CWT Unveils New Operating Structure

MINNEAPOLIS—CWT, the business-to-business-for-employees (B2B4E) travel management platform, has created a new operating structure aimed to accelerate innovation, transformation and growth. With immediate effect, Patrick Andersen has been appointed president, RoomIt & commercial; Niklas Andréen has been appointed president, traveler experience & customer; and Michelle McKinney Frymire has been appointed president, strategy & transformation, CFO.

The three newly created global operating units these leaders will oversee comprise the following:

  • RoomIt & Commercial: Global Supplier Management, RoomIt, Marketing, Product, Partnerships, External Communications and Solutions Group
  • Traveler Experience & Customer: Traveler Experience, Global Sales and Customer Engagement, including oversight of all industry verticals
  • Strategy & Transformation: Finance, Technology, Talent & Performance, Enterprise Projects and Strategy

Along with these changes, Kelly Kuhn, who has a thirty-plus-year career at CWT, most recently serving as chief customer officer for the past four years, has decided to step back from her operating role to assume the newly created role of special advisor, while remaining on the executive leadership team.

Lauren Aste, chief legal officer; Catherine Maguire-Vielle, chief human resources officer; John Pelant, chief technology officer; and Chris Vukelich, strategic advisor, remain in their roles and on the executive leadership team.

CWT has taken a number of additional steps to weather the challenges of the pandemic and position for the future. The company recently had a successful capital raise of $250 million, backed by strong support from its bondholders, lenders and shareholders. Given the need to realign resourcing in today’s market conditions but also to protect employees, operating costs have been managed mainly through temporary furloughs and pay reductions, and more recently also through voluntary programs offered by the company that have received strong interest from employees globally.

“As we navigate and emerge from the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we do so from a secure financial base, with a talented and aligned team, and looking to expand our industry leadership position,” said Kurt Ekert, president/CEO. “We have used the quieter lockdown period to progress a number of innovations and initiatives, with a focus on developing and delivering material value to our clients and their travelers. I commend my CWT colleagues across the world for their customer focus and spirit.”