BCD Travel Senior Vice President Kathy Bedell has been named one of the Top 40 Women in Travel by the organization Women in Travel (WINiT). WINiT’s inaugural list recognizes women and their respective companies for highlighting the value of female leadership in the travel industry. Bedell was honored along with other women vice presidents, sales directors, travel managers, directors of operations, and more at the WINiT Gala held Nov. 7 in New York City.
Bedell is a former agency owner who led the growth of her Ohio-based business from an annual turnover of US$3 million to US$300 million. She has spent 30 years helping organizations find solutions to every challenge imaginable in maintaining effective air, hotel, ground transportation and meeting programs. Bedell was one of the earliest adopters of modern meetings technologies and the on-site travel service concept.
Corporate social responsibility and women
BCD Travel also won the Company Achievement Award in the category, “Promotion of a women-related corporate social responsibility project.” The TMC is increasing flexibility in jobs, expanding training programs and cultivating an environment that motivates women to climb job ranks. The focus extends beyond BCD employees. In partnership with ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking), BCD aims to help end sexual violence and exploitation of children. Twice as many girls as boys fall victim to human trafficking. BCD continues to generate awareness for the cause among internal and external stakeholders.
