Travlr appoints Michelle Guthrie as chair
Travel technology platform, Travlr has appointed former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie as chair of its board, and advisor and investor, Matt Berriman, as non-executive director.
The appointments reflect Travlr’s rapid growth over the last 12 months and its plans to expand into the US and UK.
Guthrie, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the media, entertainment and technology industries in both executive and non-executive roles, said: “It is with great enthusiasm that I join the team at Travlr where I can draw on my experience to support the achievement of Travlr’s vision to change the way people discover, book and experience travel in Australia and around the world.
Michelle Guthrie
“Media companies are always looking for ways to engage with their potential and existing audiences by continually diversifying their offering in an ever-changing competitive environment. Never before have I seen such a unique and progressive opportunity to bring brand content to life and drive new revenue streams for the media industry.”
Senior advisor, investor and newly appointed non-executive director, Matt Berriman said: “Travlr is a revolutionary platform with endless reach opportunities and unique technological capabilities. Our growth trajectory is testament to the growing demand for media brands to create tailored experiences which speak directly to travel-hungry audiences.
“Travlr is on the fast-track to become a leader in travel technology and I look forward to supporting its innovation to achieve long-term global success.”
Travlr’s world-first travel platform consolidates the global travel industry into one seamless user experience via its unique ‘Travel as a Service’ (TaaS) model. The company licenses its fully managed travel technology software and service offering to world leading media companies, enabling their audiences to discover, plan and book curated and relevant, once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences within their own ecosystem and under their own brand.
Following Travlr’s recent $6.7 million Pre-Series B cap raise, the newly-formed board will work with Travlr’s founder and chief executive officer, Simon te Hennepe to support the growth of the Travlr brand in the Australia Pacific region and expedite its expansion into the US and UK markets. Over the past 12 months alone, the Travlr business has experienced 266% growth in TaaS partners despite the effects of COVID-19, which has seen up to 60% of the traditional travel industry go into administration.
Travlr’s offering has attracted some of the world’s most respected brands, including partnerships with Network Ten, Stuff.co.nz, and recently announced, BBC Global News.
And as from today, ViacomCBS and Travlr will officially launch the MTV Travel and Nickelodeon Travel platforms, which is expected to offer exciting experiences and promotions for the youth and family markets ahead of the summer holiday period and beyond.
With travel resuming in Australia over the next few months, te Hennepe said that it was the optimal time to drive the Travlr business forward ahead of what he anticipates to be a busy 2022 travel season.
“We are extremely fortunate to welcome industry leaders Michelle Guthrie and Matt Berriman to the Travlr business, who will be instrumental in driving Travlr’s current and future growth.
“Our extended partnership with global leader ViacomCBS is testament to our commitment in supporting iconic media brands to deepen their engagement with audiences looking for the ultimate travel experience, curated especially for them, in Australia and around the world.”
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