Corporate Travel & Expense Management Forum

Originators / Organisers

Colin Brain, CEO, Management Solutions (UK) Limited


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.

Caroline Allen, Regional Director, Northern & East Central Europe and Russia, Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE)


Caroline has gained a broad travel industry experience over more than twenty years across the corporate and leisure markets in operational, senior sales and marketing, travel technology and travel bonding roles. Focusing on the corporate travel sector since 1997, Caroline has worked with travel management companies (TMCs) and travel technology firms securing many blue chip travel management and online technology contracts.

Since 2008, Caroline has been contracted to ACTE, (the Association of Corporate Travel Executives), as ACTE's Regional Director, Europe.

ACTE is a Global non-profit trade association which provides a credible and professional platform for buyers and suppliers of corporate travel to network together and learn from each other. Caroline works with senior professionals and leaders around the world, exchanging information to progress the industry, identifying trends, sharing knowledge and promoting best practice techniques in corporate travel procurement and management between peers, through educational events, online resources and webcasts.

Caroline served on the ITM Board Directors between 2005 and 2007 and is based in London.

Confirmed Speakers Include

Matthew Beck, Regional Director UK, Rearden Commerce


Matt is currently based in London and is responsible for Rearden Commerce's international business development and partners in Europe, with a focus on the UK.

Matt has more than 11 years working in the travel industry and in addition to his five years at Rearden Commerce; he has worked for an airline, a GDS, an online travel agency and another travel technology provider. Prior to becoming involved in travel, Matt was a management consultant for Bain & Company.

Caroline French, Corporate Travel and Relocation Manager, Inmarsat Global Ltd

Caroline French is the Corporate Travel and Relocation Manager for Inmarsat Global Ltd a leading provider of global mobile satellite communications.

Caroline has overall responsibility for all Inmarsat's Global travel and relocation management and is involved in the setting up of a new business operation in Switzerland.

Ian Ferguson, IT Director, Expotel

Ian's travel process, automation and technology experience within both the retail and corporate space spans almost 18 years (I know, he doesn't look that old!).

Having brought automated and graphic point of sale solutions and fare databases into Tour Operators some 15 years ago and creating one of the first agency Online Booking Tools back in 1995, he has great experience in the history and evolution of the emerging technologies that power web enable business travel solutions.

Ian is leading the delivery of a new multi-modal Online Booking Tool for Expotel and has managed numerous in-house and partner Online Booking Tools in his time as IT Director for BCD Travel in the UK&IE and as Head of Consulting Services for Sabre, EMEA.

Glenn Greene, EMEA travel team, Nomura
Glenn Greene is part of Nomura's EMEA travel team based in London.

Glenn has been responsible for commissioning and implementing booking tools for the last 20 years as part of the drive towards automating data handling. In that time the tools used have evolved from mainly supporting agents to the online tools for bookers that are in use today. This year Glenn has been responsible for implementing an online travel booking solution at Nomura for bookers in EMEA and is taking the lead in driving up adoption rates.

With over 30 years experience in the ground transportation and travel industry Glenn made the transition from supplier to buyer in 2005 and is uniquely positioned to understand issues from both sides of the fence.

Gavin Harvey, Senior Buyer, Sodexo

Gavin is procurement professional with over twenty years experience and currently works for Sodexo as a Senior Buyer.

He is targeted to drive savings across diverse overhead commodity groups, of which travel for UK & Ireland with a £5 million spend, remains one of the largest.

Since taking over the category four years ago Gavin has managed two TMC implementations, developed a tighter travel policy, introduced a comprehensive hotel programme, improved compliance levels and launched an online booking tool.

Paul Kavanagh

With well over 20 years hotel experience, Paul is an Internationally experienced Hotel General Manager.

Currently operating three hotels in Nigeria, including the world famous Obudu Mountain Resort, the official holiday home of the President of Nigeria.

Having grown up in London hotels like the Cumberland and Strand Palace, and been a GM of three London properties Paul has always had a passionate commitment to producing deals that win for his hotels.

As well as his hotel operating life, Paul is also a lecturer of Hospitality Management at various universities and recently been a keynote speaker at travel & tourism conferences in South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana.

Yael Klein, Managing Director, AirPlus International Ltd


Yael Klein is the Managing Director of AirPlus International (UK), the leading provider of global business travel payment solutions. Ms Klein has an extensive travel background and profound knowledge of the travel payment industry, having worked at AirPlus International for over nine years.

Prior to her current post in the United Kingdom, Ms Klein worked as a consultant and an International Key Account Manager, specialising in global sales. During the past two years, Ms Klein has led a successful sales and customer service team, focusing on quality, customer service and innovation. Ms Klein has a degree in International Tourism.

Torsten Kriedt, Vice President, Corporate Intelligence Product Planning & Portfolio Management, AdVito

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.

