Travel Risk Academy

We’re pleased to announce that Barry Fleming has joined the #TRA community as a TRA Mentor. Barry has extensive experience operating at senior marketing management level within the corporate travel sector for more than 25-years. He’s helped drive marketing strategy and tactical delivery primarily (although not exclusively) for a number of travel management companies that included local national players through to global TMCs. His driving principle is to help shape an organisation’s brand promise so that it’s true to the customer expectation and service experience. Barry shared thoughts on what he can contribute to the TRA community and how he’d like to see change develop across the travel risk management space. On being a TRA Mentor Generally speaking, marketing folk are few and far between across the corporate travel and risk management sectors. So, I feel humbled and grateful to be asked to support the TRA by offering a perspective as a marketing mentor for its community. Sharing experience and expertise within the TRA community I genuinely think we’re seeing the emergence of an intersection for managing corporate travel and its inherent and recognisable risks. It’s potential is to blend expertise from programme management as a procurement discipline, HR initiatives that protect travellers and their wellbeing, along with the safeguarding of organisations and their reputations by risk and security management teams. In order to elevate strategic thinking and support behaviour across organisational functions, collaboration, communication and engagement are essential – and that’s what I’d love to help with. Changes needed across the travel risk management space Innovative technology needs to play its part both as a disruptor and enabler – as will emerging AI applications set to dramatically enhance the speed of analysis and offer predictive perspectives to act on. While Generative AI, like Chat GTP Custom apps, will make short work of turning long-winded and often out-of-date travel policy documents that few read into short, snappy relevant guidance and advisories for travellers telling them exactly what they need to know and when they need to know it. Watch this space for announcements on more TRA Mentor & Ambassador appointments... #TRA #travelriskacademy #travelriskmanagement #traveloptimisationmanagement #travelsafety #travelsecurity #travel #businesstravel #travelmanagers #hr #security #travelrisk #education #mentoring

Changing employee behaviour is a perennial challenge for organisations the world over, whether you’re an SME or a global operation. But getting people to understand why you want them to do things differently and make better informed decisions is the key to unlocking the desired change. Whether it’s policy and procedures designed to keep employees safe when they travel, choosing more sustainable options or simply reducing travel costs, engaging with your audience at the right time and in the right way is crucial. As a universally recognised example of outstanding employee engagement practice – even though it’s from 10-years ago - Mondelēz International connected with its 100,000+ employees worldwide to achieve a 20% cost-saving by changing their travelling employees’ mindset. Creating a unique travel programme brand labelled as ‘The MDLZ Way’ it conveyed the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of what it expected of travellers while aligning with a zero-based budgeting initiative designed to save $1Billion across its entire global operation. Mondelez was supported by Advito who helped to design and implement a highly effective traveller engagement programme – see comments for case study. More recently in 2023, as part of its Ambition Carbon Zero plan, AstraZeneca set out to reduced travel-related Scope 3 GHG emissions - 50 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2045 compared to a 2019 baseline. The challenge was to engage directly with 60,000 travellers across its 90,000 worldwide workforce. Alongside enhanced data reporting built around parameters specific to AstraZeneca’s business goals and operations and more accessible as dashboards, and the promotion of sustainably nuanced travel options (including avoiding short trips, and rail over air in key markets), a critical driver for changing traveller behaviour was a carefully orchestrated communications programme. Dubbed 'Every Mile Matters' it featured timely, relevant and contextual traveller education, messaging and ‘point-of-sale’ prompts. Kerrie Henshaw-Cox, Associate director of business travel, explained” The travel team was at the core of the campaign, answering travellers’ questions and keeping up the dialogue. We collaborated with internal comms teams around the globe to provide messaging that was timely, relevant and in multiple languages.” The campaign proved so successful that it continued into 2024, see comments for case study. What is also clearly evident in these examples is that where an organisation’s culture encourages and enables collaboration across functions and departments, the more aligned the actual outcomes become with the overall business objectives and desired goals. And that cross-functional collaboration of expertise is the very essence of #TravelOptimisationManagement and an approach that the #TRA is strongly advocating for. For the TRA Guide on engagement: https://lnkd.in/e_7JV84H

If you travel or stay in a hotel as part of your job, why wouldn’t you want to feel like you’re in a safe space, ready to work or relax after a busy day? And it would be good to know that your company has ‘got your back’. That its accommodation programme consists of hotels that are up to standard on safety and security. As well as being in the right location and at the right price. Putting that together isn’t easy. So, the #TRA brings you tips on ‘good practice’ for building a safer accommodation programme and for the next time you initiate a hotel RFP. https://lnkd.in/edRsmePM It’s the first in a series of TRA Guides covering different aspects of Travel Optimisation Management #TOM that draws on the expertise and experience of TRA Mentors & Ambassadors from across the TRA community. Watch this space for more upcoming TRA Guides… #TRA #travelriskacademy #travelriskmanagement #traveloptimisationmanagement #travelsafety #travelsecurity #travel #businesstravel #travelmanagers #hr #security #travelrisk #education #mentoring #collaboration

