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American Express GBT completes KDS acquisition
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has completed the acquisition of Paris-based travel and expense management firm KDS.
Announced in August, GBT said the move was part of its ‘broader investment strategy to develop a suite of integrated digital services for business travellers, bolstering its core technology platform with KDS’ integrated travel SaaS technology’.
All KDS employees will this week officially join the GBT family of 12,000 employees globally.
An announcement said there are no expected changes in the KDS management team and the company will continue to operate in its current office locations.
Doug Anderson, who earlier this year became GBT chief executive after joining from Carlson Wagonlit, said: "The acquisition of KDS is pivotal for GBT.
"We are focused on providing solutions that optimise the traveller experience within the managed travel environment.
"Our strategy is to develop and acquire the tools to deliver on that objective. KDS allows us to offer the first seamless end-to-end shopping and booking experience centered on today’s business traveller."
Dean Forbes, CEO of KDS, said the focus would now be on developing its solutions further, with the reach to ‘make it a reality’ for an even broader audience.
GBT stressed it would continue to work with and support other online booking tools globally.
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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