GBTA Expands Presence in Australia with the Addition of New Advisory Board and Local Leadership

SYDNEY -- The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization, is strengthening its expanding commitment to global business travel with the formation of a new country-level GBTA Advisory Board in Australia. This initiative is designed to expand GBTA’s presence and foster growth by leveraging local expertise and insights to better support members, partners and the industry sector overall across the country.

Australia is a vital market for business travel, and the new Board brings together diverse expertise from across the region, said Catherine Logan, GBTA Regional Senior Vice President for EMEA and APAC. Their insights will help GBTA deliver tailored programs and offerings in our mission to shape the future together for business travel and across the industry community.

According to the latest GBTA Business Travel Index (BTI™) report, in 2024 Australia was ranked 11^th among the top markets forecast worldwide for business travel spending, with $26.7 billion USD (approximately $42.5 billion AUD) representing 12% of the overall global spending total of $1.48 trillion USD.

Andy O’Mara, Head of Travel & Expense, for Canva, will serve as Chairperson of the 18-member GBTA Australia Advisory Board made up of cross-regional leaders from top companies and travel industry organizations (in alphabetical order below):

• Ama Aidoo-Sam, Director Procurement Operations, ResMed Australia
• Lisa Batchelor, Strategic Sourcing Manager – Global Business Services, Cochlear
• Veronica Bergel, Travel Lead (Australia & Asia), Herbert Smith Freehills
• Jim Crowder, Strategic Sales Director, APAC, Enterprise Mobility
• Karryn Cutcheon, Senior Director, Global Sales Australia and New Zealand, Marriott
• Anthea Dimitrakopoulos, GM, Brand and ESG, The Ascott Limited
• Anna Fisher, Vice President - Asia Pacific, Frosch Travel
• Melanie Giles, Travel Services Manager, Origin Energy
• Ashley Houston, Senior RSM, Global Safety and Security, Global Travel Risk, Bain & Company
• Emma Jones, Director of Sales – Corporate, Government & Airlines, Pacific, Accor
• Kurt Knackstedt, Head of Sales – Pacific, Avis Budget Group
• Bill Kokovas, Senior Manager, Travel & Events, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)
• Sue McEvoy, Head of Sales ANZ, FCM
• Mike Orchard, Head of Performance, Festive Road (Also GBTA APAC Advisory Board Member)
• Tanaz Pochkhanawalla, Senior Commercial Manager | Strategic Partnering, Sourcing and Property, AMP
• Siobhan Prideaux, Senior Sales Director, APAC, BCD Travel
• Agnes Tsoa Lee, Corporate T&E Program Specialist, Optus

To further strengthen its regional presence, GBTA has appointed business travel industry veteran, Derek Sadubin, as Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand. Based in Sydney, Sadubin will provide strategic and local support to members and partners in the region and reports to GBTA Regional Director for APAC, Elle Ng-Darmawan.

GBTA also announced the continuation of its event partnership with the Festival of Aviation and Corporate Travel Summits (FACTS) Taking place 25-26 November, the Summit brings together top-tier speakers, including airline and travel management company executives for a two-day conference focused on key strategic issues impacting corporate travel in Australia and beyond.

In addition, GBTA will again host its APAC Conference from 27-28 May in Singapore at the Raffles City Convention Center. This two-day event will provide a platform for the APAC business travel community to network, gain insights from industry leaders, and participate in peer-to-peer learning. For the third consecutive year, the conference will be co-located with the Worldwide ERC Global Mobility Summit, offering delegates unmatched opportunities for education and networking across both events.

Click here for more information, sponsorship opportunities, or to register to attend the GBTA APAC Conference 2025. Click here to visit GBTA APAC’s regional website.