HRG acquires US firm

Hogg Robinson  Group (HRG) has acquired Partnership Travel Consulting (PTC) to supplement the range corporate services already offered by HRG in North America. 

Based in Princeton, New Jersey, and with regional offices in New York City, Washington DC and Los Angeles, PTC is described as a leader in travel consulting in the US.

PTC was founded by Andrew W Menkes in 2001 and is focused exclusively on travel management consulting. Its areas of consulting expertise include supplier negotiations, global agency and data consolidations, business process reengineering, CTD accreditation and travel technology. Menkes will join HRG as president North America Consulting. 

At the same time HRG revealed a restructure for its operations in North America which sees management and operational teams in Canada (formerly trading as BTI Canada) and the US (formerly trading as Sea Gate Travel and Robustelli World Travel) being integrated under the leadership of Tom Gleason as chief executive officer of HRG North America. 

Michael Richardson, managing director of BTI Canada, has decided to leave the company “to pursue other opportunities”.

Gleason was, until joining HRG as COO of Sea Gate Travel last year, vice-president sales eastern division for American Airlines. He has also been appointed to the executive board of parent company Hogg Robinson plc.

Dan Green, CEO of Sea Gate Travel, is promoted to the position of HRG development director. His wider international role will focus on business expansion through mergers and acquisitions and new product development, particularly in the sports travel management arena.

Meanwhile, Thomas E Lacny has become senior vice president of global sales based in Chicago. Most recently with WorldTravel BTI, Lacny, will have responsibility for developing strategic and growth opportunities in North America, the company said. 

Hogg Robinson CEO David Radcliffe said: “We welcome Andy Menkes and his team of travel management consultants as one of the cornerstones in HRG’s expanding range of value added corporate services. We are very excited to be teaming up with such a respected leader in the travel management consulting business.”

He added: “This acquisition of Partnership Travel Consulting and the appointments of Andy and Tom Lacny add depth to our already powerful presence in North America. I have no doubt that under Tom Gleason’s leadership as CEO, HRG North America will go from strength to strength.  We have an excellent management team of strong, client focused players who know and understand the dynamics of the corporate travel industry from many years in the business.”

Report by Phil Davies