21-22 TTGB INTERVIEW 30/1/09 18:09 Page 21
interview 21
features
interview L50776L50776 emerging markets L50776L50776 air L50776L50776 rail L50776L50776 meetings & events
RG posted a profit of £6.1 million in the
H
six months to October, a year-on-year
increase of almost 25%. It’s not a vast
amount considering the company’s size
(turnover was £171 million last year) but
quite an achievement in the current economic climate.
I’m sat with new managing director Ian Windsor, who
took over from Peter Kite in October, and I ask him how
the group managed this despite market conditions.
“I can’t take the glory,” he says, pointing out that
these figures were achieved under Kite’s leadership.
“We’ve got a very good relationship with clients. We are
talking to them all the time and we see things coming, so
we speak to them and advise them to cut their cloth
accordingly and look at different ways of doing things.”
These “things” may be encouraging consultants to look
for the best price on the day, suggesting to clients they
book in advance, combining different fares or going out
in one cabin and back in another – the usual practices
one would expect with a savvy business travel
consultant.
And depending on the client, a consultant may also
query the need for a trip, say if six people from the
same company are all
flying on the same day.
“Some people don’t like
that, but it’s how we
approach it. We may say,
‘Did you know there are
six people flying to this
meeting?’ If they reply
‘No, but thanks for letting
me know,’ we may end up
saving them a significant
WE HAVE
amount of money.”
TECHNOLOGY
Meanwhile, the group’s
share price continues to
AND THE
head south – dipping to a
INTERNET, BUT
low of 3.5p on December
THIS IS STILL
23 – and rumours abound
that BCD, which is now the
A PEOPLE
second-largest BUSINESSL50480
Riders on the storm
Posting a profit in these challenging times is quite a feat – but travel management giant HRG has
done just that. Adam Coulter talks to its new managing director, Ian Windsor to find out how
ttgbusiness.com❖ february/march 2009
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