Galileo, the leading global distribution services (GDS) company and subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD) has announced the appointment of Ms Valerie Ward, formerly Sales Manager Ireland for bmi, as Sales Manager for Galileo Ireland. Ms Ward will report directly to Liam Brennan, Country Manager, and will have full responsibility for sales and new business development.
A languages and marketing graduate, Valerie has worked in the travel industry for 20 years. She started in retail travel, gaining experience in business travel and the consolidator/net fare market. She joined bmi in 1989 as sales executive, responsible for the travel trade in Northern Ireland, moving on to become corporate account executive in 1992. Valerie took on the role of regional sales manager for Northern Ireland in 1997 and was promoted to sales manager Ireland in October 1999. Valerie’s wealth of experience gained in the airline and travel industry will be a major asset in her new role as sales manager Ireland for Galileo.
Commenting on her appointment, Valerie said: “I’m really looking forward to my new role and working with a new team. Galileo is well placed to retain its position as the leading GDS and to meet the challenges facing the travel industry in the 21st century. I’m very excited about being a part of that.”
Liam Brennan, Country Manager, Ireland said: “We are delighted to welcome Valerie to the team. Valerie brings with her an unrivalled wealth of industry experience, particularly from the corporate travel market, as well as from an airline perspective.” He continued: “The appointment is further testimony to Galileo’s serious commitment to retaining its position as the premier GDS supplier in Ireland, with its excellent support team and leading technological solutions.”
-ends-
About Galileo International
Galileo International (http://www.galileo.com) is a global technology leader. Its core business is providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry through its computerised reservation systems, leading-edge products and innovative, Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added distributor of travel inventory dedicated to supporting its travel supplier, agency and corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveller choice. A subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD) and part of Cendant's Travel Distribution Services Group, Galileo is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, and has offices worldwide.
About Cendant Travel Distribution Services Division
Cendant’s Travel Distribution Services Division is one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse collections of travel distribution businesses. The division, employing some 5,000 people in more than 115 countries, includes: Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) serving more than 47,000 travel agencies and over 54,000 hotels; hotel distribution and services businesses (Trust and WizCom); an airline market intelligence company; and Travelport, a provider of global corporate travel management solutions.
21 June 2004
Contact:
Theresa Quinn
Galileo Ireland
Palmerston House
Fenian Street
Dublin 2
Tel.: + 353 1 6020422
Fax.: + 353 1 6020433
E-mail: marketing@galileo.ie