ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BCD Travel today announced the names of three recent university graduates chosen from hundreds of applicants globally for its highly selective, internationally recognized Management Associate Program. On March 22, the MAP was named one of the top three Graduate and Trainee Recruitment Programs at the European Excellence Awards.
Offered in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), the MAP sends interns around the world to train for careers in the corporate travel industry. The program’s 2017 associates will begin their journey on May 20, traveling to New York City, Sao Paulo, Atlanta, Hong Kong, Beijing, New Delhi, Utrecht and Stockholm.
BCD Travel’s 2017 associates include recent graduates from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Universita della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, and Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich.
For its forward-thinking approach to talent management, BCD Travel’s Management Associate Program received one of the top three honors in Berlin in the Graduate and Trainee Recruitment Program category at the 2017 European Excellence Awards. The International awards program singled out BCD’s efforts in tackling HR challenges shared by the entire corporate travel industry, including rapid changes in technology and a need to attract more young people to offset retiring workers. BCD was among more than 200 applicants for the awards, including globally recognizable companies such as Ernst & Young, Unilever, Bosch and Coca-Cola.
“The honor reflects the commitment we’ve made to building a strong, engaging program for those entering the industry,” said Christian Dahl, SVP of Talent Management and Global Human Resources for BCD Travel. “It supports our goal of positioning our company as a top-choice employer in the competitive hiring environment of young professionals.”
The MAP class will meet with industry leaders around the world to gain valuable first-hand knowledge of the travel industry and expand their network of mentors. Upon returning from their travels, MAP participants will move into traineeship roles, working and learning under the leadership of BCD senior managers, ultimately transitioning to full-time positions with the company.
One 2013 MAP associate says the program provided the added benefit of immersing her in BCD’s corporate culture to help her decide if the organization was a good fit for her. “I learned about the industry, but equally important was my exposure to BCD’s culture, structure and strategic direction,” says Kendra Cassels, Manager, Event Marketing & Content Development. “I used my training from the program along with the support of mentors throughout the company to lay the foundation for my career at BCD.”
Recipients of the 2017 Management Associate Program include:
- Anna Lindberg – Universita della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
- Uriel Rangel – Georgia State University, Atlanta
- Mary Greenwell – Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Mich.
“BCD Travel hires the brightest and most talented individuals in the industry. Through our Management Associate Program, we identify and recruit our next generation of leaders, bringing these bright, young professionals into our organization and accelerating their impact from the start,” said Dahl. “Graduates of the program have provided us with innovative perspectives and concrete solutions. They’ve grown to be trusted leaders within our company.”
Interested media and university relations offices may contact Public.Relations@bcdtravel.com to schedule interviews with individual 2017 MAP associates.
About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies make the most of what they spend on travel. For travelers, this means keeping them safe and productive, and equipping them to make good choices on the road. For travel and procurement managers, it means advising them on how to grow the value of their travel program. In short, we help our clients travel smart and achieve more. We make this happen in 108 countries with almost 13,000 creative, committed and experienced people. And it’s how we maintain the industry’s most consistent client retention rate (95% over the past 10 years), with 2016 sales of US$24.6 billion. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.
About BCD Group
BCD Group is a market leader in the travel industry. The privately owned company was founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen and consists of BCD Travel (global corporate travel management), Travix (online travel: CheapTickets, Vliegwinkel, BudgetAir, Flugladen and Vayama), Park 'N Fly (off-airport parking) and joint ventures Parkmobile International (mobile parking applications) and AERTrade International (consolidating and fulfillment). BCD Group employs over 13,000 people and operates in 100+ countries with total sales of US$25.4 billion, including US$10 billion partner sales. For more information, visit www.bcdgroup.com.
