The year 2020 wasn’t a good one for the Global Business
Travel Association. On top of careening into a global pandemic that would
decimate business travel for two solid years—and would be the quick undoing of
the Association of Corporate Travel Executives—GBTA was headed for a second and
simultaneous upheaval. Layoffs came in the wake of the pandemic, then
accusations of misconduct, expletive-laden emails. Then, a summertime
investigation and ultimate departure of the CEO, despite being officially
cleared of misconduct, but not before sponsors, supporters and volunteers
suspended their involvement with the organization and a major
revenue-generating convention was scuttled.
Crisis communications managers swooped in to stanch the
bleeding. An external consultancy performed an organizational effectiveness
assessment. A beloved airline executive came out of retirement to bridge the
leadership gap. But who would take over? Who would dare?
As it turns out, it was a name the industry knew well. And
she’s proven as steely as the organization could hope. Former
ACTE board of directors president Suzanne Neufang joined the organization as
CEO in February 2021 and looks to have brought much-needed organizational deftness
to GBTA. In the first three months she presided over a bylaws review and voting
process to change bylaws, including the reintroduction of board member term
limits, which have now taken some effect. She brokered relationships, reined in
the loudest detractors and reached out to volunteers—even those who had soured
on the organization in prior years.
In the past 12 months under Neufang’s leadership, the GBTA
team has pulled off two global conventions in the United States and two
European conferences, thanks to pandemic interference that compressed
timelines. She relaunched the GBTA foundation and aligned the WINiT women in
travel organization, the Ladders mentorship program and a new Sustainability
Leadership Council under the 501c3 nonprofit arm, while separating that from
the 501c6 that runs the convention, industry lobbying and committee
volunteerism.
She persuaded some big names to engage more closely with the
organization through the foundation by bringing their passion surrounding “people”
and “planet” initiatives to the table: Amex GBT CEO Paul Abbott leads the foundation
as chair; United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is serving as well, alongside major industry
influencers like Festive Road managing partner Caroline Strachan and progressive
travel buyers like JLL global director of travel Leslie Andrews. Some big names
have also left their leadership positions at GBTA. Former Best Western
executive Dorothy Dowling has departed the overall organization’s board of
directors and WINiT. The move left a vacancy at the top of the Allied
Leadership Council this year. Marriott International’s Tammy Routh stepped into
that gap.
A review of GBTA’s 2020 federal tax forms showed an
organization in the red, due to canceled events and payouts to the previous
CEO. Those forms were published with a rider from GBTA that pandemic-induced
insurance payouts in 2021 had covered much of the organization’s shortfalls.
That remains to be verified in future disclosures.
But Neufang came to the organization with
promises of transparency and communication. She opened the GBTA convention in
San Diego by introducing a new brand for the association, “Many Voices. One
Purpose.” It’s a signifier of a new beginning ushered in through the hard work
of the organization under Neufang’s leadership. The next steps, however, will
be just as crucial.