From a very young age, I have had a passion for travel. I originally wanted to be a pilot and nothing else. My grandfather’s name was James Bond and I aspired to the lifestyle- particularly the travelling – afforded to his secret service namesake.
I learned to fly while living in the small town of Taree, New South Wales, and took my pilot’s licence on my 16th birthday. I passed but the tropical storm conditions I flew through were a bad omen. I had wanted to enroll in the Qantas Pilot Training School but it was suspended just prior to my graduation due to a surplus of Boeing 707 flight crew.
I landed the next best job, working for Singapore Airlines as part of their Australian sales and marketing team. I was fascinated by the business, particularly during an era when both computers were revolutionising the industry and travelling abroad was beginning to develop as a popular pastime.
So fascinated was I, that in my first few weeks of training I logged on to the reservation system as the reservation supervisor to see how the pre-flight load controller software worked and what happened to the data. I now know that it was passenger check-in and connection information being sent to a central system in Singapore. But at the time my impetuousness disabled the entire system, closing the check-in desks at Paya Lebar airport in Singapore and disrupting thousands of passengers.
As a result of my willingness to learn – albeit misplaced – I was put on a supervisor’s training course and I never looked back. I spent eight years with Singapore Airlines, which was the ideal apprenticeship for learning the nuts and bolts of the travel industry.
When I left to become general manager of a ski wholesale company, Travelplan, I joined the market leader. Within two years I’d implemented a new technology strategy that linked the two offices in Sydney and Melbourne via joint access to a directory, using the then revolutionary Apollo CRS. It was Australia’s largest ski wholesaler and from what I learned I started my own international ski operation and corporate travel agency, Ski Pak.
Then in 1993 I was headhunted by Travellers, an independent corporate travel business. I joined as national account manager when all Travellers had was one office in Sydney. Within months I was appointed general manager to oversee the growth, taking the company from one office to eight offices across the country.
It was at Travellers where I first caught the technology bug and saw the potential for applying it to the travel industry. We were dealing with new IT systems and always trying to innovate so that booking travel became easier for large businesses. The technology also smoothed the agency’s expansion: within three years we trebled our turnover and grew from 40 to154 staff.
As I developed an increasing interest in the Internet, I was offered a job with Microsoft in 1995 as Australian manager of their newly created on-line travel agency, Expedia. I have always found travel exciting and when the Internet was brought into the equation, I found it irresistible.
I ran the Australian business for three years, in which time e-commerce took off, before being offered the role of launching Expedia.co.uk in July 1998.
The great thing about the Internet for me is that it never stops: in little over a year since the launch of Expedia.co.uk, we had to deal with the flotation of our parent company, Expedia Inc. in the US.
I love this role because of the excellent team I work with and the fact we’re part of history in the making.
As technology revolutionises the way we do everyday things, we will see some huge changes to the industry structure but it will result in a much better service for our customers – something Expedia prides itself on.
And despite being in the business for more than 20 years, I’ve never lost my love of travel. I’ve got about 35 frequent-flyer cards, I try to get away every weekend of the year and I reckon I’ve flown round the world about 150 times. I admit it – I’m a travel addict.
1979: Junior commercial traineecadetship for Singapore Airlines
1983: Joined Singapore Airlines sales and marketing team.
1987: Became general manager ofTravelplan.
1988: Set up my own International Ski Tour Operation and corporate travel agency – Ski Pak.
1993: Headhunted by Travellers.Joined as national account manager when there was just one Travellers office but within a few months, I became general manager. Later I was appointed chief operating officer.
1995: Took up my new role as national manager of on-line travel for Microsoft.
1998: Promoted to managing director of Expedia.co.uk
l Always focus and invest in the most important part of your business -Êyour team.
l If you are not passionate about your job/career path get out – search until you find a role you are passionate about.
l Never take yourself or position too seriously – you can easily be replaced tomorrow.
l Technology is the key – embrace it and make it work for you.
l Don’t ever lose your sense of fun- you’re here for a good time not a long time.