2024 Summit Speakers
Ben Park, Executive Director of Travel & Sustainability, Parexel (Clinical Research Organization), is a visionary leader with over 15 years of expertise in global travel and expense management as travel buyer. His strategic approach has fostered service enhancement, safety promotion, and significant savings. Overseeing a global travel program for more than 22,000 employees across 52 countries with an $80 million T&E budget, Ben has delivered substantial savings alongside high satisfaction scores. Since 2021, Ben has served as the global head of the environmental program for his company, including the full GHG inventory creation and CDP reporting, elevating the sustainability agenda to new heights. His passion for sustainability is evident in his work on business travel emissions reporting and offsetting, making a tangible impact on the industry's ecological footprint.
Benjamin Park
Executive Director Travel & Sustainability
Parexel
Delphine Millot is SVP Sustainability and Advocacy for GBTA and Managing Director of the GBTA Foundation. Based in NYC, she joined GBTA in January 2022 to set-up a climate action initiative for the industry and re-launch the GBTA Foundation – with the mission to catalyze action in the global business travel industry to create a positive impact and better future for people and the planet.
Delphine Millot
SVP Sustainability and Advocacy, MD
GBTA Foundation
For over 25 years, Monica has worked with leaders in government, business, philanthropy and advocacy on accelerating climate action with a focus on Latin America, Europe and the U.S. She has worked as strategist of several initiatives, boards and international campaigns. She helped develop Costa Rica’s national decarbonization plan, was a special adviser to the high-level champion for climate action at COP26 in Glasgow and a distinguished fellow at ClimateWorks Foundation.
For her work on electrification she was included in the list of “BBC 100 Women.” Her TED talks on climate action have over five million views. Most recently, Monica was the Executive Director of the European Climate Foundation's (ECF) international programs and a member of the organization's Executive Management Team. In that capacity, she oversaw work and grant-making on trade, diplomacy, decarbonization plans and global climate politics.
She is currently as senior adviser to various initiatives. She is Director of the Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI)’s Governing Board, a member of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’s International Advisory and is one of the founding members of Drive Electric’s Steering Committee composed of key philanthropies. Previously, Monica worked at the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Costa Rica, Climate Change Capital, the UN negotiations and E3G. In Costa Rica she co-founded Costa Rica Limpia, a citizen group, which successfully advocated for a national fossil-free plan 2018-2050. She obtained at Masters in Economic Policy at the National University in Costa Rica and Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Management from Yale University.
Monica Araya
Senior Director of the European Climate Foundation
Fanny Everard is the Sustainability Program Manager at the GBTA Foundation. She has a background in Business and Economics with a Masters in Climate Change and Societal Impact from the Columbia University Climate School. Before GBTA, Fanny worked for the UN World Food Program in Rome, Italy where she held an operations role, ensuring food security for the West Africa region. Her work at GBTA involves helping partners and members decarbonize their business travel, and develop GBTA’s internal emissions reduction efforts.
Fanny Everard
Manager, Sustainability Program
GBTA Foundation
Jakop Dalunde is a former member of the Stockholm City Council, the Swedish National Parliament,and the European Parlament, where he sat in the committee for Transport and Tourism. He has also served as a political advisor for transport, in the Swedish Prime MInisters Office of Policy Coordination.
Jakop Dalunde
Former MEP
European Parliament
Priti is a Partner within Deloitte's sustainability team and leads on Decarbonisation services in the Netherlands. She brings together over 16 years of experience in sustainability reporting, assurance and sustainability strategy, with a background in Engineering, to help global organisations address sustainability regulatory, strategic and transformation-related challenges. Over the past 2-3 years her focus has been on helping clients prepare to meet CSRD regulatory requirements, and in particular zooming in on Net Zero and transition planning.
Priti Hoffmann
Partner, Sustainability
Deloitte
Mark Cuschieri is Executive Director, Global Head of Travel for UBS Group AG. He has been with the firm since 2007 and is responsible for setting the vision and overall strategic direction of the global travel program in over 50 countries.
Mark is a 30-year veteran in the corporate travel industry, as a Travel Buyer and Supplier. Prior to joining UBS, Mark held leadership roles at American Express and Expedia Inc., across a diverse range of industry sectors in both Europe and International markets.
Mark is President of GBTA, elected by its members in August 2023, and as President, he leads the GBTA Board of Directors. He previously served as elected Vice President of GBTA, and as Chair of the Institute of Travel Management (ITM) board of directors.
