Leading travel buyers, plus the managing editor, editor and executive editor of Buying Business Travel magazine, the judges have been allocated categories based on their knowledge of that category, but also with a view to avoiding conflicts of interest. The judges for the 2011 Business Travel Awards take the role very seriously, and have agreed to give up their time to judge the hundreds of entrants across the 21 categories.

Geoff Allwright, Travel and Expenses Manager, EADS UK

 

Geoff is UK manager for EADS travel, with a fully online travel and expense programme, linked to major global suppliers. EADS group includes Airbus, Eurocopter and Astrium Satellites. Prior to EADS Geoff worked on travel programmes with Intel and HP.

Margaret Birse, Director, Global Travel Services, Serco

 

Margaret joined the international task management company in 1999 as travel manager for North America. Canadian-born, she moved to the UK in 2002, having suggested that Serco would benefit from a global travel programme, which she has implemented here, Britain being Serco’s highest-spend area.

Colin Brain, Consultant, Management Solutions (UK)

 

With over 35 years’ experience in the corporate travel sector, Colin became the first consultant specialising in travel to gain the status of Certified Management Consultant in Europe. His client list today features many blue-chip companies and organisations in every area of business, as well as a number of European & British Government departments.

Simon Brown, Senior Manager, Travel Services, Deloitte LLP

 

As UK travel manager for leading professional services firm Deloitte since 2003, Simon has seen many things come and go during his time there, successfully introducing some significant shifts in culture and major savings along the way. It is the fresh set of opportunities and challenges that present themselves each day that has kept him fully motivated in the travel industry for the past 36 years.

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Simone Buckley,  Director of Travel Programme Optimisation, Bouda

 

Co-founder of Bouda, Simone has a wealth of experience in the business travel sector, having held various roles over the last 18 years with travel management companies, including Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Rosenbluth International and HRG . Most recently she held the position of managing director at Capita Business Travel.

Having been appointed to the executive board of the Guild of Travel Management Companies, she chaired the Surface Transport Working Party.

 

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James Cresswell, Rolls-Royce

 

As commodity buyer for travel management within the UK, Europe and Asia, responsible for an annual spend of around £70m, James has 18 years’ experience at Rolls-Royce, almost half of which has been dedicated to travel purchasing.

James has led successful sourcing of global car rental and hotel programmes and is responsible for ground transportation, airlines, on-line booking tools and TMC relationship within the UK.

 

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Martin Ferguson, Editor, Buying Business Travel

 

Martin is editor of award winning publications Buying Business Travel and Air and Business Travel News (ABTN.co.uk). He was previously a reporter at Travel Trade Gazette and editor of ttgbusiness.com. Before joining the travel industry, he was a journalist in his native Scotland, working on both local and national newspapers. He also worked on the acclaimed BBC series Tales from Europe with Kirsty Wark.

 

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Jamie Hindhaugh, Head of Production London 2012, BBC

 

Having joined the BBC in 1996 as a call centre operative, Jamie went on to manage and subsequently outsource the BBC transport department. In 2003, he moved into BBC procurement as a senior category manager for transport and travel services, and was promoted two years later to the head of sourcing for production resources and head of logistics. 

While maintaining the latter role, in August last year he became head of production L2012, responsible for the main events to be broadcast in all genres by the BBC across all platforms, starting with New Year’s Eve celebrations and culminating in the 2012 London Olympics.

Jamie is also the chairman of the Institute of Travel and Meetings (ITM)

Mervin Moonien, Travel Co-ordinator, The Bank of New York Mellon

 

Based in London, he oversees the Bank’s travel division EMEA. He joined the bank in 2003 and has worked in the Finance Division, overseeing the travel and expenses department of a team of six. Since the merger of the Bank of New York and Mellon International, he transferred to the corporate sourcing department to manage travel for the EMEA region.

 

Previously, he worked for Natwest for 14 years, in various departments, and for threes years at Commerzbank in its finance department.

Bob Papworth, Executive Editor, Buying Business Travel

 

A career journalist, Bob has been specialising in corporate travel issues for 15 years.  In addition to his role as executive editor of Buying Business Travel, he is also a conference circuit regular, he has moderated events for, among others, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, the Business Travel Market, the Hotel Booking Agents Association, and the Institute of Travel & Meetings.

Angela Smith, Travel Manager, Carillion

 

With 13 years travel industry experience, Angela has worked for Carillion for six years as travel manager handling the merging of three travel programmes following the acquisition of Alfred McAlpine in 2008.  Handles an annual UK travel spend of around £9m and is responsible for supplier negotiation and travel policy.  Currently working on implementing a self-booking tool.  She is a member of the Institute of Travel & Meetings.

Andrew Solum, Director, Travel Industry Associates Ltd

 

Established Travel Industry Associates, an outsourced travel and event management company based at Canary Wharf, in 1998, following a five-year stint as a dedicated travel manager in the City.  TIA’s current client base includes companies from Asia to Europe, the US to Africa, and it ensures Andrew is frequently on the road, acting as travel manager for a wide variety of companies. His enthusiasm for travel is well known, and extends as far has having a genuine pair of Concorde seats in his office which are visitor chairs.

After starting as a business travel agent, Tom switched in 1988 to a career in travel management procurement for Sony Music Entertainment, followed by SmithKline Beecham, Seagram and Universal Music International. In 2003, he identified a strong need in the market for experienced, incisive travel sourcing consultancy, and set up Sirius to provide both outsourced travel management and project based consultancy.  Tom is a past chairman of the Institute of Travel & Meetings and has served two terms on the executive board of governors of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives.

Mike Toynbee, Managing Editor, Buying Business Travel

 

With 30 continuous years’ editing business travel publications, Mike Toynbee is one of the industry’s most experienced and longest serving editors. He was the founder editor of Executive Travel in 1979, remaining with the publication until its closure in 1997, and is currently managing editor of Buying Business Travel.

Beverley Warner, Senior Procurement Manager, Travel & Mice Sectors , Royal Mail Centre

 

Involved in business travel for many years, Beverly has worked for a number of companies in a variety of roles, including Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and American Express as multinational sales director. She joined the Royal Mail Group three years ago.