PHOTO: © GBTA
THE BASICS
Name: Suzanne Neufang
Title: CEO
Company, city: Global Business Travel Association; GBTA is fully remote, and I am based in New York City.
First job: County 4-H program coordinator in North Dakota
Where to next: Dallas for the GBTA Convention; Germany for vacation; Singapore for the GBTA APAC Conference; Lisbon to keynote the World Aviation Festival; Brooklyn for the WINiT by GBTA Summit and Gala; and Hamburg for the GBTA Europe Conference. It will be a busy second half of 2023!
A LITTLE BIT MORE
What actor or actress would play you in a movie of your life?
Olivia Colman
What would you be doing professionally if you weren’t in your current industry?
I imagine leading a consulting group or running a bed-and-breakfast in Europe and perhaps writing poetry on the side. Writing has always helped me find focus and balance.
What is your favorite book, movie or television show?
My favorite book tends to be whatever I’ve most recently enjoyed. Recently, Abraham Verghese’s novel Cutting for Stone transported me to Ethiopia and New York and opened a new world of medicine and human experience.
What historical figure, dead or alive, would you love to have dinner with?
James Baldwin. Having lived in New York City for nearly a decade, I find his work deeply resonant with the social changes we continue to navigate. His writing provokes thought about belonging, justice and lasting change.
THE BUSINESS
What is your most recent project, and what was the inspiration behind it?
We relaunched the GBTA Foundation around two core pillars — planet and people — to drive positive change through business travel. The Foundation brings together GBTA’s climate action and sustainability efforts with diversity, equity and inclusion and talent-focused initiatives, all aligned to community, learning and advocacy. The relaunch reflects progress to date and a commitment to build on that work.
What is your favorite aspect of the job?
I’m energized by working with smart, collaborative people across the globe. Bringing strong ideas to life with GBTA staff, members and partners is rewarding and motivates me every day.
What’s the biggest business risk you’ve ever taken?
Leading an association and helping an entire industry through the pandemic was the biggest risk and the greatest achievement. Without a playbook, we had to adapt continuously to help our members survive and prepare for a new normal.
Who is someone you admire professionally in the travel industry?
I admire everyone who works on the front lines of the travel ecosystem — the people who make travel possible day in and day out.
AS A TRAVELER
Tell us about a travel nightmare: I was stranded in the U.K. when the Icelandic volcano erupted in 2010. Fortunately, I was traveling with colleagues from airlines, corporate travel and hospitality, and together we improvised routes through London, Paris and Madrid using trains, a chartered bus and eventually planes. We weren’t in danger, but the urgency to get home underscored the core aim of business travel: a safe return to family and friends.
Share a comical travel experience:
Security lines—TSA and their international equivalents—are a constant source of people-watching amusement. So many travelers arrive unprepared for the realities of modern travel.
What is your preferred method of travel — planes, trains, automobiles, cruise ships — and why?
Lately I prefer trains when possible. In regions like the U.S. Northeast and Europe, trains are convenient, often more sustainable than flying, and ideal for working or relaxing during the journey.
What has been the best example of customer service you’ve experienced during your travels?
I’m grateful to gate agents, hotel front desk staff, room service attendants, housekeepers, car rental agents and ride-share drivers. Post-COVID I appreciate their efforts even more. Their work is hard, and small acts of kindness from them make travel smoother — kindness I try to pass on to others.