Board of Directors Official Election Ballot
VOTE NOW FOR ACTE 2007-2009 LEADERSHIP

Each year ACTE members have the opportunity to vote for fellow members to serve on the ACTE Board of Directors. The 2006 election period is now open and as an ACTE member you are encouraged to vote. This election will fill three At-Large seats. The successful candidates will hold office from 1 January 2007 through 31 December 2009. The ACTE Board of Directors is responsible for the global strategic direction and financial well-being of the association.

ELECTION GUIDELINES

Please cast votes for three of the eight candidates listed below as follows.

• You must cast a minimum of two (2) votes for Corporate member candidates.
• Your remaining vote (1) may be cast for either a Corporate or Supplier member candidate. (Indicate your vote by placing a check mark before one candidate’s name.)
• All Members from all ACTE regions may cast votes for the At-Large Board Seats.
• Completed ballots must be received by ACTE on or before 11 December 2006.
• Electronic ballots must contain your member ID (Refer to text email sent 15 November 2006 or your member card).
• Hard copy ballots must be signed by the member casting the vote.
• Unsigned hard copy ballots or unidentifiable electronic ballots will not be counted.

HOW TO VOTE

• Review Candidate Biographies and Statements click here
• To vote online please click here for the electronic ballot.
• To download a PDF of the ballot and vote by mail or fax, click here.

Completed ballots must be received by ACTE on or before 11 December 2006.

Corporate Member Candidates

Michele Bryant
Director, Travel and Procurement
Deloitte Services, LLP

I am deeply honored to have been selected by the ACTE Nominations Committee for the final ballot of At-Large Board Member.  As the Director of Travel for the U.S. Firms of Deloitte, I report directly to the Chief Procurement Officer, with responsibility for all facets of travel operations and procurement including agency and online booking, airlines, hotels, car rental, and ground transportation.  Additionally, I am responsible for meetings procurement at Deloitte (selecting hotel and conference center space for our 900+ meetings annually) as well as all Non-Technology Procurement for the U.S. Firms.  This includes managing the relationships and spend (approximately $100 million) of various suppliers in the categories of Real Estate, Human Resources, Marketing and Office Services.

Deloitte is ranked 6th in the most recent edition of Business Travel News’ annual Corporate Travel 100 ranking.  With air spend of $191 million, Deloitte is a significant purchaser of all travel services.  My goal during the past few tumultuous years in the travel industry has been to ensure that my team and I are apprised of any and all information that would enable us to better manage our travel program and thereby better serve our travelers.  My vision for ACTE would be that even more so than today, ACTE become the leading provider of education in all aspects of travel (and procurement as appropriate) for its members.

I believe it is important for all corporate members of ACTE, large or small (defined in terms of air spend), to have access to information that will provide the  most complete understanding of the complex issues facing travel managers today.  ACTE should be the ultimate resource for these members to gain the knowledge required to enable travel managers to weigh options and make decisions appropriate for their company. 

During my participation on the ACTE Education Committee, I often expressed concern that the corporate members were out numbered (when compared to suppliers) and possibly under served with regard to some of the content at the biannual meetings.  If I were elected, I would actively work to increase corporate membership and solicitation of corporate member ideas and concerns.  Additionally, I would seek creative ways of financing the ACTE conferences to encourage more balance between corporate and supplier sponsorship.  

I am confident that my skills and qualifications as a professional in the travel industry, combined with my responsibilities for one of the largest professional services firms in the U.S. and around the world, I am uniquely positioned to assist ACTE in its mission of providing global and regional leadership for the advancement of the business travel industry.  Thank you for your vote!

Caro Cook
Chief, Transportation Section
International Monetary Fund

Those that know me know I am passionate about the industry.  I care greatly about the future of ACTE, its mission and values, its members and their needs.  I have been an active member for 9 years including serving on many of its committees.

