The Conversation IDEAS BRIGHT
Five years as head of Carlson Wagonlit Travel UK and Andrew Waller has made a big impression on the company. Gillian Upton talks business travel with him
IT’S TEMPTING to make comparisons when the heads of the UK's two largest TMCs are so different, on the surface at least. The Hogg Robinson Group has the ebullient David Radcliffe at the helm; like a jolly giant his presence in a room is palpable. CWT's Andrew Waller, on the other hand, is his antithesis: quieter, more detached, with a serious demeanour and, erm, a bit smaller! Any further comparison is fruitless. Waller has been quick to learn the nuances of
an industry niche he joined five years ago, although spells at Hertz and British Airways means that business travel wasn’t an alien business sector to him. His presence at the Potters Bar headquarters
has been a positive one, managing with much tighter control, which was definitely needed. Some early staffing decisions were hasty, but today Waller’s nine-strong executive team are steady as a rock. He learned to listen and employees rate his fairness and ability to back
down if there are good reasons to do so. He refers to his style of management as “conductor of the orchestra,” able to delegate and empower staff. “I set out the vision, direction and strategy and develop a united team. If we get it right it’s powerful,” he says. The fact that CWT is steaming ahead in the league tables is testament to this ability. Waller is at pains to point out just where the company sits, precisely. “It is justified for me to say we are currently number one in the UK in terms of BSP and believe we are also the largest TMC based on overall traffic.” Clients include Deloitte, EDF Energy, Home Office and Analysys Mason. The retention level last year was 98 per cent. Since joining in 2005, CWT UK & Ireland
has generated significant growth, up from £720million that year to managing annual sales traffic in excess of £1billion for the past three years. The UK market now stands only second to North America in CWT's global pecking order,
giving him a louder voice at the Carlson table. CWT's strategy is to have a spread of business,
with a good mix of clients by size and sector. The anticipated decline in public sector business doesn’t faze him, despite being exposed with major public sector clients accounting for a “very significant” third of CWT's transactions. “I’m very comfortable about our position,” he asserts. “We anticipated the decline in volume. We are acting as the consultant and we’re at the top table. I’m not overly worried as there is more business to go for and there's still potential to increase the size of the cake.” The shift of focus to SMEs since the recession
hasn’t escaped CWT, and some 60 per cent of its business spends less than £250,000 a year. But unlike HRG, which has branded its SME offering as Simply HRG, or FCM with its Corporate Traveller brand, CWT has chosen a different tack. “Branding is a nonsense,” Waller states unequivocally. “It doesn’t make sense to me. We
22 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
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