Mark Cuschieri
Executive Director, Global Head of Travel, UBSDr. Willy Legrand is Professor at the IU International University of Applied Sciences in Germany with a specialization in sustainable management. Over the past two decades, he has established over two dozen undergraduate and graduate courses on sustainable development in business and hospitality management in Europe, South and North America, the Middle East and Asia. He is the lead author of Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Principles of Sustainable Operations (4th ed., 2023, Routledge) and of Critical Questions in Sustainability and Hospitality (2023, Routledge ). He is currently working on two new edited books on the topics of ESG in hospitality and Regenerative Hospitality. Prof Legrand chairs the Hospitality Net World Panel on Sustainability in Hospitality where 100+ industry experts regularly interact with the aim is to get sustainability anchored more than ever into the business conversation and decision-making. He sits on multiple journal and professional boards and is the co-editor of the Journal of Global Responsibility.
Willy Legrand
Professor
IU International University of Applied Sciences
Jenny Sabineu is a 23-year veteran in the corporate travel industry, as a Travel Buyer and Supplier. She spent 14 years on the supplier side managing the corporate travel segment for hotels until transitioning to Salesforce in 2015 to join the Global Travel team. Jenny has led supplier/employee engagement, communication, and enablement as well as team projects and business process innovation to increase efficiencies across the business, minimize travel cost, optimize savings, and reduce travel emissions. Jenny leads the Travel Operation for EMEA/LATAM along with Global Travel Sustainability and Rail programs. She leads Salesforce's business travel decarbonization strategy outlining emissions reduction pathways, program optimization, data/reporting initiatives, internal communications/enablement, and stakeholder engagement strategy globally. She is also an active Global Business Travel Association volunteer on the Sustainability Committee helping define priority areas for collaborative, global action and to help raise the bar for the business travel industry overall.
Jenny Sabineu
Sr. Manager, Travel (EMEA/LATAM) & Sustainability SalesforceShane Downey is Vice President of Government and Community Relations at The Global Business Travel Association.
In addition to serving as the association’s lead lobbyist in Europe, Canada and the U.S. Shane oversees GBTA’s volunteer engagement on grassroots political activity. Shane has worked at GBTA since 2006, achieving many legislative successes and expanded the profile of GBTA in governments across the globe.
Prior to joining GBTA, Shane was a Senior Associate at a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., and before that Shane worked on Capitol Hill and several Congressional Campaigns.
Shane received his B.A in History from The Ohio State University. Shane also served in the United States Marine Corp and is a Desert Storm veteran.
Shane Downey
VP, Government Relations
GBTA
Charles is a Director with Grayling Brussels in the Public Affairs department where he heads the Energy, Environment and Transport team, supporting GBTA’s EU advocacy efforts.
Building on his experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors, he develops and implements public affairs campaigns and provides strategic advice to multinational companies, trade associations and NGOs on the impact of EU policy making on their business.
He began his career in several NGOs working on microfinance and sustainability projects. He later joined a French mayor's cabinet and became an Assistant to a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He subsequently moved to a large transport and logistics group where he took up a role as an Institutional and European policy Advisor. In this position, he developed strong expertise on the European Green Deal, sustainable and smart mobility, energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon pricing.
Charles holds a MSc in Politics and Government in the European Union from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) with distinction and a Masters degree in European affairs from Sciences Po Lille. He also studied humanities and law in France.
A French national, Charles is fluent in English, French and Spanish.
Charles Feld
Director (Energy, Environment, Transport) GraylingSara Digiesi is Chief Executive Officer at BWH Hotels Italy and Malta.
She joined the company as Head of Marketing, then she grown her responsibility leading Digital, Sales & Distribution, Innovation, Customer Experience and Sustainability.
Since 12 years she leads the company ESG approach, developing a comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility path.
Sara represents BWH at global level, as a member of GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, serving at Planet Committee.
Before joining BWH, Sara has been Country Marketing Manager for Italy and Malta at IHG Hotel Group. While a student, she explored different operational roles in different Resorts in Kenya, Dominican Republic and Tunisia.
Sara graduated in Economics & Tourism Management. Then she attended a Master in Tourism Economy in Milan, at Bocconi University. In 2022 Sara accomplished an additional Master Degree in Sustainability and Green Economy.
In 2023, has been recognized as one of the «Top 100 Women» by Forbes Italia,
«50 Most Powerful Women 2023» by Fortune Italia and obtains the «CEOforLife» recognition in the Environment category.