My Term Goals are:

Bring clarity to the purpose and vision of ACTE by:

• Remain focused on the recently agreed strategic goals and issues
  
• Provide continued leadership and guidance to the ACTE staff so they may seek out opportunities to expand membership networking and deliver dynamic and relevant educational programs
• 
  Increase the ACTE’s global outreach to accommodate the global growth, at the same time ensuring regional and local issues are addressed
• 
  Survey the membership annually to ensure the Association is responding to issues deemed strategically important thereby, focusing the resources on these issues.

Further strengthen the ACTE’s resources by:

• Continue building financial reserves to ensure that even in times of serious challenge, ACTE remains a strong voice for its membership
• 
  Further strengthen relationships with our membership and partners while promoting a diverse sponsorship base

Ensure a balance of service providers and buyers on the Board. Provide both Board member continuity and institutional knowledge during this time of change in our industry and extraordinary growth within our ACTE.

Thank you to all those who placed their trust in me by allowing me to serve on the ACTE Board for the past three years; it has been an honour and I ask that you vote for me so I may serve an additional term.

Bruce Finch
Senior Manager, Global Travel
Autodesk, Inc.

I have had the privilege to work in the travel industry for over 20 years.  My roles and responsibilities have included both the vendor and the buyer side in both corporate and leisure markets. 

Today, corporations are looking for value in the dollars they spend to support their managed travel programs.  This goes beyond just the purchase of an airline ticket or an online booking tool.  It includes the value proposition of managing the second or third largest controllable spend item on their companies P&L. 

Those who know me well also know how passionate I am about our industry.  Not many days go by that I don’t speak with other travel professionals about an issue that affects my travel program, or theirs.  Our success relies on the information that we can gather from industry sources.  Much of what I learn comes from education sessions at ACTE and other industry meetings.  But another large part comes from the key relationships I have formed with other travel professionals.  Helping one another, we continue to drive our programs to reach that value proposition.

Stability is not a word normally associated with our industry.  However, ACTE has become the stable global industry leader, providing education, support, networking opportunities and direction to both buyers and suppliers.  I’d like the opportunity to bring my passion, experience and enthusiasm for our industry to the ACTE board to help make a difference to the ACTE membership and the companies that they represent.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sally Rademaker
Manager, Sourcing Market Unit - Sub-Saharan Africa
Ericsson South Africa

Qualifications for the Board Member Role include the following: 

• In excess of 10 years experience in Corporate Travel Procurement
• A long standing membership with ACTE and active participation
• Full understanding of the objectives of ACTE
• Excellent network of contacts within the travel industry
• Experience with and understanding of the emerging markets in Africa

 Reasons for running for the ACTE Board:

Since one of the visions of ACTE is to strengthen the membership base globally and be recognized as the leading voice within the travel industry by providing guidance, advice and education on a truly global level, I believe I could add value by my extensive involvement and experience in Africa in the procurement area and in particular, travel.

Some of the reasons for running for ACTE Board are largely related to the market in which I am active, namely Sub-Saharan Africa where I see much room for growth and development.  These emerging markets are having to move fast to reach the levels of Europe and USA within the travel industry.  ACTE could be instrumental in creating opportunities to enable the African markets to grow and develop through guidance, advice, education and innovation. 

Supplier Member Candidates

Onita Dey-Frankian
National Business Development Manager
BCD Travel Canada

Since this vote is all about you, and representing each and every member of this fabulous global organization ... allow me to share the business and personal experiences that best qualify me to serve on your behalf ...

Born near Düsseldorf, to an Indian Father and German Mother, both of whom believed that the greatest gift of education was to get out and see the world, meet the people and listen, learn and understand their unique point of view ... it's only natural that by the time i was 17, I'd already visited more than 47 countries around the world....and given the choice of law or travel...well, adventure called and i stand proud of my 25 year career path with BCD (and it’s legacy companies) and the opportunity to connect with so many of the world's largest T&E suppliers and portfolio owners as consultant, trainer, ops and management, before finally settling down in business development, where strategy and consulting make my day!

