Four new faces will be joining the judging panel for the 2022 Business Travel People Awards.
Following tradition, the winner of last year’s Rising Star award, Jennifer Robinson, will help judge the entries this year.
Robinson joined Synergy Global Housing three years ago and as Client Services Counsellor has played a vital role in the growth of the London office, helping to manage the reservations and guest services team and becoming involved in the company’s rebranding.
She is now taking the lead on the implementation of Synergy’s global customer care programme.
Meanwhile, Dani Ives, Partnership Project Manager at Focus Travel Partnership, will also join the judging panel. She was the winner of a new Shining Star category introduced in 2021.
Ives began her career aged 19 in the marine travel sector with Instone International. Three years later she moved into supplier relations at ATPI and then to Advantage Travel Partnership and Focus Travel Partnership as Events Manager.
Since joining Focus in January 2020 she has taken on other roles in the partnership including technology supplier relations, PR, social media and continues to plan the Focus Events.
Also new to the panel are Independent Consultant Bex Deadman and GBTA EMEA Head of Communications Nikki Stimson.
Deadman’s career spans 15 years, during which time she has become known for challenging traditional value propositions and commercial models of TMCs.
More recently she has been leading a group of industry professionals in the development of a certification standard to align travel suppliers with ISO31030 Travel Risk Management.
Stimson heads up corporate communications and PR for the GBTA in EMEA and is also Senior Director Corporate Communications and PR for TripActions.
Leigh Cowlishaw, who will chair the People Awards judges panel for the third year, said: “These four new judges will join our fantastic panel of astute and highly-respected industry experts.
“Our judges have been carefully selected to represent a range of knowledge, expertise and skills from across the sector. Of course, as in previous years, we will allocate the categories to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.”
Also on the judging panel again this year are:
- Lee Whiteing, Commercial Director Global Secure Accreditation
- Emma Lamb, Global Travel Safety & Security Specialist Milestone Tech @ Facebook
- Elizabeth Anderson, Manager Global Travel Operations Inmarsat
- Ian Blackie, EMEA Travel Manager Bloomberg L.P
- Cilla Goldberger, Managing Director ABT-UK
- Clive Wratten, CEO Business Travel Association (BTA)
- James Foice, CEO Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP)
- Carol Fergus, Director of Global Travel, Events and Ground Transportation Fidelity
- Nikki Rogan, Global Travel Director Fujitsu
- Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO Advantage Travel Partnership
- Jan Jacobsen, Global Category Director Travel & Mobility Accenture
- Juliet Price, consultant Executive Director beam, formally known as HBAA
“I am so proud to be part of The Business Travel People Awards for the third consecutive year,” added Cowlishaw.
“These awards are so special because they recognise and reward the people in our industry – its greatest asset.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all the entries, which are always of the highest standard, and I can’t wait to celebrate with all the finalists and the rest of our industry at the ceremony in September.”
Nominations for the awards open on February 28 and close at midnight on April 25. There are 17 categories, including six new for 2022.
Winners will be announced at a glittering evening presentation ceremony at the Leonardo Royal London City hotel on September 13.
