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New Zealand-based online booking technology provider Serko has appointed corporate travel technology veteran Johnny Thorsen to the newly-created role of vice president of strategic business development, effective immediately.
Thorsen will lead Serko’s strategic growth initiatives and enhance the company’s positioning as a market leader in business travel. His responsibilities include developing Serko’s network of travel management company partners through the commercialisation of Serko’s growing platform ecosystem.
Thorsen has held leadership roles at some of the highest profile travel tech startups in the last 15 years – most recently at Spotnana as VP business development for content distribution but also at one of the first AI-driven mobile booking platforms Mezi and his own mobile communications platform ConTgo acquired by Concur in 2013. He has served in advisory roles for such platforms as Troop and Thrust Carbon.
Serko CEO Darrin Grafton noted in a statement Thorsen’s “ability to anticipate trends” in the travel industry, his passion for innovation and his skills that “bring transformative ideas to life.”
“His passion for innovation and building meaningful connections make him an ideal addition to Serko. I’m genuinely excited to see the impact he will have as we shape the future of corporate travel together,” he added.
Additionally, Thorsen will focus on enhancing Serko’s product offerings through innovation, building customer acquisition strategies and fostering partnerships to ensure long-term growth and leadership in the North American market.
Growth in North America is a major focus for Serko, given its recent acquisition of GetThere and its strategic partnership with Sabre to accelerate innovation and coordinate sales and marketing efforts.
While Thorsen’s reputation as an innovator precedes him, his 30-plus years in corporate travel leadership roles also includes legacy business travel players Concur and American Express. Even legacy players were one-time startups, and Thorsen was there. For five years starting in 1998 – when one-time Internet Travel Network was acquired by Sabre and got its new name as GetThere – Thorsen led the charge as business development director for the EMEA market.