More business travel professionals have signed up to become Business Travel Ambassadors as part of a campaign to help attract new talent into the sector.

Spearheaded by The Business Travel Magazine and supported by the BTA, ITM, GBTA, Advantage Travel Partnerships and Focus Travel Partnership, the initiative is designed to help solve the talent shortage across the whole eco-system.

It will give a platform to people at all stages of their careers to share their stories in order to raise the profile of business travel and encourage potential candidates to pursue a career in the sector.

New Business Travel Ambassadors include:

• Pades Dugha, Account Executive, HRS
• Eloise Ferrara-Neched, Procurement Manager Print, Travel & Events, Stamps & Collectibles, Stationery and HR, Royal Mail Group
• Alison Rogan, Director Procurement, Barclay’s
• Gavin Smith, Director, Element
• Paul Clark, National Account Manager Business Travel, Avis Budget UK
• Toria Houston, Senior Partner Hugger, Trees4Travel
• Pauline Houston, Vice President of Business Development, Silverdoor Apartments
• James Beagrie, Managing Director, Meon Valley Travel
• Natasha Maraj, Global Sales Director, Entertainment & Corporate, NH Hotels
• Tony McGetrick, VP & Director of Sales & Marketing UK & Ireland, BCD Travel.

They will join the other Ambassadors who have already signed up.

“The interest in our Business Travel Ambassadors campaign has been incredible and shows that people recognise the importance of coming together to give our industry a bigger voice,” said Bev Fearis, Editor of The Business Travel Magazine.

“We have a great bunch of Ambassadors on board now, representing all sides of the industry and all of them passionate about securing its future.”

A number of initiatives are planned, including encouraging Ambassadors to build closer relationships with their local schools, colleges and universities and to share their experiences with the wider industry.

A series of vodcasts are currently in development to showcase the breadth of roles and career opportunities in the industry to be shared across social media.

“These vodcasts will also feature business travel professionals who have sons or daughters who have also chosen careers in the industry, to find out why they decided to follow in their parents’ footsteps,” said Fearis.

“We hope that all these initiatives will help spread the word about everything that’s great about being part of this industry.”