Interview: Don Birch, President & CEO, Abacus International

Don Birch leaves Abacus International this month, after six years at the helm of Asia’s leading GDS. He shares his final thoughts with Yeoh Siew Hoon of The Transit Café (www.thetransitcafe.com).

Q: How do you feel, as you get ready to leave after six years of leading Abacus?

A. Sadness of course. Together with the Abacus team we have achieved a lot, some would say the impossible. I am grateful for the incredibly loyal support and energy of everybody at Abacus, a true embodiment of modern day Singapore. “My success has been enabled by the competence of others”

Q. When you joined Abacus, what did you set out to do? And do you feel you’ve done it?

A. Whatever my dreams, they were soon brought low by 9/11 and the subsequent work needed to recover. That was a great learning experience and was the real launching pad for the Abacus that you know today.

Q. What remains unfinished?

A. Is work ever finished? Life goes on and the Abacus challenge is to maintain its relevance for Asian travel suppliers and travel agents. We know Asia is different and in the GDS context we know that Abacus understand this best. By being an industry leader and a true partner, Abacus will continue to be successful.

Q. What challenges will your successor face? What advice would you give him/her?

A. The biggest challenge is how to enable and be a leader of the change in the travel distribution industry and in particular, how to help travel agents create value for suppliers and travelers. My advice is to set a course and then invest, invest and invest and do not deviate until the phase shift occurs.

Q. What changes do you see taking place in the travel distribution landscape? And how will GDSs evolve to meet those changes?

A. GDSs have huge equity in travel distribution, especially airlines, however none of them have been successful in cracking the broader travel distribution nut, this is the holy grail and will bring significant rewards to the GDS that finds the secret ingredient

Q. What memories will you take with you?

A. Wonderful, efficient, high quality-of-life Singapore.
Hard working, competent, honest people and employees
Lots of learning, but some fun along the way (we should sell tickets to the Abacus annual staff parties, there are so funny!)
A much improved tennis game

Q. What lies ahead for you? Personally and professionally?

A. My leaving Abacus is a change of pace rather than going into retirement. I will be moving to what is referred to as a portfolio lifestyle where I aim to use my skills, contacts and experience to perform in different and less operational roles. Definitely not consulting; but advising, some pro bono work, non Executive board positions and a little bit of investment banking (positively my last career change!). Home will be Geneva where Rosemary & I will have pleasure of living in the Singapore of Europe!

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