Travel Counsellors has appointed Kieran Hartwell as the first managing director for its corporate travel arm following record growth in the sector.
Hartwell brings with him more than a decade of corporate travel experience in senior positions, including recent roles as chief commercial officer at Travel and Transport, and president at Radius Travel.
His appointment comes as Travel Counsellors for Business reports 17 per cent growth in 2019, with sales of £180 million globally.
Hartwell’s new role as corporate MD will include shaping a strategy to scale the company over the next five years, identifying investments to support the TMC’s growing network of corporate travel specialists and clients, and acting as the global leader for the business travel arm.
Commenting on his appointment, Hartwell said: “I’m delighted to join a forward-thinking, high-growth company with a very special culture and focus on people. The business has a proven track record in providing the very best support model for travel management professionals, who in turn are committed to providing outstanding personalised experiences for their portfolio of corporate clients.
“Its recent successes show that we have the solid foundations in place to significantly scale this arm of the business, supporting our corporate travel business owners, many of whom are now using the company’s platform to provide enhanced client experiences through employing assistants and working in teams and shared workspaces, ultimately building their own successful travel management businesses. With no limits to growth for corporate travel counsellors, I’m pleased to be an active part of the TC community and work with the incredible talent across the business to drive our corporate travel offering forward.”
Hartwell’s new role follows the appointment of Mark O’Donoghue as Travel Counsellors’ first COO earlier this year, as well as the secondary management buyout from private equity firm Vitruvian Partners in 2018.
CEO Steve Byrne commented: “Kieran’s appointment is evidence of our commitment to recruiting the very best talent from across the globe to support our business owners so they can provide the best experiences possible for their clients. We are focused on providing a platform that supports a global community to be the very best they can be, alongside a clear, unwavering commitment to champion the human touch and redefine what personal service means in both leisure and corporate travel.
“We’re delighted that we have found someone in Kieran that shares our values and will drive forward our plans to build on the continued success of Travel Counsellors for Business by further improving our offering for corporate businesses and attracting more TMCs to be part of our community and use our model to support their clients and build their businesses.”
business.travelcounsellors.com