‘Don’t lose the human touch,’ says departing Robyn

As Robyn Christie hands
over the Travelport
baton, she looks back
on five years of strong
accomplishment, knowing
she was the right person at
the time to steer the then
newly acquired GDS to a sure
footing in the South African
travel industry.
She leaves Travelport
at the end of December,
believing it’s time for a new
leader to take the company
forward.
When Robyn assumed the
country manager position
in South Africa in 2012,
Travelport had just acquired
the former Galileo GDS from
the national carrier, and
she faced the challenge of
building a new brand under
the Travelport umbrella.
“The industry was
most receptive to a
new bouquet of
products, but
less so to new
procedures
and standards
that came
with aligning
to a global
company,”
she says,
smiling at
the memory of
early challenges.
The industry
did, however,
take to the introduction of
Travelport Smartpoint, the
new retail technology, like
a duck to water. In fact,
Robyn regards the industry’s
largescale transfer from
the old green screen to the
high definition visual, as
her greatest achievement.
As she gets ready to move
on, 88% of the customer
base has made the move
to Smartpoint, the latest
implementation of which is
Version 7.4.
Old-school consultants,
who resisted the change with
preconceived doubts, have
in fact become the loudest
proponents and most
proficient users of Travelport
Smartpoint, bearing out
Robyn’s firm conviction that
there is nothing to fear in
the sphere of fast-changing
technology.
The South African travel
industry’s acceptance
of Travelport’s offering
has made the market a
strategically important one
for the company, one that
contributes substantially
to business in the African
region. South Africa often
acts as a testing ground for
new products. It is also a
market intimately known by
company president and chief
executive, Gordon Wilson,
who was stationed here in
the late ’90s.
Robyn’s brand positioning
also involved major office
relocations in three cities –
Johannesburg, Durban and
Cape Town – and building a
solid and stable countrywide
team, of which she is most
proud. “We haven’t had any
significant loss of talent in
the last five years, and some
that left have even returned,”
she says. With refreshing
honesty, she admits that,
with their backing, she has
never sweated any lack of
product expertise on her own
part, knowing her staff have
superb skills.
In addition, and with
Travelport’s backing, she
has championed the
empowerment of women
on her team, including her
successor, Claudette Thorne,
who she earmarked 18
months ago for better things.
“Travelport is now in a
sound position, with the right
people, the right structures
and exceptional products.
I know the team will take
Travelport to the next level,”
she says.
While Robyn sees a tough
time ahead for the local
travel trade, she is confident
of its ability to navigate
through. With economic
conditions as they are,
further complicated by the
country’s political sagas,
she does not predict much
growth. She foresees
greater movement into the
online space, but remains
convinced of the importance
of the human touch. “The
lack of human touch is
the first thing the client
complains about, and the
first thing he reaches for
when in need,” she expands.
“Travel consultants should
never accept an ordertaking
role; there are so
many opportunities, pre- to
post-travel, to engage with
customers.”
The sad and untimely loss
of many industry stalwarts
in the last five years, people
who have contributed above
and beyond, has given
Robyn cause to re-assess
her journey going forward.
She’s looking to pursue
thought leadership roles
and positions in which
she can guide industry
members through the maze
of regulatory compliance.
The professional speaker
circuit also beckons. “While I
have had a lot of experience
addressing the industry
I know and love and who
laugh at my jokes, I am well
aware of the challenges of
branching out further afield.”
The list of colleagues who
deserve Robyn’s thanks is
too long to print, but she
does single out Rabih Saab,
Travelport president and
md of Europe, Middle East,
Africa and South Africa, for
giving her opportunities to
stretch her abilities.
Armed with a B.Com and
two Masters qualifications
in business management
and leadership, Claudette
Thorne, is smart, capable
and ambitious. Besides
GDS experience, she has
worked extensively in the
mining industry, has visited
23 African countries, is
fluent in French and plays
golf off a 20 handicap. Her
future focus will be on the
introduction of new product
and developing the Travelport
team to the benefit of
customers.