Many of the roles and expectations that are described as the desired "Engaged ACTE Board Member" reflect the lifestyle I’ve had the privilege to experience as Chair for ACTE Canada over these last two years, and the time spent on various education committees before that.  ACTE’s leadership says that the Canada’s volunteer/business model we built, is being used across the globe as infrastructure ... and this year it was our great pleasure to welcome our industry colleagues of the CBTA East into the ACTE family as the Canadian Business Travellers Association East decided to dissolve their long standing organization, and join forces with us on the global scene!  It is exactly this type of contagious enthusiasm all of us at ACTE Global should be proud of!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm a "Get It Done Gal", ready and willing to serve, able to look at a given situation from many an angle, exude the required enthusiasm to get people involved ...and genuinely motivated to continue to make a difference by playing a small part in the ongoing success of ACTE!

Continued Success Everyone...Cheers, Onita

Mary Ellen George
General Manager
Advito (Formerly BCD Travel Consulting)

Sitting on the ACTE Board isn’t about “location, location, location.” It’s about results, results, results.  I have a proven track record of doing things that haven’t been done before, and my career has been based on getting results for my company and from teams, on both macro and micro levels.  I can manage a profitable bottom line. I can bring money into an organization. I can streamline processes and structures. I can target solutions to a global environment. I can see industry issues from a corporate perspective. These skills, so crucial for success in the business world, also reveal the impact I will have serving on the ACTE Board.

I want to give back to an industry and a community that have allowed me a great deal of success, and ACTE, with its global scope, is the pre-eminent channel for doing so. I applaud the steps ACTE has taken to become our industry’s leading voice, but want to support ACTE further in focusing on “the customer” and addressing topics of deep substance – to broaden its audience, develop new membership niches and partner with procurement organizations, national industry associations, business services and universities.

Over the years, I’ve asked myself what I might do differently, were I more deeply involved in the organization: where might I take a slightly different direction, how might I advise tackling a particularly challenging industry issue? Now I have the opportunity to provide answers to those questions – and I will make the most of it.

Mike Platt
Global Industry Affairs Director
Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)

I have been a board member in the past and co-chaired a strategic group (IATA). As a result I am very much aware of the requirements, responsibilities and role demands of the job. I have also been a long serving member of ACTE and attended and spoken at a number of global conferences.

I am a 35 year industry veteran and have played a significant part in the development of corporate travel in Europe

It is an indisputable fact that the corporate travel market is continuing to evolve at a rapid rate and will go on doing so into the future. With evolution comes opportunity but also confusion and the risk of misdirection . I see ACTE as the body that can play a clear and leading part in steering all stakeholders in the industry through this difficult and exciting era.

What I want to see is the positive recognition, evolution and understanding of the corporate travel industry. I believe in  change built on integrity, hard work and involvement of all stakeholders.
This cannot be achieved by one person, one company or one industry sector. It can however be achieved by dedicated people within an organization such as ACTE. I believe I can be one of those dedicated people.

Cheryl Weldon
Vice President, Major Accounts
Worldspan

As a travel industry professional for more than twenty years - holding senior level positions for the last ten years, I have acquired the skills needed to be a successful ACTE Board Member.  I regularly attend ACTE global conferences and educational forums and fully support the mission of this influential international travel industry association.  In my current position as Vice President of Major Accounts at Worldspan, I lead the team responsible for our major travel management company (TMC) relationships as well as our corporate-direct relationships - both key ACTE membership groups. ACTE has a unique opportunity to increase its profile within the international business travel community and I want to play an integral part in building on that vision. Change is the only constant in the travel industry and with ACTE's focus on education and the exchange of ideas, members can successfully navigate new industry business models as well as learn global "best practices"  in corporate travel management.  It would be my honor and privilege to serve on the ACTE Board