BCD Travel acquires ownership stake in Australian agency International Express

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, 5 September, 2007 – BCD Travel, the world’s third-largest travel management company, today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in their current Australian network partner. This is yet another significant step towards increasing BCD Travel’s strategic ownership position in the Asia Pacific region. The company’s Australian partner, leading full service travel management company International Express, which formerly traded as Sydney Express, Brisbane Express and Melbourne Express, was re-branded as BCD Travel in Australia earlier this year.

Mike Buckman, CEO of BCD Travel, said: “BCD Travel is committed to being where our clients need us to be, and our strategy is to continue to invest in strategic markets aligned with our key clients’ travel programmes. This investment in our Australian operation demonstrates our emphasis on strengthening our proposition locally in the Australian marketplace, regionally in the Asia Pacific region and globally for our major multinational clients.

Synergies in our shared vision for the future of travel management will ensure that clients continue to receive superior quality service and unrivalled value from their managed travel programmes.”

David Sumich, managing director of International Express, said: “Continuing what we have already begun by re-branding to BCD Travel, this acquisition will further enable us to enhance our service offering in Australia to our existing clients and demonstrate stronger value to potential new business. Strengthening the ties from a strategic partner to an ownership position will enable us to integrate further into the global travel management arena and apply those principles and processes to our local business. The move will also bring added benefits in terms of supplier leverage, staff development, technology application and growth.”

As part of their ownership position, BCD Travel will be implementing a multinational service centre in Brisbane to offer seamless service to clients in this key market and region.

Bruce West, CEO of International Express, continued by saying: “The acquisition by BCD Travel, coupled with their cutting edge technology, will further enhance the massive growth our company has enjoyed over a number of years.”

BCD Travel simplifies and streamlines the corporate travel process, helping companies manage and control the movement of its people, information and resources. The company focuses on implementing an integrated, seamless technology platform throughout all global locations to provide full access to and analysis of travel data for these clients. Clients can take advantage of BCD Travel’s presence and technology infrastructure to track every trip, every traveller and the costs incurred throughout every journey.