Four new Directors have joined the volunteer leadership of the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. Joining the board as regional board representatives are Geert Behets, Head of Global Travel, Meetings, and Fleet Management for UCB (Europe region), Mohammed Halawi, Global Travel Director for Firmenich (Middle East & Africa region), Sonya Lowry, APAC Travel Manager for AstraZeneca (Australasia region), and Cathy Sharpe, Director, Strategic Sourcing & Global T&E Management Services for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (U.S.region).

The directors joined the board in February. They represent members in their respective regions as well as the entire ACTE membership.

Geert Behets has over 25 years of diversified experience in the travel industry. Working with human resources, finance and other internal stakeholders, Geert helped globalize UCB's travel and fleet programme. Geert brings a strong focus on enhancing the traveller experience through constant innovation and better-integrated solutions. A former president of the Belgian Association for Travel Management, he is based in Brussels.

Mohammed Halawi initiated the travel management division at Firmenich four years ago when he designed the company's global travel programme. He oversees global travel strategy, strategic vendor management, and event management as well as security & risk mitigation. Prior to joining Firmenich, Mohammed served in a range of management roles as a supplier of travel management services. He is based in Dubai.

Sonya Lowry oversees AstraZeneca's travel programme in 13 APAC markets, where she drives cost efficiencies, simplifies processes and champions change to manage procurement. With more than 20 years in corporate travel management, Sonya previously served as Global Travel Manager for Linc Energy and held various senior roles at Flight Centre. She is based in Brisbane.

Cathy Sharpe directs ITW's global travel and meeting programmes, corporate card programmes, and expense management solutions. She is responsible for managing customer satisfaction, procurement, and vendor relationships. She joined ITW in 2006 and has held a range of management positions within the industry over the past 25 years. She is based in suburban Chicago.

"As a global organization, it is vital that the ACTE board has world-wide representation. This month we welcomed 4 new board members - all whom have a finger on the pulse of the industry and the region they represent. We are excited to have them join the board especially as we celebrate ACTE's 30th year as a global organization serving and supporting the travel industry," ACTE President Leigh Bochicchio said.

The ACTE board of directors is comprised of 14 members across the globe who represent all sectors of the business travel industry.

Contributed by ACTE