The Journey | GBTA Foundation Newsletter – April 2024

Welcome to The Journey, designed to keep you abreast on all things ​​​​​​GBTA Foundation ​​​​​​and what we’re doing to drive positive impact on our People and Planet.

GBTA Foundation 2023 Progress Report Now Available:
See How We’re Driving Change, Action, and Impact

In only our first year since being relaunched, the GBTA Foundation has achieved significant milestones in our mission to drive progress for People and Planet, and to further position business travel as a force for good in the world. In our new GBTA Foundation 2023 Progress Report, we chronicle our efforts and accomplishments from last year, and give a snapshot into our work for 2024 and beyond. Throughout this exciting journey, we can’t thank our generous partners and dedicated volunteers enough for supporting our mission and initiatives!
Download Report >

GBTA Launches Sustainable Procurement Standards for Aviation

The GBTA Foundation recently launched the much-anticipated GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards, an educational resource that corporate travel buyers worldwide can utilize to make informed procurement decisions and deliver on their organization’s sustainability objectives. The Standards are a free resource, with the first set focusing on the aviation sector. GBTA will release additional standards for industry sectors including hotels and ground transportation in the coming months.
Download New Standards >


People Updates

GBTA WINiT Expands to the EU

2024 is the year of global expansion for the GBTA WINiT Community, with the launch of the EMEA Chapter in March. Expanding GBTA WINiT to a truly global network of women and men will provide even more professional development opportunities, facilitation of knowledge sharing, empowering women through global mentorship, driving advocacy efforts, and promoting diversity and inclusion.

The new chapters will maintain focus on the three WINiT pillars of Mentorship, Education and Community. Learn more about GBTA WINiT. 


Unlocking the Power of Mentoring 

Mentorship is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, with over 60% of employees identifying mentorship as their preferred way to learn. Mentorship participants are also reported as five times more likely to be promoted.* By joining the WINiT Global Mentorship Program, you’ll become part of a vibrant community aimed at advancing female leaders at all levels. Whether you’re an aspiring mentor ready to reach back to lend a hand, or a motivated mentee seeking guidance, our program leverages a technology platform to facilitate a supportive and development-focused mentoring experience. Find out more.  
*Qooper Mentee Stats

The power of mentoring is also strong in GBTA Ladders, which offers a team-based mentoring program focusing on idea exchange and invigorating interest in business travel as a destination career for the next generation of leaders. Following six months of collaboration, each Ladders team presents their innovative ideas for judging, with the final four to be presented at the annual Summit.  At this year’s Summit, GBTA Ladders will celebrate their ten-year anniversary at the Hyatt Centric in Chicago on May 21 – 23. 

Planet Updates

The Carbon Compass: A Business of Travel Podcast Sub-series Focused on Sustainability and Planet-related Conversations

Dive into the world of sustainable business travel with The Carbon Compass, where we unpack inspiring stories, innovative strategies, and impactful initiatives with industry leaders who are shaping a more sustainable future.

In this first episode, Mike Nicholus, Global Operations Environment Director for Accenture, explores what sustainable business travel means in the context of global sustainability efforts, and dives into what was needed internally to move the needle on sustainability. Listen now!

Join Us in Copenhagen, Denmark at the 2024 Sustainability Summit!

Registration is now open for our third annual Sustainability Summit, the 4th of November in Copenhagen, Denmark, co-located with the GBTA + VDR Conference 2024 in Partnership with the Nordic Business Travel Associations. This year’s Summit will focus on bold actions, radical collaboration, preparing for regulations, the role of technology, and the importance of harmonization across our industry to create a more sustainable future. To reach Net Zero by 2050, the business travel ecosystem must come together to accelerate the integration of more responsible travel practices. 

Registration for the Sustainability Summit is included in the conference registration for the GBTA + VDR Conference 2024. Learn more.  

Resources

What We’re Reading – Latest Headlines to Catch Our Eye


For Your Playlist – Entertainment While Learning

Save the Date

Leadership Spotlight

Mary Ellen Hess, Executive Vice President, Business Development, Corporate Travel Management (CTM) is an advocate for women leaders in business travel and serves on the GBTA WINiT Strategic Advisory Board. 

The WINiT Strategic Advisory Board represents a cross-section of high-level leaders within the business travel industry, providing guidance to the programs that drive career mobility for women in our industry. 

Mary Ellen shares her perspectives on 1-to-1 mentoring, including what makes a strong mentoring relationship, and how her own mentors have positively influenced her.  

She shares, “I really feel an obligation to help inspire and invest in other women and help them navigate their career journey.” Watch the full interview.