Accor Launches Global Leadership Council To Redefine Corporate Travel

Accor has joined hands with executive travel managers and buyers from 17 leading international corporations to launch the Accor Global Leadership Council (GLC). The Council will works as an advisory board aimed at reimagining the future of corporate travel and meetings.

Established to create a forward-looking vision for business travel and corporate meetings, the GLC connects business leaders responsible for corporate travel across diverse industries with senior executives from Accor. Council delegates include representatives from sectors such as financial services, engineering, manufacturing, transportation, energy, professional services and technology.

First Meeting

The first session, which was hosted earlier this month in Paris by Sophie Hulgard, Chief Sales Officer at Accor, discussed shifting corporate and traveler expectations; the importance of recognition, personalization and B2B-focused loyalty; the evolving importance of sustainability; emerging traveler trends; the role and impact of distribution and pricing; and a deep-dive on the hosting hotel brand, Sofitel.

The Council delegates, who have a combined employee base of over 2.7 million travelers, unanimously agreed the top three priorities for business travel are:

1. Traveler experience and well-being – including corporate employee engagement, wellness, traveler security and digital efficiencies

2. Cost management and optimization – including program compliance, pricing, cost-reduction and cost avoidance

3. Sustainability – including sustainable action, carbon budgets and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)

Sophie Hulgard, Chief Sales Officer at Accor and host of the GLC, commented: “The dynamics of corporate travel are evolving rapidly. It is essential for both our clients and hospitality businesses to adapt to new demands and priorities. The GLC is a critical forum for sharing insights and collaborating on solutions that meet the changing needs of business travelers and delegates.”

The GLC aims to generate valuable insights and actionable strategies to drive and transform business travel, impacting the sector globally. Accor will compile the council’s findings into a comprehensive report to be released later in the year.