Alexandria, VA, 2013-03-18 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the voice of the global business travel industry – today announced four new appointments to the GBTA Foundation Board of Trustees. Joining the Board will be Christie Hicks, senior vice president of Starwood Sales Organization at Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Volker Huber, president of the Americas, Asia Pacific & Global sales at AirPlus International Inc.; Laurie Kazimer, manager of travel services at Target Corporation; and John Slater, vice president of sales for the Americas at United Airlines.
Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, its committees and the Industry Advisory Council, the GBTA Foundation is taking great strides to provide wide-ranging programs and tools to inform the industry and elevate the role of the business travel professional in the current and future corporate structure. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Steve Singh, is dedicated to promoting continuous professional advancement among GBTA membership as well as in the overall industry.
Christie Hicks, senior vice president of Starwood Sales Organization, is credited with evolving Starwood’s sales team from a mainly North America-oriented operation to a global one. With over 20 years of experience, Ms. Hicks is an active participant in industry affairs. She was named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in the Travel Industry by Forbes Magazine and one of the Top 25 People in the Hospitality Industry by Meetings and Conventions Magazine.
“I am pleased to welcome the newest members to the Board of Trustees,” said GBTA Foundation Board Chair, Steve Singh. “Their leadership will provide critical guidance and direction in helping to advance the goals of the Foundation.”
Volker Huber holds the position of president of the Americas, Asia Pacific & Global sales with AirPlus International Inc. Before joining AirPlus in 2002, he spent several years with Lufthansa in executive management roles.
Laurie Kazimer is the manager of travel services with the Target Corporation. She was awarded Direct Member of the Year at the 2011 GBTA Convention in Denver. Additionally, Ms. Kazimer has served as chair of the Hotel RFP Steering Committee and chair of the Hotel Committee with GBTA.
John Slater is vice president of sales for the Americas with United Airlines. Previously, Mr. Slater was staff vice president of Latin America and Caribbean sales for Continental Airlines, where he was responsible for a team of 180 sales professionals and $2 billion in travel agency and corporate revenue.
About the GBTA Foundation
The GBTA Foundation is the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization.
Collectively, GBTA’s 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA provides its network of 21,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. The foundation was established in 1997 to support GBTA’s members and the industry as a whole. As the leading education and research foundation in the business travel industry, the GBTA Foundation seeks to fund initiatives to advance the business travel profession. The GBTA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, see gbta.org and gbta.org/foundation .
CONTACT: Meghan Henning, 703-236-1133, mhenning@gbta.org
Rebecca Carriero, 212-446-1897, rcarriero@sloanepr.com