We’re pleased to announce that Frank H. has now joined the #TRA community as a TRA Mentor. Frank, the Regional Security Director for the Americas at World Travel Protection, joined the Zurich family in February 2021, bringing over 20 years of expertise in emergency operations and security risk management. He is a Global Security Services Team member based in Toronto, providing top-tier travel risk management and consultancy services supported by three 24/7 command centers. Frank's extensive background includes roles with the Canadian Armed Forces, the United Nations, and the US Government, and he has significant experience in crisis management across various sectors, including mining and energy projects worldwide. Frank shared his perspective how on he will contribute to the community and what he’d like to see change across the travel risk management space. On being a TRA Mentor Frank embraced the invitation to become a TRA Mentor, driven by his belief in the collective power of shared knowledge to protect people. He sees beyond corporate intellectual property and copyright to a wealth of information ready to be matured and shared. His goal is to foster a space where collective understanding and practices are enhanced, ensuring the safety and security of travellers worldwide. Sharing experience and expertise within the TRA community With extensive experience in journey and travel management, public security, and emergency operations, Frank positions himself as a valuable contributor to the TRA community. As a strong advocate for emerging Travel Risk Management (TRM) practitioners, he aims to share insights from his extensive career. His background with the Canadian Armed Forces, the United Nations, and the US Government, along with consulting roles in the extractive resource sector, underscores his deep commitment to the TRM field. Changing needs across the travel risk management space Envisioning a future for TRM programs where technology and AI play a central role, Frank advocates leveraging advanced technologies to empower travellers with real-time information and tools. This enables them to make informed decisions during crises—whether facing missed flights, travel delays, geopolitical turmoil, or significant weather events. He believes that the TRA can bring this vision to life by fostering innovation and championing technology-driven solutions, helping travellers stay safe and become part of the solution rather than victims. Watch this space for announcements on more TRA Mentor & Ambassador appointments... #TRA #travelriskacademy #travelriskmanagement #traveloptimisationmanagement #travelsafety #travelsecurity #travel #businesstravel #travelmanagers #hr #security #travelrisk #education #mentoring

Announcing: TRA Communities One of the core values of the #TRA that we will bring to life at the Travel Optimisation Management Summit 2025 is to bring stakeholders from across organisational departments who have a direct or indirect interest in people when they travel. This could be: #HR, #CorporateTravel #GlobalMobility #MeetingsandEvents #procurement #finance #riskmanagement #security #cybersecurity #sustainability #fleet #facilities #Legal #Insurance #Internalaudit #compliance #travellers #approvers #bookers #EAs #PAs #Travelrisk #officemanagers....in fact pretty much every department in an organisation. Coming together as a group we recognised that there were both concerns and good practice that we could share; across #organisations, with peers and our #supplier partners. All of us have concerns around: * #PeopleManagement * #Accommodations #Security and #Safety * Sensible #carbonreductionstrategies and #measuringscope3 emissions * Developing #effective security #protocol and #procedures * #GroundTransportation Security and Safety * #Data Integrity * #Risk Mitigation when using third parties We have set up a series of #TRACommunities to address and take action, by bringing the right experts, most innovative technologies to tackle our combined concerns and come up with something better. It is with great delight that we announce publicly our first #TRACommunity which started in April, just after #TOMS24; with a group of people, with grit and determination, who believed in collaboration and the will for change. The Accommodation Conformity Community have been tasked to agree on a minimum level of requirement in safety and security, aimed at any type of accommodation servicing organisations. Technology partner mysa enables the properties to provide evidence that prove to a perspective #travelbuyer what they haven place to provide duty of care to their #travellers when in their care. You can ready about our official launch here; thank you so much to The Business Travel Magazine for getting our message out there this week: https://lnkd.in/eAMWsnMR If you are interested in creating positive change in the accommodation sector, come and join us here: https://lnkd.in/etkJJ2Vw Learn more about the issues that we face when procuring in the accommodation sector- check out this great video here: https://mysa.global/ We thank our Accommodation Conformity Focus Group Members, led by Carol Fergus, Gary Hurst, Sara McKenna with incredible input from Elizabeth Anderson, Samantha Wells, Nick Hymans, Alexandra G., Lisa Sumner. Kerry Dunstan, Sharon Robertson, Simon Crane M.ISRM RISC ROBERTA IORIZZO, Alice Linley-Munro, Benjamin VALZ, Rob Westwood, Matt Skelton, Shaun Taylor MSc, David Golding, Chris Pouney & we welcome new members: Mike Heath, Callie Richards, Carlos Almendros & Scott Adamson. Let the good work continue...

