Travelport GDS, one of the world’s leading providers of global distribution systems (GDS), operating both the Galileo and Worldspan platforms, has appointed Tim Wright in the newly created role of UK and Ireland commercial director.

Reporting into Jérôme Moisan, general manager for the UK and Ireland, Wright’s appointment takes immediate effect.  As commercial director, Wright will be charged with managing the sales and account management teams and working closely with customers to ensure they are kept fully up to date on all new Travelport innovations, products and services.

 

Jérôme Moisan commented on the appointment, “We have appointed Tim to this key customer-facing role as part of our ongoing drive to support our customers through these challenging economic times.  Now, more than ever, our customers need to understand how our technology and offering can help support their businesses and Tim will be looking at how to build in new efficiencies and how to further enhance the quality of service we provide. I am confident that with Tim’s extensive knowledge and experience, coupled with his highly customer-centric approach, he will prove to be an excellent resource for our customers as well as myself and the rest of the team in the UK and Ireland.

 

Wright joins Travelport GDS from HyperTech, a software solutions provider for the leisure travel industry. As global vice president for business development, Wright’s successes with HyperTech included converting a number of high profile leisure travel companies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), USA, Canada and Australasia to the company’s solutions.

 

Wright stated: “I am delighted to be joining Travelport and I very much look forward to meeting travel agents in this region and really getting to grips with their requirements from a GDS partner.  Travelport, with its Galileo and Worldspan solutions, offers travel agents extensive content as well as an impressive range of GDS products and services and I’m keen to explore how we can add further value to both our existing and prospective customers. I am particularly pleased to be focusing on the UK and Irish markets where my travel career started and where I have many friends and contacts.”

 

No stranger to GDSs, Wright previously spent 15 years working for Worldspan (now merged into Travelport GDS) where he held a number of senior roles including vice president for business development and e-commerce in EMEA. In this role, Wright was responsible for managing the regional sales team and was instrumental in setting up new GDS operations across the region.

 

Moisan added, “I am delighted that someone of Tim’s calibre has chosen to join our UK and Ireland team at such an exciting time for Travelport GDS globally and in the region.  We wish him all the best in his new role.”

 

Meanwhile, Kathryn Wallington, formerly sales manager for the UK & Ireland, has been promoted to the new role of head of customer service for Europe, reporting into Jason Clarke who has overall responsibility for Travelport’s global commercial operations function.  In this role, Wallington will be responsible for all aspects of Travelport GDS’s customer service operations in the region, including the delivery of technical services, training and helpdesk support.  With a strong track record in customer service and support gained through her previous Travelport roles and 14 years spent at Thomas Cook, Wallington will continue to work closely with the UK & Ireland team to support its customers in the region and will remain based in the company’s global headquarters in Langley, UK.