GBTA Makes Changes At The Top

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) unveiled a fully revised leadership structure for its Canadian region during its 10th annual conference in Toronto last week. Speaking to the over 400 delegates during that event, Nancy Tudorache, GBTA’s director of operations for Canada, explained that the association had re-aligned it’s volunteer leadership structure in the region to replicate successful leadership structures elsewhere in the GBTA global network and to set the scene for future growth. As director of the region, Tudorache has been working to establish a respected buyer in the volunteer president’s role as well as a formal leadership structure. That search is now over, with GBTA Canada naming Shelly Lewchuk, manager of corporate travel for Canadian Natural Resources Limited to the post. Lewchuk will now work with Tudorache to lead the association in the region.

As well, a formal advisory board has been created — to support Tudoarche and Lewchuk — with a supporting committee structure that will see over 30 volunteer business travel professionals helping to lead the region’s membership, education, research and training development and coordinate activity with the global network’s other activity.

Tudorache observed: “It’s really important that GBTA’s Canadian region has a volunteer buyer leader and board that inspires people to contribute to Canada’s business travel industry. GBTA Canada is the only buyer-led association in this sector and having a clear voice for the buyer community means we will have an effective volunteer buyer leadership working in tandem with the supplier community. Shelly has demonstrated tremendous support of GBTA over the years, having been on the Board of Directors and serving on GBTA’s Risk Committee for several years. In addition, her active involvement in GBTA Canada’s previous Leadership Council has ideally positioned Shelly for this volunteer role. I am delighted that Shelly has accepted this position and am thrilled with the new structure of our advisory board and committees.”

Lewchuk commented: “I and many others have been involved in supporting the association for many years. We are proud of what we have all accomplished so far and I am honoured to serve in this new volunteer president role. I want to reach out to the buyer community across Canada and ask for their engagement, opinions and support to help us deliver even more value to the business travel industry in Canada.”

As for GBTA Canada’s new advisory board, it includes:

• Sharlene Ketwaroo-Nanoo, strategic sourcing travel analyst, vendor management, Canadian Tire Corporation
• Sherry Marshall, senior manager, procurement, PricewaterhouseCoopers
• James Moore, manager, administration and travel, strategic procurement services, Rogers Communications
• Shaun East, senior manager, commercial card account management, Scotiabank
• Ian Race, vice-president, sales and account management, Vision Travel
• Angela Xavier, regional vice-president of sales, Canada | Americas Sales, IHG
• Daniele Gadbois, director of business development, Carlson Wagonlit Travel

Details of the GBTA’s committee structure and its leaders will be announced shortly.

For more, go to http://www.gbta.org .