We’re pleased to announce that Gary Hurst has now joined our community as a TRA Mentor. Gary, founder and CEO of mysa, is passionate about innovating the corporate travel industry with intuitive technology, not just to create smarter booking and intelligent procurement, but also to allow accommodation providers to efficiently demonstrate their safety and security protocols.  Gary explains here how he can contribute to the community and what he’d like to see change across the travel risk management space. On being a TRA Mentor I am extremely honoured to be joining such distinguished figures in contributing to safer travel experiences. If I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on even a single traveller's safety, my commitment has no limits.  Sharing experience and expertise within the TRA community Over the past few years, I have actively advocated for greater due diligence and demonstration of safety and security standards across different accommodation types. Having also been involved in the introduction of ISO31030 and having continued to help develop further safety and security initiatives, I believe I can make a significant contribution to the #TRA network.  Changing needs across the travel risk management space I really believe technology will continue to thrive in this space, it has the ability to remove silos and create greater optimisation through collaboration. Risk management needs to be part of the buying process, and risk, procurement and programme managers need to be able to work from the same hymn sheet. Watch this space for announcements on more TRA Mentor & Ambassador appointments... #TRA #travelriskacademy #travelriskmanagement #traveloptimisationmanagement #travelsafety #travelsecurity #travel #businesstravel #travelmanagers #hr #security #travelrisk #education #mentoring

Check out this fantastic video from the team mysa highlighting the challenges of building an evidence based accommodation programme, we love it and are proud of the work we are doing together. Change is possible, it just takes a group of individuals ready to step up! If that is YOU Come and get involved! Kevin Coffey, Russell Price, Bruce McIndoe, Alexandra Delgado you are going to love this!

We're pleased to announce Martijn V. has now joined our community of TRA Mentors & Ambassadors. Martijn is a passionate Travel Technologist with 18 years of expertise, having held key leadership roles at CWT, where he last spearheaded digital booking channel 3rd party product delivery and internal & external strategies. These efforts drove profitability and seamless integrations across online booking tools, mid/back office, expense & payment technologies. He loves building strong connections with technology and corporate partners. Naturally connecting existing and new relationships drives synergies for collective success. And he’s always been focused on pushing the boundaries of travel technology and challenging the status quo to elevate products, processes, people, and deliver impactful results. Here, Martijn explains what it means to become a #TRAMentor and outlines how he sees the role of the #TRA within the travel risk management space. On being a TRA Mentor The TRA is a unique concept. It goes beyond the usual constraints we see today in all things #TravelRiskManagement, leveraging years of skill and expertise from various experts in the travel and travel technology fields. It brings together individuals willing and unafraid to ask open questions and challenge the status quo for the betterment of overall travel management. That’s the appeal. Sharing experience and expertise within the TRA community Over time, I’ve worked with GDS, airlines, travel technology providers, digital booking channels, safety & security providers—each offering potential for wider collaboration and deeper integration of pre-, during-, and post-travel risk management. My niche background allows me to have an all-encompassing view while connecting the players and the dots, enabling the TRA to advance from a technology standpoint. Changing needs across the travel risk management space I expect the travel industry to soon accelerate towards adopting Travel Risk Management ISO standards, driven by increasing demand from corporates and travellers. The TRA possesses the knowledge and experts across all TRM disciplines to foster meaningful conversations and ultimately deliver frameworks and guidance that can help establish a common standard. Watch this space for announcements on more TRA Mentor & Ambassador appointments... #TRA #travelriskacademy #travelriskmanagement #traveloptimisationmanagement #travelsafety #travelsecurity #travel #businesstravel #travelmanagers #hr #security #travelrisk #education #mentoring

Join us today! At 12:30 (GMT) There's still time to register for our complimentary #MeetTheMentors webinar and find out what a travel risk register is and how to set one up...https://buff.ly/3N2EVCQ Hear from Alice Linley-Munro, Ben Griffin, and Alex Craxton, on the pros and cons of how to create a #TravelRiskRegister. Ahead of today's session, Alice has previously explained “We need to talk collectively and openly about the challenges we face as an industry if we want to move forward, the #TRA is offering the perfect platforms and opportunities to be able to facilitate this. There is such a lot to consider when thinking about travel risk management that it can be easy to feel overwhelmed, this is where the TRA steps in." And part of the beginning of the ‘risk management journey’ is creating a risk register to understand within your own organisation who the stakeholders are across your business, what the corporate appetite for risk is, and how best to connect processes to better manage travel risk. That’s exactly what Ben, Alex, and Alice will explore when you join us for our one-hour webinar today at 12:30pm (GMT) 25 September 2024. Register now - and don't forget to let us have your questions sign up, which you can do right here: https://buff.ly/3BnIcdo

Looking for a way to bring Travel Risk Management to life for your teams? Introducing hashtag #TRAWorkshops. We have two running this year - visit our website on the link below to find out more: https://lnkd.in/e8ijT84z Carolyn Pearson (nee Carr) Sara McKenna Nathan Coe SRMC® Bruce McIndoe Kevin Coffey Stacey D. Porter, SAS, Alexandra Delgado #personalsecurity, #inclusivesecurity , #iso31030, #TRM , #TRAMentors #TRAAmbassadors, #getinvolved , #businesstravellers , #travel #businesstravel , #peoplemanagement , #riskmanagement