GBTA Academy to Launch First Manager-Level Education Program With The University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Registration Opens Today; Space is Limited

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Global Business Travel Association--the voice of the global business travel industry--is pleased to announce that the GBTA Academy will launch its first Manager-Level Education Program on March 11-16, 2012 in partnership with The University of Virginia Darden School of Business.  The GBTA Academy Manager-Level Education Program is designed for travel managers and directors who want to improve their capabilities to optimize processes, people and productivity. 

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GBTA and The University of Virginia Darden School of Business partnership, announced at the 2011 GBTA Convention, will offer this executive education program for practicing corporate travel managers and industry suppliers.  This new program will provide practical tools and the latest thinking on managing change and risk, balancing stakeholder needs, optimizing processes and using data to drive business decisions, among other relevant topics.  Darden's top-ranking faculty and high-engagement learning methods will be hallmarks of the program as coupled with the latest GBTA knowledge of emerging industry trends.

"We are so excited to launch this course with Darden. With a robust curriculum covering the full range of management skills specific to this industry, participants will walk away with the knowledge and practical skills they need to take their companies and their careers to the next level," said Amanda K. Cecil, GBTA dean of Education.

Travel professionals who complete this spring course will be the first to earn the new Manager-level Certificate from GBTA Academy, a clear differentiator in the field of travel management.  Having completed this course, travel professionals can then move on to the next level—Global Leadership Professional (GLP), which is the Leader-level education program.  This program concentrates on business strategy and uses an interdisciplinary approach to reveal the opportunities and challenges of conducting business in today's global environment.  It is conducted at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.   

The Global Business Travel Association offers professional career training through its GBTA Academy, where students can customize a learning path based on their current level of experience and knowledge.  With three certificate levels—associate, manager, and leader—the Academy provides world-class instructions in all facets of the business travel market.

For more information and to register for the Manager-level Education Program, please visit gbta.org/academy1.

About the Global Business Travel Association

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world's premier business travel and meetings organization.  Collectively, GBTA's 5,000-plus members manage over $340 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually.  GBTA provides its network of 17,000 business and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers, with networking events, news, education & professional development, research, and advocacy. For more information, visit gbta.org. 

SOURCE Global Business Travel Association