Sara Digiesi
CEO
BWH Hotels Italy & Malta
Eric founded Greenview in 2008, the leading consulting and data firm for sustainability within hospitality and tourism. Greenview’s 100+ clients include hotel companies of all sizes and profiles, as well as hotel owners and developers, event organizers, cruise lines, NGOs, DMOs, OTAs and industry organizations including the WTTC, UNWTO, and AHLA. With over 25 years of hands-on experience in both sustainability and industry, Eric is a frequent speaker, convener, and researcher. His notable industry work includes working as a technical consultant for the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative and launching initiatives including the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index, Green Lodging Trends Report, Destination Water Risk Index, Hotel Owners for Tomorrow Coalition, Global Hotel Decarbonisation Report and Hotel Net Zero Methodology. Prior to founding Greenview, Eric specialized in the operations and development of nature-based lodges, theme parks and attractions in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Brazil. Eric is a member of the International Standards Committee of the GSTC and the Board of Advisors of the Phuket Hotels Association. Eric earned a Bachelor of Science from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a Master of Science in Tourism & Travel Management from New York University.
Eric Eduardo Ricaurte
CEO
Greenview
Adam Braun is the CEO & Co-Founder of Clarasight, the leading Carbon Planning & Analysis solution for Business Travel. Clarasight powers emissions forecasting, analytics, planning, budgets and management for the world's leading organizations at all stages of their sustainability journey was selected as part of the '2024 Tech Hot List' by Business Travel Magazine. Adam is a 3x entrepreneur and NY Times bestselling author who has been named to Business Insider's "40 Under 40', Wired Magazine's "50 People Who Are Changing the World and received the United States' highest award for public service, the Jefferson Award.
Adam Braun
CEO & Co-Founder
Clarasight
As Sabre’s Global Sustainability Director, Jessica Matthias leads the company’s efforts to help create a more sustainable future for the travel industry. With more than 15 years of experience in ESG strategy, policy, campaigning and PR in the travel industry, Jessica is passionate about driving positive change within the sector. With Sabre’s technology facilitating more than 120 million hotel stays and 700 million air passengers each year, Jessica's work helps to impact the environmental footprint of global travel.
And as a member of the GBTA’s Sustainability Leadership Council, Jessica leverages her expertise to shape industry-wide initiatives and foster collaboration among key stakeholders. She believes that with the right approach, travel can be a powerful tool for positive change – connecting cultures and driving equality and prosperity. Jessica is a fierce advocate for progress in transitioning the travel industry to a Net Zero future, and leads Sabre’s efforts in this space.
Jessica Matthias
Global Sustainability Director
Sabre
Sally Davey is the Chief Executive at Travalyst.
Founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a coalition of some of the biggest names in travel and technology. Their mission is to change the way people travel, for good.
Sally’s career spans almost 20 years in tourism and travel tech, with a focus throughout on systems change and bringing sustainability into the mainstream consumer experience.
Sally Davey
CEO
Travalyst
As Director of Global Sustainability, Nicole spearheads Amex GBT’s sustainability strategy with respect to internal targets and external products and services. Nicole brings over a decade of experience working across the travel and sustainability ecosystem, including for ABTA - the UK Travel Association’s Sustainability Department and South Pole - a leading Climate Solutions Provider in Carbon Markets and Renewable Energy Portfolio Management. Prior to these roles, Nicole worked in Product Development and Responsible Travel for STA Travel. Nicole holds a Postgraduate Diploma (Education for Sustainability) from London South Bank University and a BA Hons (International Tourism Management) from Leeds Beckett University.
Nicole Sautter
Director Global Sustainability
Amex GBT
With over 16 years of travel industry experience, Charlie has worked across TMCs, the GDS, and tech platforms, bringing a wealth of expertise to her current role as Head of Commercial at Trainline, where she has been for the past three years. In her role, Charlie champions modal shift across the corporate travel sector, working closely with distribution partners and buyers to grow the importance of domestic and international rail within corporate travel programs.
Charlie also plays a pivotal role in the Business Travel Association, sitting on the Partners Board and driving initiatives within their sustainability workstream. Her passion for delivering a seamless, sustainable experience throughout the business travel ecosystem is at the heart of her work, as she continues to advocate for innovation and sustainable change across the travel value chain.
Charlie Baikie
Head of Commercial
Trainline
A strategic and passionate leader with over 20 years of expertise in strategy creation, strategic sourcing, and implementation from both the supplier and buyer perspectives.
