supplier relations, leisure travel marketing, operations and IT.

Chris Reynolds, Senior Partner, 3 Sixty

Chris's business travel industry experience spans more than 20 years and has involved areas such as business travel operations, implementation, project management and travel procurement. Chris spent 5 successful years as Travel Manager for Siemens where he had responsibility for supplier selection and management, negotiation and customer relations.

He is now a Senior Partner and co-owner of the specialist consulting firm 3SIXTY, where he is well positioned to use his strong negotiation skills, analytical approach and demonstrable skills in procuring business travel services to assist other corporate buyers.

Chris is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchase & Supply and serving Board Director of the Institute of Travel Management.

Alistair Rowe, General Manager, BCD Travel

Alistair's corporate travel industry experience spans over 28 years, during which time he has developed a strategic emphasis in the arenas of operational and financial performance.

In his General Manager position within BCD Travel, Alistair's responsibilities include maximising efficiencies of the business units in his charge, whilst continuing to ensure the highest levels of service to a long established, and growing, client base.

Alistair's experience, expertise and analytical approach are also utilised with great success in exploring and recommending innovative travel solutions - from the bottom line to the business traveller - to ensure corporations are equipped to face the changing corporate travel landscape with confidence.

Alistair is married and has two young demons.

Martin Turner, Head of Sales, East Midlands Trains