Next month at the BTE T&E Summit in New York City, industry veteran Andy Menkes will host a panel featuring four senior travel management company leaders: Penny Watermeier, CTM’s EVP of customer success, Christine Sikes, SVP operations at Direct Travel, Maikel Rodriguez, co-founder and CRO of Brickell Travel Management, and Michel Botbol, Gray Dawes Travel’s chairman of the board for North America.
This conversation is an opportunity for travel buyers to hear first-hand how TMCs are dealing with today’s rapidly evolving travel landscape, and how changes in travel demand are shaping the future of the industry. The discussion will center on the strategic steps buyers and TMCs can take to foster stronger, more effective partnerships, embrace technology and prioritize traveler success.
The panel represents a wealth of knowledge and years of experience in business travel management. The moderator, Andy Menkes is founder and CEO of Partnership Travel Consulting and one of the most influential voices in the industry.
Watermeier’s career in corporate travel spans over 30 years. At the end of 2020, she was appointed SVP general manager of the central region, and in 2024 was named EVP customer success. As part of CTM’s general manager team, Watermeier is responsible for sales, operations, and account management for the central region.
With over 25 years of travel industry experience, Christine Sikes has a proven track record in developing and implementing successful client-driven programs. She comes to Direct Travel from CWT’s SatoTravel Military & Government division, where she was vice president of program management.
Maikel Rodriguez is celebrating 15 years of innovation and excellence with Miami-based Brickell Travel. His vision was to blend the personalized service of a boutique travel agency with state-of-the-art technological tools to deliver a unified global service, providing specialized industry knowledge and unparalleled customer service.
Michel Botbol comes to his leadership role at Gray Dawes Travel with 18 years’ experience in the TMC space, having served as CFO and president of Ultramar Travel and as head of supplier negotiations when Ultramar was purchased by Travel and Transport. Most recently, Botbol was president of Frosch Travel in New York.
The experiences of these panelists offer buyers new insights into the opportunities, challenges, and solutions that lie ahead for the industry, and what it will take to drive transformation and operational excellence in the dynamic environment of global corporate travel management.
The BTE T&E Summit’s interactive, intimate, invitation-only format allows corporate travel decision makers to network, brainstorm and collaborate, reaping valuable insights and strategies to deal with today’s hot topics and disruptive challenges.
Space is limited so register now for the BTE T&E Summit, coming Sept. 11-13, 2024, at the Westin New York Times Square. For more program details, visit btesummit.com. BTE Subscriber Corporate Travel Buyers are invited to register here at a discount: https://cvent.me/x1xnAX
