19-Apr-2006 10:50 AM
Cendant appoints Jeff Clarke as CEO and President of Travel Distribution
NEW YORK (Cendant) - Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) today announced that leading technology executive, Jeff Clarke, has been appointed CEO and president of its Travel Distribution Services (TDS) Division, effective May 1, 2006.
Mr. Clarke joins TDS from CA, formerly Computer Associates Inc., where he had served as the software company's chief operating officer since 2004. The naming of Mr. Clarke as CEO and president further strengthens the TDS management team, and completes the division's senior leadership. Gordon Bethune became Chairman of the division last month.
"Jeff Clarke has been a rising star in the technology sector for many years and I am delighted that he has agreed to accept the position as CEO and president," Cendant's Chairman and CEO, Henry R. Silverman, said. "Jeff's strong management and operational skills played an integral role in the successful revitalization of CA. As head of global operations at Hewlett-Packard following its merger with Compaq Computer Corporation, he helped to facilitate one of the largest and most successful merger integrations within the technology sector. Jeff's unique experiences make him a seasoned executive who is well prepared to continue to strengthen TDS's position as one of the world's leading travel distribution services businesses."
"As we noted in December 2005, we have moved from the acquisition phase to the execution phase of TDS's development, and Jeff is an ideal choice to lead that effort. His experiences at CA and HP will be extremely helpful in driving revenue and profit growth from our global, leading portfolio of brands and businesses. Together with Gordon Bethune's extensive background in travel, our world-class management team is now complete."
Mr. Clarke began his career at Digital Equipment Corporation in 1985, holding several financial, operational and international positions before joining Compaq in 1998. He was Compaq's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration before being asked to lead the integration with HP. Clarke joined CA in 2004, and in his role of Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for sales, services, corporate strategy, business development, finance and information technology for the $3.5 billion company.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a company with such a strong management team and a remarkable portfolio of assets," Mr. Clarke said. "TDS, with its leading brands such as Orbitz, Galileo and GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates), is ideally positioned to experience considerable growth in the months and years ahead and I am excited about being part of its success."
Mr. Bethune joined TDS in March after a career spent in the airline industry, including his role as Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines, where he was credited with turning around the struggling carrier. Between 1979 and 1988, Mr. Bethune held executive positions at several other major airlines including Braniff, Western and Piedmont, along with serving as a vice president and general manager at Boeing Corporation.
TDS to be Named as Travelport, Inc.
The Company also announced that TDS, comprised of widely recognized travel industry brands such as Orbitz, Galileo and GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates), has been re-named Travelport, Inc.
"Taking on the Travelport name offers us the opportunity to create a strong and unifying brand identity for the distinct travel businesses that comprise our company. It also allows us the opportunity to leverage the brand equity that already exists in the Travelport name and identifies our company as the destination for travel bookings," Mr. Bethune said. "Travelport will continue to focus on transforming the travel experience by improving operating systems and employing a more customer-focused approach."
The division will continue to be referred to as TDS until such time as the logo and complete brand identity have been announced, which is expected to be in the early summer.
Travelport will be headquartered in New Jersey and is one of the most geographically diverse and vertically integrated travel distribution companies in the world, with over 8,000 employees operating in more than 130 countries.
Cendant is a CAPA Member. For more information on the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation's membership service, please click the icon below.
"Jeff Clarke has been a rising star in the technology sector for many years and I am delighted that he has agreed to accept the position as CEO and president," Cendant's Chairman and CEO, Henry R. Silverman, said. "Jeff's strong management and operational skills played an integral role in the successful revitalization of CA. As head of global operations at Hewlett-Packard following its merger with Compaq Computer Corporation, he helped to facilitate one of the largest and most successful merger integrations within the technology sector. Jeff's unique experiences make him a seasoned executive who is well prepared to continue to strengthen TDS's position as one of the world's leading travel distribution services businesses."
"As we noted in December 2005, we have moved from the acquisition phase to the execution phase of TDS's development, and Jeff is an ideal choice to lead that effort. His experiences at CA and HP will be extremely helpful in driving revenue and profit growth from our global, leading portfolio of brands and businesses. Together with Gordon Bethune's extensive background in travel, our world-class management team is now complete."
Mr. Clarke began his career at Digital Equipment Corporation in 1985, holding several financial, operational and international positions before joining Compaq in 1998. He was Compaq's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration before being asked to lead the integration with HP. Clarke joined CA in 2004, and in his role of Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for sales, services, corporate strategy, business development, finance and information technology for the $3.5 billion company.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead a company with such a strong management team and a remarkable portfolio of assets," Mr. Clarke said. "TDS, with its leading brands such as Orbitz, Galileo and GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates), is ideally positioned to experience considerable growth in the months and years ahead and I am excited about being part of its success."
Mr. Bethune joined TDS in March after a career spent in the airline industry, including his role as Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines, where he was credited with turning around the struggling carrier. Between 1979 and 1988, Mr. Bethune held executive positions at several other major airlines including Braniff, Western and Piedmont, along with serving as a vice president and general manager at Boeing Corporation.
TDS to be Named as Travelport, Inc.
The Company also announced that TDS, comprised of widely recognized travel industry brands such as Orbitz, Galileo and GTA (Gullivers Travel Associates), has been re-named Travelport, Inc.
"Taking on the Travelport name offers us the opportunity to create a strong and unifying brand identity for the distinct travel businesses that comprise our company. It also allows us the opportunity to leverage the brand equity that already exists in the Travelport name and identifies our company as the destination for travel bookings," Mr. Bethune said. "Travelport will continue to focus on transforming the travel experience by improving operating systems and employing a more customer-focused approach."
The division will continue to be referred to as TDS until such time as the logo and complete brand identity have been announced, which is expected to be in the early summer.
Travelport will be headquartered in New Jersey and is one of the most geographically diverse and vertically integrated travel distribution companies in the world, with over 8,000 employees operating in more than 130 countries.
Cendant is a CAPA Member. For more information on the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation's membership service, please click the icon below.
