About ITM
What We Do
The Institute of Travel Management (ITM) is dedicated to supporting and developing all those involved in corporate travel.
Established in 1956, we are proud to represent over 5,000 business travel buyers and suppliers across the UK and Ireland.
We believe in providing the best possible support, information and opportunities to enable our members to achieve best practice in managing travel spend effectively, minimise the risk to their travellers, and demonstrate the effectiveness and profitability of managed travel to their organisations.
Our Purpose
To unite and empower the UK and Ireland's business travel community, our membership organisation fosters connections, knowledge-sharing, and inspiration through impactful content and dynamic networking opportunities
Our Mission
Travel Management
The cost of travel (T&E) tends to be a corporation’s second largest controllable expense and few procurement categories are as complex, dynamic and highly emotive as travel. Travel management is the strategic approach that balances employee needs with corporate goals by adding value and minimising costs.
Whether you procure (as a buyer ) or provide (as a supplier ) travel services, our tailored training programme, comprehensive learning resources, and industry-leading networking events can help you achieve best practice to optimise your travel programme, and form stronger relationships within the business travel community.
Members
Our 5,000+ members represent the profession across many categories:
- Accommodation (Hotels, HBA's, Serviced Apartments)
- Aviation
- Creative Industries (Media, Broadcasting, Marketing and Publishing)
- Ground Transport (Car Hire/Chauffeur, Rail etc)
- Meetings, Conferences and Venues
- Payment Solutions and Expense Management
- Risk Management and Security (Duty of Care)
- Travel Management Companies (TMCs)
- Travel Technology
- Start Ups
- + more!
Join today and be part of the business network for travel professionals in the UK and Ireland: Register.
The ITM Secretariat Team
Scott Davies
Chief Executive Officer
Drawing on over 20 years’ experience in business travel, Scott has held senior positions in the TMC, airline and travel technology sector. He is passionate about what he does, speaking at many industry events and is instrumental in various industry judging panels. Scott writes a bi-monthly column for Buying Business Travel, the Business Travel Magazine and Business Travel campaign sharing his insights and experience.
e: scott.davies@itm.org.uk
The ITM Board of Directors
Gemma King
Buyer Board Director
Gemma joined Omnicom Group in 2014 bringing with her over ten years’ experience in Corporate Travel Management with a background in Pharma and Professional Services. Omnicom Group is a global network of marketing communications companies, with over 70,000 employees worldwide. As Senior Director of Corporate Travel, EMEA APAC Gemma is responsible for a Travel Programme currently comprising 27 countries. The programme encompasses Air, Hotel, Rail, TMC and Traveller Security ensuring all Omnicom Group agencies benefit from group buying power, high levels of service and an efficiency that is possible from a managed Travel Programme. In her spare time Gemma is studying for an EMBA and in the time that’s left enjoys escaping to remote places to climb mountains.
e: gemma.king@omnicomgroup.com
Nikki Parsons
ITM Chair
Nikki has worked in the travel industry for 20 years, for the last 2 years as Global Director of Travel at Arcadis and for 9 years prior as the Global Head of Travel & Meetings at AIG. Her AIG journey began in Singapore where she implemented a managed travel and meetings program across Asia Pacific, followed by 2 years working in AIG’s New York headquarters leading the global team before returning to the UK. Her tenure at AIG saw the travel and meetings programs globalise successfully and consistently deliver value to stakeholders, through deep/win-win strategic vendor partnerships and a keen focus on people/customers. Arcadis has not managed travel globally before, so Nikki is currently setting up a new global function and implementing a global travel program to help Arcadis achieve key strategic objectives including an ambitious Net Zero target. Prior to working at AIG Nikki held Travel Management positions with Merrill Lynch and Standard Bank in London and Citi in Singapore. Nikki is also a Director at ITM. When not working, or hanging out with her 2 kids, Nikki can probably be found on her Peloton. As a Loughborough graduate, and having played competitive level sport, Nikki remains a sport and exercise enthusiast.
e: nikki.parsons@arcadis.com
Graham Ross
Supplier Board Director
Having previously travelled and worked in a variety of occupations and continents, Graham joined the FCM Travel family with a strong track record of achievement in Sales, Operations and Account Management within the travel sector.
e: graham.ross@uk.fcm.travel
Kerrie Henshaw-Cox
Buyer Board Director
Kerrie Henshaw-Cox joined biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in 2011 and is now Associate Director and global lead for Business Travel Services. Kerrie has overall accountability for the travel category strategy, sourcing & supplier relationships, operations & service and is responsible for travel policy, the sustainability and travel emissions programme as well as traveller duty of care. Kerrie and her team manage the business travel programme for AZ across 90 countries, partnering with one global TMC, a single online booking tool in 70 countries and a single security and health provider with worldwide cover.
e: kerrie.henshaw-cox@astrazeneca.com
Ian Spearing
Supplier Board Director
Ian Spearing recently concluded his tenure at EY, where he served for over 6 years as the former Global Innovation and Technology Leader. In this role, he effectively spearheaded key company and industry strategic initiatives. Renowned for his expertise, Ian collaborated closely with startups and was acknowledged as a best practitioner by BTN in 2023. With a rich background in managing large, multi-discipline teams across innovation, technology, sales, and marketing, Ian has previously held positions at prominent companies including British Airways, Amadeus, Eurostar, and other notable technology firms. Currently serving as the Joint Vice Chair of Strategy for the ITM board, Ian actively shares his consulting experiences with corporates, suppliers, and technology providers. Simultaneously, he is engaged in co-founding a startup focused on travel profile management, leveraging his wealth of industry knowledge and entrepreneurial spirit to drive innovation in the travel sector.
