Global

Carlson Wagonlit Travel selects Singapore for Regional Headquarters

Central Asia-Pacific operations will support business growth

SINGAPORE July 7, 2005  — Leading business travel management company, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has announced that its Asia Pacific operations will be headquartered in Singapore.

The decision follows the recent appointment of a Singapore-based Chief Operating Officer, Mr Berthold Trenkel, who was appointed in January this year. The company, which previously had various senior executives based in numerous Asia Pacific cities, will now centralise its operations at its brand new offices at Harbourfront Tower 2.

CWT's Asia Pacific headquarters will house its regional management team, including its Chief Financial Officer, Olivier Spaenle, who relocated from Sydney, Tyler Lyman its VP Operations, from the USA as well as its COO, Berthold Trenkel, and regional sales head, Mike Bezer.

The travel management company, a leader in the Asia Pacific region, has the largest wholly-owned global network. CWT employs a total of 14,000 worldwide and over 1,900 across the Asia Pacific region.

The centralisation of the company’s regional operations was prompted by the rapid business growth in the last few years, says Trenkel. “Last year, we achieved record sales, with business travel sales crossing the $1.2 USD billion mark. The growth potential in this region for corporate travel is significant; hence our aim to focus our resources to better serve this market.

“The Singapore location makes perfect sense, given its infrastructure, business environment and hub status for many multinationals.”

The global travel market is expected to be worth approximately $800 USD billion by 2007, and Asia Pacific is expected to account for about 25% of this. Business travel is expected to accelerate, boding well for travel management companies.

According to Trenkel, “Cross-border travel is part and parcel of today’s business environment. Not just multi-nationals, but also small and medium-sized companies are looking to outsource their travel management to specialist companies like ours for time and cost efficiencies. With our expertise, global footprint, and strong regional network, we are well-placed to grow our business in this region.”

About Carlson Wagonlit Travel  

Carlson Wagonlit Travel is a world leader in business travel management, partnering with large corporations, small and medium-sized companies, and government institutions. CWT designs and implements superior travel management programs for clients based upon its recognized consulting expertise, strong purchasing power, technological strength, and consistent delivery of high-quality service. CWT has operations in more than 150 countries and services 60 of the world’s 100 largest companies. Annual sales of $22 billion are generated under the Carlson
Wagonlit Travel brand. For more information, visit www.carlsonwagonlit.com.

Media Contacts:

Jacquie Lindsay
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
+65 6511 9216
jlindsay@carlsonwagonlit.com

Nina Kaur
Weber Shandwick
+ 65 6825 8043
nkaur@webershandwick.com

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