Travel Weekly's 2007 Power List, 1-10

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1. AMERICAN EXPRESS BUSINESS TRAVEL

2006 Sales: $24.2 billion (based on public information)

Employees: N/D

Previous Ranking: 1

200 Vesey St., 48th Floor

New York, NY 11207

T (212) 640-1315

www.americanexpress.com

Executives

  • President, Global Travel Services: Charles Petruccelli
  • Executive VP/COO: Priyan Fernando
  • Senior VP/General Manager, Business Travel, Europe: David Herrick
  • Senior VP/General Manager, Business Travel, Japan, Asia-Pacific, Australia: Elizabeth Ray
  • Senior VP/General Manager, Global Supplier Relations: Andrew Winterton
  • Senior VP/General Manager, Business Travel North America: Andrew Mcgraw
  • 2006 Developments

  • Launched the American Express Intelligent Online Marketplace, an e-commerce network for booking, purchasing and managing travel and related business services.
  • Held its second annual China Business Travel Forum in Shanghai.
  • The American Express Travel Distribution System model and its TravelBahn DS program emerged as differentiators for clients and partner suppliers.
  • Company Facts

  • Publicly held.
  • 2. CARLSON WAGONLIT TRAVEL

    2006 Sales: $22.1 billion (on pro forma basis, including acquisition of Navigant)

    Employees: 19,000-plus

    Previous Ranking: 2

    701 Carlson Parkway

    Minneapolis, MN 55305

    T (763) 212-2197

    F (763) 212-2409

    www.carlsonwagonlit.com

    Executives

  • President/CEO, Worldwide: Hubert Joly
  • COO, North America: Jack O'neill
  • COO, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America: Richard Lovell
  • Coo, Asia/Pacific: Berthold Trenkel
  • Executive VP/CFO: Douglas Anderson
  • Executive VP, Technology/Product Managemement: Loren Brown
  • Executive VP, Global Supplier Management: Mike Koetting
  • Executive VP, Global Accounts and Solutions: Martin Warner
  • VP, Corporate and Marketing Communications: Isabelle Koch
  • Executive VP, Human Resources: Philippe Vinay
  • 2006 Developments

  • ARC Sales: $8.43 billion.
  • Acquired Denver-based Navigant International, which doubled the size of CWT in North America.
  • Online transactions grew by 80% in Europe, 70% in Australia, 13% in U.S.
  • Launched online booking tools in Japan and China.
  • Hotel sales volume grew 17%. The number of entries in CWT HARP, the company's global hotel database, increased by 13%, to 140,000 hotels.
  • CWT Portal, a one-stop, Web-based entry point for travel managers and travelers that provides access to all CWT online services, became available in 12 languages. It is used by about 1.5 million users in 75 countries.
  • CWT Portrait, an online profile-management tool, grew in availability to 43 countries. Registered users grew 82% over 2005, with 1.7 million registered traveler profiles housed in the system.
  • CWT Freedom, the company's mobile product for business travelers, was enhanced. It now delivers travel itinerary information (including air, hotel and car bookings and destination-specific information) to Microsoft Outlook desktop calendars and mobile tools, including BlackBerrys, Palms, smartphones and Pocket PC's.
  • The CWT Diagnostic Tool was created and implemented, allowing clients to measure and benchmark their performances.
  • CWT began providing post-trip carbon-emissions reporting, enabling clients to more effectively manage and offset their carbon footprint.
  • CWT signed a preferred reseller agreement with iJet Intelligent Risk systems to enhance CWT Guardian, the company's global security product. Enhancements include trip-specific information delivered to travelers before, during and after a trip and real-time travel alerts delivered 24/7 via e-mail or text messaging.
  • CWT orchestrated more than 9,000 events involving 570,000 participants.
  • CWT and sister company Carlson Marketing formalized an agreement to coproduce meetings and events in accordance with clients' specific needs.
  • Amount of sales fulfilled by third parties: $35.1 million.
  • 93.5% of sales from business travel, 4% leisure, 2.5% other
  • U.S. online adoption rate: 30.3%.
  • Global online adoption rate: 22%.
  • Company Facts

  • CWT is held by Carlson (55%) and One Equity Partners (45%).
  • Hosts fewer than 100 outside travel sellers.
  • Privately held.
  • Looking Ahead

    CWT will continue to expand its global product offerings and will grow and enhance its four lines of business through:

  • Focusing on the traveler by further developing CWT products that improve the business traveler's experience. (CWT Freedom will be further enhanced and rolled out globally, for example.)
  • The second-quarter launch of the CWT Program Management Center, a one-stop, multilingual, Web-based management tool that enables clients to easily access information and streamline the management of their travel program. It also has customized dashboards that monitor key performance metrics, coupled with integrated data from a variety of sources (pretrip bookings, post-trip data and credit card expenses) that will help travel managers and procurement professionals track and optimize their travel programs.
  • The second-quarter global launch of the CWT Carbon Calculator, which will permit business travelers to compare the carbon dioxide emissions of various transportation options at the time of booking.
  • Continued integration of legacy Navigant products and systems.
  • A focus on more effective supplier partnerships at a global level, for the benefit of CWT, its suppliers and its clients.
  • 3. EXPEDIA INC.

    2006 Sales: $17.2 billion

    Employees: 6,600

    Previous Ranking: 3

    3150 139th Ave. SE

    Bellevue, WA 98005

    T (415) 679-7200

    www.expediainc.com

    Executives

  • CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
  • CFO: Michael Adler
  • President, Expedia North America/Expedia Partner Services Group: Paul Brown
  • President, Expedia Asia-Pacific: Henrik Kjellberg
  • President, Expedia Europe, Middle East and Africa: Dermot Halpin
  • President, Expedia Corporate Travel: Jean-Pierre Remy
  • 2006 Developments

  • Celebrated 10th anniversary.
  • Launched sites in Japan, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
  • Selected by NYTimes.com and Sam's Club to power travel booking engines.
  • Expedia Corporate Travel launched a new Global Flight Search platform for the European market, offering European-based customers enhanced flight search and booking capabilities. ECT also launched a global reporting platform to help travel managers oversee travel programs across multiple regions, enabling greater access to information.
  • Announced long-term partnerships with US Airways, United and Continental Airlines to make available all published fares and inventory.
  • Began flowing airline travel segments to Amadeus and Sabre, diversifying the company's GDS vendors and leveraging the incremental content and pricing these providers offer.
  • Launched partnership with TerraPass to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Reached 200,000 mark for ThankYou rewards program.
  • 94% of sales from leisure, 6% from business.
  • Company Facts

  • Expedia has divisions in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the U.K.
  • Operates Hotels.com.
  • Publicly held.
  • Looking Ahead

  • Will launch a cobranded credit card in 2007 to provide travelers with more ways to earn loyalty rewards.
  • In early 2007, launched a simplified home page.
  • ECT will add more countries in Europe and will launch operations in Asia/Pacific.
  • Expedia is sending groups of employees to work with local tourism providers in and around World Heritage sites to help develop and improve tourism infrastructure.
  • 4. (tie) BCD TRAVEL

    2006 Sales: $12 billion (not certified by an officer; however, according to a spokesman, the $12 billion figure "is the one we give out publicly, and although it is generally accurate, it obviously is not exact down to the dollar and cents.")

    Employees: 12,000

    Previous Ranking: 5

    Rijksstraatweg 426

    2243 CH Wassenaar

    The Netherlands

    T (31) 70 512 3001

    F (31) 70 512 3009

    www.bcdtravel.com

    Executives

  • CEO: Mike Buckman
  • CFO: Stephen Baars
  • Treasurer: Tom Barham
  • President/CEO, Emea/India: Ilona De March
  • President/CEO, Americas: John Snyder
  • President/CEO, U.K. & Ireland: Mike Walley
  • President, Mergers & Acquisitions: Ralph Manaker
  • President, BCD Meetings & Incentives: Scott Graf
  • General Manager, Advito: Mary Ellen George
  • Managing Director/Senior VP, Partner Networks/Asia-Pacific: Greg O'Neil
  • Executive VP, Products, Technology & Supplier Relations: Dee Runyan
  • Executive VP, Sales: Travis Tanner
  • Senior VP, Marketing: Melanie Garrett
  • 2006 Developments

  • Three travel management companies joined to form BCD Travel, which now has locations in more than 90 countries.
  • Launched two independent business units: Advito (consulting) and BCD Meetings & Incentives.
  • Company Facts

  • A subsidiary of BCD Holdings, a Dutch family-owned company, with interests in travel and financial services.
  • Parent company also owns Park 'N Fly (off-airport parking), Airtrade (leisure travel) and Primary Capital (real estate financing).
  • 4. (tie) HOGG ROBINSON GROUP (HRG)

    2006 Sales: $12 billion (approximation certified by group finance director)

    Employees: 12,000 (HRG worldwide network)

    Previous Ranking: 4

    16 E. 34th St., 3rd Floor

    New York, NY 10016

    T (212) 404-8800

    F (212) 481-2881

    www.hrgworldwide.com

    Executives

  • CEO: David Radcliffe
  • Group Finance Director: John Kennerley
  • President, North America: Tom Gleason
  • 2006 Developments

  • Announced independence from status as co-shareholder in Business Travel International.
  • Rebranded Hogg Robinson worldwide network, covering 96 countries, as HRG (Hogg Robinson Group).
  • Acquired Robustelli Corporate Services.
  • Acquired Ian Flint & Associates, U.K. consultants.
  • Acquired the corporate travel business of BTI Czech Republic, BTI Slovakia and BTI Polska, building on existing Eastern European expertise through owned companies in Russia and Hungary.
  • Hogg Robinson Group relisted on the London Stock Exchange in October.
  • Acquired a number of multinational accounts, including Credit Suisse, Gambro AB and additional business in the U.S. for Daimler-Chrysler. Among other key account retentions, a new five-year contract for all Textron companies.
  • 100% of sales from business, including corporate travel management, fulfillment services, consulting, expense management, sports and events and meetings management.
  • $6.5 billion of sales were through Hogg Robinson Group plc.
  • Company Facts

  • Owns Spendvision, an expense-management automation and transaction company.
  • Operates HRG Events & Meetings Management.
  • Owned, managed by Hogg Robinson Group plc.
  • Publicly held.
  • Looking Ahead

  • Recently announced acquisition of Washington-based Executive Travel Associations, a travel management company.
  • Continue to sign multinational accounts; recently signed Merrill Lynch.
  • Development of the HRG Universal Super Platform, a technology platform to deliver configurations of products and services.
  • Creating a fully integrated, end-to-end travel and expense solution.
  • Partnering with leading security expert Red24 to offer a proactive travel and security alert system.
  • Further enhancements to HRG Online, an in-house developed, self-service reservations tool.
  • Green travel products, including an emissions calculator.
  • Expanding, extending and relocating premises in New York; Charlotte, N.C.; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
  • 6. TRAVELOCITY

    2006 Sales: $10.1 billion

    Employees: More than 5,000

    Previous Ranking: 6

    3150 Sabre Drive 

    Southlake, TX 76092

    T (682) 605-1000

    F (682) 605-0432

    www.travelocity.com

    Executives

  • President/CEO: Michelle Peluso
  • COO, North America: Tracey Weber
  • President, Travelocity Business: Lesley Harris
  • Chief Marketing Officer: Jeffrey Glueck
  • CFO: John Mills
  • Chief Technology Officer: Barry Vandevier
  • CEO, Lastminute.Com: Ian Mccaig
  • Deputy CEO, Lastminute.Com: Damon Tassone
  • CFO, Lastminute.Com: Ed Kamm
  • CEO, Zuji: Scott Blume
  • Senior VP/General Counsel: Sterling Miller
  • Senior VP, Partner Marketing: Paul Nelson
  • Senior VP, Strategy and Distribution: Richard Harris
  • 2006 Developments

  • Gross travel bookings increased 35% year over year.
  • Launched Activities Tab, a tool aimed at saving travelers time and money on destination activities, attractions and services.
  • Acquired complete ownership of Zuji, a leading online company in Asia-Pacific.
  • Contracted to power GoTrump.com for luxury travel.
  • Launched Meet Me in ..., which enables customers traveling from two different cities to meet in a common destination.
  • Travelocity Business introduced a program to provide business travelers with individual e-mail statements on their activity.
  • Launched first wholly owned service center in Europe.
  • Signed five-year deal with Lockheed Martin for global travel management.
  • Rebranded 14 kiosks and ticket booths from Showtickets.com to Travelocity on Location.
  • Introduced customer loyalty program.
  • Launched the Window Seat blog.
  • Company Facts

  • Subsidiary of Sabre Holdings.
  • Owns Travelocity Business, World Choice Travel, Travelocity on Location, IgoUgo.
  • Affiliates: Travelocity.co.uk, Travelocity.ca, Travelocity.de, Resfeber.se (Scandinavia), Lastminute.com (Europe, South Pacific), Zuji.com (Asia/Pacific), Nextour.co.kr (Korea).
  • 7. ORBITZ WORLDWIDE

    2006 Sales: $10 billion (according to information in the company's proposed initial public offering)

    Employees: 1,600

    Previous Ranking: 9 (as Cendant's Travelport)

    500 W. Madison St., Suite 1000

    Chicago, IL 60661

    T (312) 894-5000

    www.travelport.com

    Executives

  • CEO/President: Steve Barnhart
  • 2006 Developments

  • $8.7 billion in U.S. bookings.
  • Became part of a private company in August 2006, when then-parent Cendant spun off Travelport, selling it to the Blackstone Group and other investors.
  • Company Facts

  • One of three business units within privately held Travelport.
  • 8. AAA TRAVEL

    2006 Sales: $3.89 billion

    Employees: 5,130 travel agency employees (full-time equivalents)

    Previous Ranking: 8

    1000 AAA Drive

    Heathrow, FL 32746

    T (407) 444-7000

    F (407) 444-7806

    www.aaa.com

    Executives

  • CEO/President: Robert Darbelnet
  • Executive VP, Association and Club Services: Mark Brown
  • VP, Travel Services: Sandra Hughes
  • 2006 Developments

  • ARC sales of $696 million.
  • 89% of sales from leisure, 11% business.
  • Tour and cruise sales broke company record.
  • Online sales grew 30%.
  • AAA became primary sponsor of a race car.
  • More than 50,800 students registered for the AAA Travel High School Challenge, resulting in 1.1 million page views and 276,000 unique visits to AAA.com/TravelChallenge.
  • Company Facts

  • Owns Air by Pleasant, American Tours International (partial ownership), InternetVillas.com, Pleasant Holidays, Member Choice Vacations (partial ownership).
  • Member of FI (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile).
  • Member of FITAC (Federacion Interamericana De Touring Y Automovil Clubes).
  • Member of Hickory, Radius.
  • Privately held, fully taxpaying, not-for-profit corporation.
  • 9. PRICELINE.COM

    2006 Sales: $3.3 billion (public company, from earnings report)

    Employees: N/D

    Previous Ranking: 10

    800 Connecticut Ave.

    Norwalk, CT 06854

    T (800) 774-2354

    www.priceline.com

    Executives

  • President/CEO: Jeffery Boyd
  • CFO: Robert Mylod Jr.
  • President, North American Travel: Christopher Soder
  • EVP, General Counsel: Peter Millones Jr.
  • Chief Marketing Officer: Brett Keller
  • Chief Information Officer: Ronald Rose
  • Chief Distribution Officer: Paul Hennessy
  • 2006 Developments

  • 49% increase in sales over 2005.
  • Strong performance by Booking.com, a European site.
  • Rolled out More Ways to Save, with additional tips such as using a different airport.
  • Launch of Sabre and G2 SwitchWorks as GDS vendors.
  • Company Facts

  • Publicly held.
  • Owns Travelweb.com, RentalCars.com, Breezenet.com.
  • Looking Ahead

  • Goal is to be the leading online hotel reservation service in Europe.
  • 10. LIBERTY TRAVEL

    2006 Sales: $1.8 billion

    Employees: 2,450

    Previous Ranking: 11

    69 Spring St.

    Ramsey, NJ 07446

    T (201) 934-3500

    F (201) 934-3651

    www.libertytravel.com

    Executives

  • President: Gilbert Haroche
  • COO: Cathy Pelaez
  • CFO: Allen Lindstrom
  • 2006 Developments

  • ARC sales of $438.5 million.
  • New partnership with David's Bridal. The relationship includes information-sharing for the honeymoon and destination wedding market, exclusive offers featured on Liberty's new microsite (LibertyTravelHoneymoons.com), signage in the David's Bridal retail stores, quarterly Honeymoon Night events in the David's Bridal stores and an e-mail campaign.
  • Enhancing retail experience. The first enhancement is digital signage with colorful graphics and quick, powerful messaging. Travel suppliers have the opportunity to have their brands displayed in Liberty's 200 retail stores through streaming video sequences on large, LCD screens.
  • 98% of sales from leisure, 2% from business.
  • Company Facts

  • 200 outside sales agents.
  • Privately held. 
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