4 minute read
The Interview
from Upgrade Issue 8
Caroline French, Head of Global Travel & Expense Management, Inmarsat
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In conversation
Upgrade talks to Caroline French, Head of Global Travel & Expense Management at Inmarsat, the world leader in mobile satellite communications and a global client of FCM’s since 2017
How long have you been a buyer in the business travel industry and how did you start out?
I have been a buyer for over 15 years, having gained experience in the communications industry. In my current role, I have definitely seen huge changes as the company has evolved and progressed through a series of mergers and acquisitions.
Did you go the CIPS route in terms of learning your craft or did you learn ‘on the job’?
Definitely in at the deep end with ‘on the job’ learning; but I have known and worked with some great people in the travel industry who helped and coached me through my early career development years as well as supported me with training where useful during my career progression.
What attracted you to the world of business travel?
It’s a vibrant and constantly changing industry and a key element of an organisation’s ability to conduct business. Furthermore, you are closely working across all business levels and locations so you get a real insight into how the organisation works so that its requirements can then be met.
Have you been responsible for global spend as well as national/regional spends?
Yes, I am presently responsible for spend and operational reporting across 13 countries.
How large is your travel team and where does it sit in the company?
Four people based in London, St John’s Canada and Switzerland, and the team sits in the Chief People Office department.
What in your view are the challenges of being a buyer in this industry?
The challenges I see facing a buyer today are the need to keep pace with the ever-changing demands from both the business and the traveller. Depending on the size of the organisation it will find the buyer dealing across a variety of requirements such as traveller wellbeing, sustainability, risk, insurance and most importantly data reporting... but the list goes on!
What are your current challenges at Inmarsat?
Continuing to evolve our offering to meet the needs of our internal customers, a key focus in 2020 is around on-line travel and travel portal expansion.
What would you like to see change in the industry?
A booking tool that operates in all global locations which mirrors the look and feel of some of the top leisure sites and pulls in rates available across all platforms. Well, that’s my dream!
In your view, what is best practice in maintaining a good working relationship with suppliers and the company’s TMC?
I would say I apply openness, trust, respect and the comprehensive understanding of what each party requires. Above all, don’t be afraid to be direct to avoid any misunderstanding.
Is cost still the overriding factor when creating a travel policy or is that changing? Is it all about lowest logical fare or something else?
In essence, cost is not the overriding factor but I would say that depends on the organisation and their financial/regulatory constraints. Any well-run business is going to be sensitive to price in purchasing decisions but there are many other factors and they are often a higher priority. Within my organisation we have updated our policy to reflect the challenges that travel represents under a traveller wellbeing section; we have expanded our risk and guidance to travellers and provided some policy guidelines to ensure traveller consistency and fairness.
What do you look for in a TMC and how important is culture in that mix of criteria or is it all about the technology offering?
As we operate in multiple countries we need a TMC to be able to offer a ‘tailored’ in-country service solution to our mixed group of travellers. Culture and technology are extremely important. FCM meets that need and we are continually interacting and challenging them to provide the best solutions.
QUICKFIRE ROUND
Last film you saw Nixon with Anthony Hopkins (an old but rated Oliver Stone movie)
Richard Wagner or Little Richard? Little Richard
Football or rugby, or neither? Gunners!
Sushi or fish and chips? Fish and Chips
How do you feel Millennials and Gen Z will change the business travel industry?
It’s important not to generalise because every generation of users is very diverse and so are their requirements. But we’re seeing challenges to the traditional model and companies need to be quick to adopt new technology to ensure compliance and data is captured. Research that we’ve carried out with the London School of Economics sets out how crucial it is for airlines to offer onboard wi-fi as a competitive differentiator for example, something that we’re the market leader in providing through our GX Aviation offering.
My experience suggests that the ‘bleisure' requests have required a review of the travel policy and companies need to be mindful around insurance cover for this type of trip. A review of the booking and expense process needs to be streamlined and not ‘cumbersome’.
Last holiday? Singapore for the Grand Prix
Next holiday? Skiing in Austria
Desert island luxury? Gramophone with a large selection of records
