At the recent GBTA’s Global Leaders Dinner in San Diego, Douglas O’Neill, CEO of meetings and travel management company Inntel, was awarded with the elite global Business Travel Service Award.
He has been recognised for his exceptional contribution to international travel management.
The Business Travel Service Award has been awarded in the United States for a number of years but only went global in 2017. Receiving the accolade in only its second international year highlights Mr O’ Neill’s outstanding position in business travel worldwide.
The accolade is awarded by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and Mr O’Neill was also singled out for his pro-bono service to the association.
GBTA is the voice of the global business travel industry and relies on experienced and dedicated business travel industry professionals to guide its strategy and direction.
As Chair of the GBTA’s Europe Meetings Committee Mr O’Neill willingly shares his broad insight into how companies prepare for home-based, off-site and international meetings attendance.
It honours a select group of experienced travel professionals: GBTA members who have distinguished themselves as industry leaders. Winners must have devoted themselves to their company, their association (both local and national), their fellow business associates and have made contributions to the business travel industry.
“This award recognizes the efforts of exceptional volunteers and you in particular are being recognised for your contribution to the Institute of Travel Management and GBTA,” said Catherine McGavock, Regional Vice President – EMEA for GBTA, announcing that Mr O’Neill had won.
She said: “Douglas has served our UK and Ireland partner, the Institute of Travel Management, as a board member and frequent contributor to ITM events. Douglas was a great board member, his contribution was invaluable; he was always reliable and supportive. For GBTA, Douglas was founding member and Chairperson of the GBTA Europe Meetings Committee. The committee has gone from strength to strength in recent years – co-presenting an entire stream of content at our last conference in Frankfurt.”
Mr O’Neill said: “I am truly honoured to receive this global award, but it represents the hard work of all at Inntel as much as my own contribution. My amazing team make all this possible and they deserve to share in this wonderful recognition from such an influential organisation as the GBTA.”
Inntel’s industry leadership has already been recognised in the UK. The company was named one of the UK’s top 1000 SMEs by the Daily Telegraph, and was a finalist in the prestigious National Business Awards.
Inntel is the UK’s largest independent meetings and travel management company, and has been an acknowledged expert in meetings, events, accommodation and travel management for more than 30 years.
Under Mr O’Neill’s leadership as CEO since 2001 it has grown to a turnover in excess of £70m with more than 150 staff.