GBTA announces newly appointed Chairman and two newly appointed Direct members to its Board of Directors

Alexandria, VA, 2017-Nov-22 — /Travel PR News/ — The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)—the voice of the global business travel industry, announces a newly appointed Chairman and two newly appointed Direct members to its Board of Directors. The volunteer leadership that makes up the Board of Directors helps to drive the direction and growth of the Association.

Donna Kelliher, Past President and Chairperson, has been selected by Dominion Energy’s executive team to oversee their company’s new and existing office workplace design and will no longer be responsible for their travel program. Karin Thompson, Direct Member Director At Large, has accepted a new position that will make her an Allied member. Therefore, both will be departing the Board effective immediately.

Kelliher is viewed as one of the Association’s most successful volunteer Presidents. Having also previously served as Vice President and Director at Large, she was instrumental in a positive transformation of the Association yielding improved compliance, financial stability and modernized governance through the passage of new bylaws in 2015. Part of Kelliher’s lasting legacy will be the creation and oversight of the Chapter Task Force, which helped redesign GBTA’s Chapter and Affiliate network.

Thompson, a long-time Leadership volunteer, made numerous contributions to GBTA in government relations and tirelessly advocated for the Association’s committees as their Board liaison.

“Both Donna and Karin will be greatly missed,” said Christle Johnson, GBTA President. “We wish them they very best in their future endeavors and are thankful for their countless volunteer hours and the many contributions they made to GBTA over the years.”

Pursuant to the Association’s Bylaws and New York state laws, the GBTA Board of Directors selected the following appointments to fill the resulting Board vacancies:

Bhart Sarin, current Direct Member Director At Large, is appointed Chairman through GBTA Convention 2019. Sarin, the current Board Finance Chair, has served as a Director since 2012 and was instrumental in the development of education programs, the formation of GBTA Ladders, the Association partnership with ECPAT-USA and the successful relaunch of the Asia-Pacific region. He has also previously served as a Trustee of the GBTA Foundation and as a member of the Government Relations Committee.

Kathy Briski, Travel Category Manager with the Boeing Company, is appointed Direct Member Director At Large through GBTA Convention 2018. Briski, a recognized leader in travel procurement best practices, has served the Association through leadership roles within GBTA’s Chapters.

Erin L. Wilk, Global Security Travel Safety Manager with Facebook, is appointed Direct Member Director At Large through GBTA Convention 2018. Wilk, the current Chair of the GBTA Risk Committee, was the recipient of the 2017 Direct Member of the Year award recognizing excellence in Association volunteerism.

“These appointments further strengthen the leadership of GBTA by preserving institutional knowledge and adding new perspectives and diversity to the Board,” added Johnson. “We would like to thank these volunteers for their dedication and commitment to the future success of GBTA.”

CONTACT:         Colleen Lerro Gallagher, +1 703-236-1133, cgallagher@gbta.org
Marianne Varkiani, +1 703-236-1164, mvarkiani@gbta.org

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, gbta.org

SOURCE: Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)

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