Matt Masson has been appointed as Chief Executive of CT Partners, Australia’s leading independent travel buying group, comprising 22 of the largest independent travel companies specialising in corporate and premium leisure travel with a combined turnover in excess of $ 1 billion.
Masson succeeds Ian Edwards who had been in the role since 2008 and sadly passed away just days prior to Christmas 2020.
CT Partners chairman, Barry Mayo, says “Matt’s appointment is effective from today and comes at a pivotal time for the industry. Like everyone in the industry, we are waiting for a clear roadmap from the government as we are confident there is a huge amount of pent-up demand. Matt, ably supported by CT Partners General Manager Supplier Partners, Nicole Boyer, is the ideal person to lead CT Partners strategic growth out of the forced pause created by Covid-19. Matt has a strong record of developing mutually rewarding business partnerships.”
Masson joins CT Partners with over 10 years of senior management experience in tourism and hospitality with two years as general manager at the McLachlan Travel Group, two years as Group Managing Director of Buffalo Tours based in Singapore and six years with Trails of Indochina in Ho Chi Minh City where he was CEO (3-years) and COO (3-years).
During Masson’s time with Buffalo Tours, the destination management company had operations in 11 countries in Asia and sales offices in North America, Australia and the United Kingdom with over 500 full time employees and an annual turnover of $100 million.
Masson says “I was attracted to CT Partners by the quality of its membership, its financially transparent business model and the fact that it is 100% owned by its members. I appreciate the trust given by the board and one of my early objectives will be to attract new members, with my main priority being to increase the profitability of both existing and new members.”
Just days ago, CT Partners has announced the addition of another two new high-profile Victoria-based members.
The two latest members are where2travel, a family owned, multi-location business with stores in Malvern, Glen Waverley and Greensborough; and Benalla Travel, another family-owned, award winning travel company located 212 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.
The news follows the decision to join CT Partners by In Travel and Tribe Travel, whose membership of CT Partners was announced in February
CT Partners Chairman Barry Mayo said “Both where2travel and Benalla Travel were motivated by the simplicity and transparency of the CT Partners business model with 100 percent of all supplier payments distributed through to members. We are delighted to welcome both these long-established businesses to our group and are confident that together with CT Partners commercial arrangements they will also benefit from the close collaboration that exists between our members.”
Edited by Peter Needham
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