Press Release
For Immediate Release
19 December 2008
ACTE President Richard Crum Ends Tenure with Achievement and Optimism for the Future
Alexandria, VA --
During Richard Crum’s two-year tenure as the Association of Corporate Travel Executives’ (ACTE) President, attendance at educational events worldwide soared to the 9,000 mark, hitting some of the highest levels of participation by corporate buyers and travel managers in the industry – between 35 percent and 40 percent.
ACTE’s concept of education, where regional Executive Forums develop topics for national and global conferences, enabled the association to direct its resources to industry challenges as they developed, keeping ACTE members ahead of critical situations.
Recent Board of Director elections have established ACTE as the leading international business travel management association, with the strongest corporate representation in its global leadership. As of January 1, 2009, eight of the 14 ACTE Board members will be corporate buyers.
Also under Crum’s leadership, ACTE achieved greater prominence in government affairs (both in the U.S. and in Europe), extended its scope to 82 countries, and received some of its strongest recognition in the travel trade, national, and international media.
Crum cited several key legislative endeavors, the increased development of the association’s innovative and strategic educational agenda, and an expanded and enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program as his legacy to the business travel industry.
“I consider the past two years to be some of the most meaningful in my career,” said Crum. “As ACTE President, I had the opportunity to represent my peers to industry media and government, to initiate legislation that protects all business travelers, and to be a part of a dynamic team which has greatly influenced how companies do business.”
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Energy
ACTE set the CSR standards for the business travel industry. During Crum’s tenure as president, the association continued to raise the CSR bar every year, with additional programs and activities that support lowering fuel cost to carriers, hotels, and rental car companies through the development of new biofuels and other options. ACTE joined as a charter member of the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), with Crum as a key speaker at the inaugural CEA “Energy Day” on Capitol Hill. He emphasized why Congress needs to develop a cohesive energy policy, in which transportation plays a key role.
In addition, ACTE also joined as a charter member of TravelSustainability.com – and is working with this organization to support the Open Fuel Standard which supports renewable transportation fuel. ACTE will continue to work with TravelSustainability.com in 2009 to encourage Congress to pass the bill into legislation.
Traveler Privacy and Security
Both domestic and international travelers benefited from ACTE’s stance on laptop seizure polices in effect at U.S. borders. The threat to companies through the seizure of proprietary data was as high as it was to the traveler, who stood to lose all nature of personal data. Through the association’s diligence, under Crum’s leadership, The Travelers Privacy Act of 2008 has been proposed, which promises greater transparency in policy at U.S. borders.
ACTE has also been the first to represent airline interests in the face of new rulings, such as the DHS biometric exit plan. ACTE was and is against any security proposal that saddles the airlines with administrative duties and the expense of maintaining the program.
Government Representation
During Crum’s presidency, ACTE began working directly with key representatives in Congress on issues of privacy, security, and regulation. Always on the lookout for issues that could impact the cost of travel, Crum was vocal on issues that could have resulted in higher travel taxes, new CSR taxes, and GDS regulation in Europe, with ACTE testifying twice before the European Union.
Speaking on behalf of ACTE’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, Susan Gurley, ACTE Executive Director, thanked Crum for his insight, expertise, and management st
Crum will take over as Chair of the ACTE Centre at the beginning of 2009.
Doug Weeks, Global Sourcing Manager at Booz and Company, will begin his two-year term as ACTE President beginning January 1, 2009.
ABOUT ACTE:
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from 82 countries representing the €463 billion business travel industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has representation in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to www.acte.org.
Innovators to the Business Travel Management Profession
“The Most Widely Adopted Standards in the Industry”
Education • CSR • Traveler Safety/Data Privacy • Advocacy
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