Advisory Board

  • Amadeus: Svend O. Leirvaag - Svend O. Leirvaag is VP Industry Affairs with Amadeus IT Group SA. He is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University (USA), and holds a masters degree from the Norwegian School of Management.

  • American Express: Charles J. Petruccelli - Charles Petruccelli is President, Global Travel Services at American Express. He is responsible for the company’s Business Travel and Foreign Exchange business world-wide. He also oversees the company’s international network of Travel Service Office representatives and coordinates American Express Global Strategy with the Airline industry.

  • HRG: David Radcliffe - David Radcliffe is CEO of Hogg Robinson Group plc, the international corporate travel services company. Recognised as a true visionary and outstanding leader, Radcliffe’s career in corporate travel first began in 1978 when he joined Hogg Robinson (Travel) Limited (now known as HRG UK). He was appointed to the Board in 1989 and became Chief Executive of the parent company, Hogg Robinson plc, in 1997 – leading Hogg Robinson’s MBO, one of the UK’s largest public to private deals, in July 2000 and taking Hogg Robinson through a successful IPO in October 2006.

  • HRG: David Kast - David Kast joined HRG in 1973 as Assistant Branch Manager and has held various roles since including Branch Manager, Training Manager, Group Human Resources Manager and Head of Training and Development before his promotion to Head of Human Resources in 1999.

  • Hertz: Michel Taride - Michel Taride was named President, Hertz International, in January 2010. He served as the Executive Vice President and President, Hertz Europe Limited since January 2004 and as the Executive Vice President and President, Hertz Europe Limited, of Hertz Holdings since June 2006. From January 2003 until December 2003, he served as Vice President and President, Hertz Europe Limited. From April 2000 until December 2002, he served as Vice President and General Manager, Rent A Car, Hertz Europe Limited. From July 1998 to March 2000, he was General Manager, Rent A Car France and HERC Europe. Previously, he served in various other operating positions in Europe from 1980 to 1983 and from 1985 to 1998.

  • Hertz: Maria O'Donoghue - Maria O’Donoghue is the Global Lead for Learning & Development with the Hertz Corporation. She originally joined Hertz in January 1999 as Training & Development Manager for Hertz Europe Service Centre in Dublin and subsequently worked as Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager for the Dublin operation and later as the Director of Training & Development for Hertz Europe.

  • Starwood: Ingrid Eras - Ingrid Eras is a Senior Human Resource Leader with extensive experience directing HR functions as well as special integration and work stream projects in support of major acquisitions. Her areas of expertise are: HR strategy and alignment - transition management – due diligence – quality improvement – staffing and recruitment – policy development – severance management – mergers and acquisitions – mentoring and coaching.

  • Lufthansa: Jens Bischof - Jens Bischof is a member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board, responsible for Sales and Revenue Management.

  • WTTC: Jean Claude Baumgarten - Born in Strasbourg in May 1942, Jean-Claude Baumgarten graduated from the French business school, l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales.