London – The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) — the voice of the global business travel industry — announced the details of two industry leaders to kick-off its GBTA Europe Conference 2013, being held in Prague, Czech Republic on 23rd-25th September 2013.
In the first of the industry specific sessions at the event, entitled “No Boundaries – Beyond the Process”, Mr Joop Drechsel, CEO of BCD Holdings NV, CEO of BCD Travel and Executive Chairman of Travix, will give his perspectives in a one-to-one interview on the future of the Travel Management Company and focus on the value they provide to the corporate buyer and supply chain to an audience of over 400 European travel professionals.
Mr Drechsel has held the CEO position for BCD Travel and BCD Holdings since May 2003. Under his leadership BCD Holdings has expanded from US$4 billion to US$10.4 billion in sales volume. The number of employees has risen from 8,000 to 14,000.
In 2006, he was the architect of the integration of WorldTravel BTI, TQ3 Travel Solutions Management Holding GmbH and The Travel Company to form BCD Travel.
Mr Drechsel originally joined BCD Holdings in 2002, where he was quickly made responsible for the operational management of the company. Prior to joining BCD Holdings, he held a range of senior positions, including member of the Executive Board of Directors, at Royal KPN N.V. His earlier experience includes 15 years with Royal Dutch/Shell Group, with responsibilities ranging from Area Head of Shell Eastern and Central Europe and Russia and CEO of Shell Taiwan.
Mr Drechsel will be interviewed by guest speaker, Mr Philip Wolf, the respected travel industry guru who founded PhoCusWright Inc. in 1994. His expertise in travel strategy, technology and innovation has made him a sought-after speaker around the world. After two decades of analyzing, scrutinizing and opining on strategic change and market trends, he is now a recognized industry authority. Formerly an adjunct professor at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management and distinguished lecturer at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Mr Wolf serves as board director for companies on four continents. He is quoted frequently in consumer and trade media including CNN, Business Week, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times and was named to Travel Weekly’s “Club 33: The Most Influential People in the Travel Industry.”
The two speakers complete the speaker line-up for the conference. For more information about the GBTA Europe Conference 2013 go tohttp://www.gbta.org/europeconference