Building trust and successful relationships at all levels, creating high-performing teams with a track record of exceeding targets and objectives. Experienced in leading global change management projects with a strong commercial focus, delivering excellent service delivery. A highly effective communicator and truly global player, skilled at prioritizing tasks and successfully driving the execution of complex projects.
Mia Andersson
Head of Global Travel Management ScaniaHead of Net Zero leading easyJet’s Net Zero strategy and industry partnerships. An experienced aerospace professional with expertise in airline strategy, network planning and sustainability. He has been in the airline industry for over a decade with commercial and strategy roles at British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet. Prior to joining the airline industry he completed a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering and started his career as an engineer working on Airbus commercial aircraft.
Lahiru Ranasinghe
Head of Net Zero easyJetAs Senior Vice President for Advito, Olivier Benoit leads the global team of business travel, business intelligence and sustainability experts. He focuses on the strategy development and implementation of Advito’s dynamic performance management framework for a diverse range of clients to deliver savings, increase traveler satisfaction and reduce the environmental impact of travel. Olivier’s previous roles include global sales director and regional commercial director positions at Air France KLM. He is currently based in Montpellier, France.
Olivier Benoit
SVP AdvitoAs Senior Vice President Global Client Team for BCD Travel, Lutz focuses on partnerships. With his long-term global clients he builds and runs the best possible travel programs, with industry peers and startups he develops solutions instead of modules for opportunities like NDC, payment, and sustainability. He and his 60+ global team are always client-centric and think out of the box. Passionate about new ideas, technology, and sustainability Lutz is a trusted advisor who always challenges the status quo.
Lutz Nauert
SVP Global Client Team BCD TravelBen is a Director at the consultancy ICF specialising in aviation sustainability, sustainable finance, and aircraft asset management. His primary role is leading ICFs support to EASA and the European Commission in the development and implementation of European sustainability legislations, primarily the Environmental Labelling Program, ReFuelEu Aviation and EU taxonomy.
Benjamin Chapman
Director – Aircraft & Sustainability
ICF
Complete travel background, including 12 years of airline industry experience and 11 years at Siemens in Global Travel Management
Susanne Steinmann
Head of global Airline Procurement/Payment Solution/Data/Sustainability
Siemens AG
Kelsey Frenkiel is a travel, sustainability, and conservation professional. She is the Director of the Sustainability Program at the GBTA Foundation, which aims to drive positive change through business travel for People & Planet.
At the GBTA Foundation, Kelsey leads efforts to harmonize industry sustainability standards, help travel buyers and suppliers navigate the complex world of sustainability frameworks, and incentivize the business travel industry to accelerate progress towards Net Zero emissions. She also leads the GBTA Foundation’s accessibility workstream, which aims to ensure seamless business travel for all.
Kelsey holds a Masters of Science degree from Oxford Brookes University in Primate Conservation and graduated from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Anthropology. She is also a freelance travel writer and researcher, having supported publications for National Geographic, Washingtonian, and other outlets, and the co-editor of Overtourism: Lessons Learned for a Better Future. Kelsey is passionate about the sustainable travel industry and its intersection with natural heritage, local livelihoods, destination stewardship, and biodiversity conservation.
Kelsey Frenkiel
Director, Sustainability
GBTA Foundation
Philipp von Lamezan is the Co-Founder and CEO of SQUAKE.
SQUAKE, a a Berlin based climate-tech company, helps businesses achieve their carbon reduction targets in travel and logistics. Prior to this, von Lamezan worked in both U.S. and European tech companies, where he built and scaled platforms across various industries.
Philipp von Lamezan holds a BSc in Industrial Engineering from the University of Bremen and an MSc in Management and Entrepreneurship from ESCP Business School.
In his private life, he enjoys spending his free time on the water.
Philipp von Lamezan
CEO SQUAKEBev Fearis is the Editor of The Business Travel Magazine, an award-winning print and online publication for travel managers, bookers and arrangers of travel.
Bev Fearis
Editor The Business Travel MagazineYong-Yi Chu had just been appointed Vice President Corporate Travel as the pandemic began to recede.
Being a newcomer to the travel industry but no stranger to developing and implementing global business strategies, he soon realised that the complexities of the new global reality required a paradigm shift in corporate travel.
Chu believes that travel is a critical business enabler, and has since been building a shared mission, “Purposeful Travel Powering Progress”, with his team, suppliers, and partners worldwide, forging connections that shape the conditions for optimal traveller well-being, environmental sustainability, safety, and cost efficiency in business travel.
Yong-Yi Chu
Vice President Corporate Travel
Shell