e: Ian@travelevolutionconsulting.com
Samantha McKnight
Supplier Board Director
Samantha is a senior manager who has excelled in a range of roles across a number of sectors within the travel industry. Uniquely experienced in both complex operational and commercial positions Samantha’s current role of General Manager for CIBT UK provides oversight and leadership for the business as it evolves in a post-pandemic world and shapes itself for the future needs of travel.
e: samantha.mcknight@uk.cibt.com
Cristina Chimenti
Buyer Board Director
Cristina Chimenti is Global Travel Manager at Sky, and has been at the company since 2011, having picked up travel procurement in 2017. Cristina covers Sky UK, Sky Italy, and Sky Germany, with a combined yearly spend of $50m across the three territories including Sky News and Sky Sport specific programmes and manages a travel population of 31,000 people. Cristina is responsible for negotiations with hotel, airlines, rail, car hire, and taxi, and serves as the main contact with Sky’s TMC. Since 2020, Cristina has included Meetings & Events and Credit Cards in her portfolio and is always working on implementing additional innovations to drive compliance and savings in the travel category. In 2020 Cristina was shortlisted as BTA “Travel Manager of the Year” and has won the ITM “Rising Star Travel Manager” of the year. Previously, she was shortlisted as “CFO of the year” at the 2018 British Accountancy Awards. Since 2020, Cristina has also been involved with ITM as a Board Director, Buyer. Cristina is also a former board member at Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), Glasgow Print Studio and a former chair of children’s arts charity Giant.
e: cristina.chimenti@sky.uk
Natalie Gardner
Buyer Board Director
Natalie Gardner joined Electronic Arts in 2009 as the Travel Manager for EMEA. In 2012 she was given responsibility for the Asia Pacific region and was promoted to the Global Travel manager role in 2015. Natalie is responsible for all things travel at EA, including sourcing, global travel strategy and travel initiatives to aimed at improving the traveller experience, in more than in 25 countries around the world. Natalie has over 10 years’ experience in the corporate travel industry and started her Travel career in Australia before relocating to the UK. She has held a number of positions with global TMC’s before transitions to the corporate Travel Management role.
e: ngardner@ea.com
Paul Dear
Supplier Board Director
Paul Dear is the Vice President of Global Supplier Strategy for EMEA at SAP Concur. He is responsible for ensuring successful travel supplier partnerships for Concur Travel and Concur TripLink solutions that result in new business and customer retention at SAP Concur. Paul’s career has spanned various roles in the corporate travel industry, acting as a global consultant, managing commercial development, retaining finance positions and leading supplier initiatives. Prior to joining SAP Concur, Paul was the Director of Supplier and Industry Affairs at HRG where he led the strategy for travel suppliers and trade organisations. As the Director for the Global Consulting division, he focused on supporting strategic customers to achieve cost savings and optimise their Travel and Expense (T&E) programmes globally. Paul is a Qualified Accountant, he resides near Ascot, England with his wife and two children.
e: Paul.Dear@SAP.com
Jason Dunderdale
Supplier Board Director
Jason Dunderdale is a highly accomplished sales and business development professional with a wealth of experience in the travel industry. He currently serves as the Global Head of Agency & Indirect Sales at Blacklane, where he leads the development of global partnerships and indirect sales channels.
e: jason.dunderdale@blacklane.com
Richard Tams
Supplier Board Director
Richard is a London based airline consultant who has worked in a wide variety of markets in Europe, North America and Asia. He has spent most of his career working for British Airways and has sat on a number of boards including airlines, tour operators and Chambers of Commerce. He now runs his own consultancy and coaching business, Tailwind Advisory.
e: richard@tailwindadvisory.co.uk
Daniel Cockton
Buyer Board Director
Danny Cockton is Vice President, Global Travel Services, Wood PLC where his responsibilities include travel, meetings and all associated services. Prior to joining Wood, Danny held commercial roles with American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) where he was responsible for a portfolio of their largest global clients. In 2012 Danny co-founded the Business Travel People Awards and has served ITM in various capacities including as an Associate Director, since 2005.
e: daniel.cockton@woodplc.com
Sue Jones
Buyer Board Director
Sue joined Ingka Group as Global Meetings and Travel Manager on 1st June 2021 bringing nearly 20 years’ experience in the travel and meetings industry from both the agency and corporate side. While previously based in the UK, Sue and her partner relocated to Malmo, Sweden at the end of September. Prior to Ingka Sue spent the last 8 years responsible for travel, corporate events, hospitality and travel procurement in the financial services industry.
e: Sujata.jones@ingka.ikea.com
Nicholas Nelson
Buyer Board Director
Nicholas leads for EY the Lodgings category globally, and the Travel and M&E Programmes in EMEIA Developed Markets. Prior to his 5 ½ years at EY, Nicholas was EMEA Travel Manager at Chevron, and prior to that held account director roles at CWT and bmi. He lives in the south of England, having fun doing up his house with husband Andrew and cat Sherlock, and his lockdown challenge of learning to play the cello – by Zoom.
e: nnelson1@uk.ey.com
