Conference Moderator

Michael Jackson

Managing Director, Three Sixty Degrees and Zebra Crossing

As Conference Moderator, Michael Jackson will bring a continued level of professionalism to ACTE’s educational programme. In this role, Jackson will facilitate each of the general sessions, keeping the focus on the Conference themes and objectives, providing seamless transitions, and ensuring a lively exchange of views. Jackson is a highly regarded strategic consultant and a sought-after public speaker based between London and Johannesburg. Once acclaimed by former South African

President Nelson Mandela as "a national treasure," he has an uncanny ability to connect with his audiences at a personal level, and is often referred to as a passionate champion of the business cause. Clients such as Microsoft, Nike, Compaq, Virgin Atlantic Airways, HP, and British Telecom, have utilised his communication and marketing expertise. Jackson is the owner and managing director of two pan-African creative and forensic marketing consultancies; Three Sixty Degrees and Zebra Crossing are both headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Keynote Presenters
ACTE's Global Conference in London features the world's preeminent futurists and visionaries. These dynamic keynote speakers will identify the most pressing issues facing the business travel industry today and elaborate on their bold solutions.

SUNDAY, 23 OCTOBER
18.00 - 19.30

General Session & Keynote Presentation
Theme: No Barriers
Keynote Presentation: No Barriers, Only Solutions - Neal Peterson, adventurer, author, international keynote speaker, and entrepreneur.

Neal Petersen was born physically disabled and impoverished in apartheid-era South Africa. Despite enormous obstacles, Neal achieved success in the prestigious world of solo yacht racing and became the first black man to race alone around the globe, a journey of some 27,000 miles. Drawing from his highly charged and captivating story, Petersen demonstrates how to turn challenges and hardships into advantages that will pave the way to the attainment of goals and the ultimate achievement of success on one’s chosen path. A gifted and inspiring speaker, Petersen will present a uniquely tailored presentation highlighting the effectiveness of balanced leadership, the dynamics of a high-performing team, and creative problem solving strategies relevant to the travel industry.

“Don’t Miss--Author Book Signing Available On Site”

Special Guest Speakers:Willie Walsh, CEO, British Airways

14.45 - 15.45

General Session & Keynote Presentation
Theme: Cooperation
Keynote Presentation: The Creation of Value - Barry Edwards, Senior Director, Worldwide Supply Chain Management, McDonald’s Corporation

Compliments of British Airways


The current perspective of travel management as a cost center with a price-reduction emphasis fails to recognise the long-term and large-scale impact that travel, when managed from a strategic supply management perspective, can wield on revenue enhancement and asset and cost management. This session explores how travel procurement professionals contribute to the competitive positioning of their organisations through the alignment of travel services supply strategies with organisational strategies.

Barry Edwards, a supply chain management expert for a leading global corporation with complex procurement, distribution, and marketing strategies, will share his insights on how to create value for your corporation through a multi-disciplinary and strategic approach to purchasing.

TUESDAY, 25 OCTOBER
9.00 - 10.30

General Session & Keynote Presentation
Theme: Globalization
Keynote Presentation: Global Affairs and the Future of Europe - Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Editor - The Financial Times

Global markets require a global perspective. That perspective is second nature to Chrystia Freeland. As the deputy editor of the Financial Times (FT), Freeland has her finger on the pulse of all major stories, trends and developments in international finance, and the global economy. A Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Harvard University, Freeland is the author of the critically acclaimed book Sale of the Century,covering Russia's journey from communism to capitalism.

Before taking on her current role with the Financial Times, Freeland was editor of the Saturday edition of the FT and oversaw the launch of the FT Magazine.Before that, she was editor of FT.com, responsible for the launch of FT.com subscription services in May 2002. Freeland will provide a “non-U.S.” perspective on global events and their impact on the travel industry, including the intricacies of new and emerging markets in Eastern Europe and the Far East.

14.45 - 15.45

General Session & Keynote Presentation
Theme: Idealisation
Keynote Presentation: The Challenge of Change
Michael Jackson, Managing Director, Three Sixty Degrees and Zebra Crossing

Encompassing a motivational and dynamic view of the business world, Jackson examines past business/ lifestyle trends and the resulting pressures and changing issues faced by business people across the globe. Today’s complex business environments demand new business approaches and techniques. Understand how and why collaboration, openness, and skill sharing are essential for success in today’s customer-centric world. Learn which typical corporate-focused techniques industry professionals must abolish in order to be able to embrace and adopt the new essential standard of being ‘always on, always available, always different and always changing’. Highlighting the conference themes of cooperation, optimisation, and idealisation, this presentation will surprise, delight, and entertain as it takes you out of the box and into the future.

16.00 - 17.30

ACTE Moot Court: The Future of Distribution (GDS vs. GNE)
Senior executives from leading companies in travel will debate one of the most intriguing issues in the industry: The Future of Distribution, Global Distribution System (GDS) versus GDS New Entrants (GNE).

Through the Moot Court exercise, executivelevel subject matter experts from the travel industry will attempt to define how the model of distribution will appear in the future, as well as the changes one can expect in distribution and how these changes will impact buyers, sellers, and distributors of travel.

Participants will be divided into three panels; a panel of advocates for GDS, a panel of advocates for GNE, and a neutral panel of judges. Each panel will receive materials on the issue well in advance of the event. The two panels of advocates will be responsible for researching their materials, conducting outside research to support their argument, and formulating their presentation. Like the advocates,the panel of judges will receive materials on the issue and will conduct outside research in order to prepare challenging questions for each panel to contemplate and answer.

What is a Moot Court?

The Moot Court is a recreation of the trial process originally used by law schools around the world as a means to teach law students the art of advocacy. The process is modeled after appellate advocacy, where attorneys prepare presentations and are questioned by judges (rather than the standard interrogatory process of a trial). In the moot court process, attorneys from each side receive a case in advance, research and prepare their argument, and then present their argument to the panel of judges. Like an appellate proceeding, the Moot Court experience is often challenging and unnerving for advocates, as the advocates must concentrate on presenting their arguments while facing constant interruption by judges asking difficult questions.

Magistrate: Alex Cruz - Partner, Head of Aviation Practice, Europe - Accenture