Patrick Kuziw, Travel Manager NEU, International SOS


As Travel Manager for International SOS in Northern Europe, Patrick is responsible for managing travel for all medical and security evacuations and repatriations from the region as well as the International SOS Business Travel Programme in London and Northern Europe.

Prior to this role which Patrick has been in for five years, he worked for AMEX Centurion, Platinum and Gold Card Holder travel service for 3 years and before that as an Aviation Fire Fighter in the Australian Air Force before moving to the UK.

Michèle Lawley, BCD Travel


Michèle's main responsibilities include directing strategy towards the profitability and growth of the company, building and maintaining an effective executive team, fostering the retention and satisfaction of both clients and employees, while always delivering the highest value to our customers through advanced technologies and service offerings.

Michèle's experience in the travel industry spans over 25 years, with a particular focus on operational streamlining, account management and building relationships with clients.

Keith Mullineux, EMEA Travel Manager, General Electric (GE)

Keith is targeted with driving down the cost of travel for 30,000 Travellers employed across the 7 separate GE Businesses in 21 European Countries.

Over almost ten years in this role, Keith has focused on leveraging and negotiating Supplier deals, using data to support the Businesses and Travellers in obtaining full value from their Travel spend, standardising and digitising Travel processes around a SBT and consolidating all European operations into a single Centre.

Keith's career has embraced Sourcing, Sales and Project Management - and before joining GE he was a Director with the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

Bob Papworth, executive editor, Buying Business Travel

Bob Papworth is executive editor of Buying Business Travel, the UK's leading corporate travel publication, and lead contributor to Mintel International's Travel Industry Monitor.

An award-winning career journalist since 1970, and a travel specialist since 1978, he has written extensively for a wide range of business and consumer publications, as well as undertaking a variety of corporate writing and consultancy commissions.

Married with three school-age children, Bob is now based in Dorset.

Jon Reeve, Trade Relations Director, Evolvi Rail Systems Ltd

Jon has worked in the business travel and TMC sector for 38 years and was one of the original design team behind the development of the Evolvi UK rail booking tool. He is now Evolvi's Trade Relations Director.

He has an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of corporate travel, buyer imperatives and a wide breadth of understanding around all of the components that come together to form a cogent Travel Management programme.

Jon is a former supplier board director of ITM.

David Rousham, Head of Sales, British Midland International

David is responsible for driving revenue for bmi in it's mainline International and Regional division. He leads bmi's sales efforts in working closely alongside Lufthansa's global sales organisation to harness the power of the Group. Involved in the strategic decisions surrounding bmi's business plan, David also holds responsibilities for distribution, call centres and customer relations. He has been with British Midland International since December 2010.

David joined British Airways in 1990, and has held a number of positions within the commercial department during his twenty years with the Airline. He managed the marketing fight-back against Low Cost Carriers and repositioning of BA's shorthaul product. During his time with BA, he was based in Copenhagen, Dubai and Germany looking after sales and marketing activities in the regional markets of Scandinavia, Middle East and Central & East Europe respectively.

Sally Shervington

Sally has 18 years of experience in the corporate, leisure and online travel sectors, working most recently at Goldman Sachs as the EMEA Travel Manager and prior to that as MD for Travelocity Business.

Deborah Short, Travel Buyer, Willis

Deborah has worked in the travel industry for a number of years as the EMEA travel manager for Pfizer and now the Global Travel Lead for Willis.

Deborah has been responsible for consolidating the travel into regional travel centres, introducing online booking tools and standardising process across the region.

Mike Toynbee, Editorial Director, Buying Business Travel

One of travel's longest serving editors, with more than 35 years' experience. He was editor for 18 years of Executive Travel magazine, a UK-based monthly aimed at frequent travellers, and is a former editor of Travel Trade Gazette.

He has edited Buying Business Travel, the leading magazine aimed at corporate travel buyers, managers and arrangers, since its launch in 2003.

David Vine, Senior Director, Concur

Throughout his career, David has been passionate about providing the best service for clients, firmly believing it inspires loyalty and trust. With eleven years' experience in the expense management industry he is well placed to comment.

Until it was acquired by Concur in July 2011, David was the CEO of the successful UK-based company GlobalExpense, and is now working with Concur focusing on boosting the compliance features of Concur Travel & Expense.

David lives in Berkshire, United Kingdom, and in his spare time loves to ride motorcycles around racing circuits.

Jon West, Managing Director UK, Ireland, India and North America, HRS

After a successful career advising corporates on Internet strategy, Jon West was approached by HRS in 2009 to run their London office.

One might think rapidly growing HRS UK whilst introducing self-service solutions which have revolutionised the Corporate Travel Market would be enough, but Jon is now leading the HRS campaign to better equip the industry for the future by highlighting the importance of the cost of distribution.