American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), a leading software and services company for travel and expense, revealed the creation of a new artificial intelligence (AI) initiative. The program will increase focus on existing AI projects, drive purposeful innovation and greater efficiencies for clients and the corporate travel management ecosystem.
The immediate focus of the AI initiative will be adopting next generation AI technologies and enhanced governance across four key areas of the organization: traveler care; finance; engineering; and enabling a modern workplace. The team will be conducting several assessments and partnering with legal, privacy, compliance, procurement, and cybersecurity to determine the right technology solutions and advise on the new risks introduced by AI.
Michael Esquibel, SVP Technology Strategy & Engineering, has been tasked with driving efficiency, productivity and progress through AI and has assembled a world class team.
- Marilyn Markham has been appointed VP, Engineering & AI Strategy, and will lead the team in fostering the adoption of AI capabilities across the organization in a secure, compliant, and scalable manner.
- Erica Trevino has been named VP, Operations System Strategy & Optimization, focused on using AI for greater efficiencies on the frontlines for our global travel counsellors.
- Jake Hautly has been announced as VP, Finance Systems Strategy & Optimization, dedicated to modernizing finance processes and creating greater confidence in financial forecasting.
- Neil Kirk, VP Technology Services, will be specially engaged in initiatives for staff productivity in view of updating enterprise tools with AI components.
Marilyn Markham, VP of Engineering & AI Strategy, Amex GBT, said: “Artificial intelligence will supercharge our colleagues and bridge a path to automation previously limited by the language-data barrier. Scaling AI for Amex GBT will unlock efficiencies and inspire product innovation to elevate user experiences for our colleagues, our clients, and their travelers.”
Amex GBT actively uses proprietary AI across its portfolio of services including proactive disruption management and personalized recommendations. In 2020, Amex GBT acquired AI start-up, 30SecondsToFly, which has been instrumental in developing the natural language processing in Amex GBT’s chat and email channels. Amex GBT also acquired Egencia from Expedia Group in 2021, which brought additional AI and data science expertise, complementary technology, and enterprise capabilities.
David Thompson, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, Amex GBT, added: “Delivering best in class service supported and simplified by technology has always driven our innovation agenda, but you cannot apply AI casually in the B2B environment. We are building a secure environment, applying robust testing, and partnering with the leaders of the AI revolution, so our employees and customers can feel confident that we are progressing responsibly.”
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