Meet Scott Tempero, our Head of Corporate Supplier Partnerships and Distribution

Tell us a bit about your career to date 

I’ve had a varied life in corporate-related travel around the world, having lived in Sydney, Australia, where I was responsible for promoting Sydney as a destination for meetings and events at the time of the Sydney Olympics. I’ve also lived and worked in Toronto, Canada, where I ran a large meeting and events and group air division for American Express. I then came back to the UK where I worked for American Express across several roles in meetings and events, as well as in corporate transient travel, before again moving to live in Asia. On my return to the UK, I joined Travel Counsellors at the back end of the pandemic in 2020.  

What brought you to Travel Counsellors for Business? 

I’d always had an eye on Travel Counsellors because of their unique commercial model, culture, and business growth. On returning to the UK from Asia and moving to the north-west, I proactively engaged with them, securing my current position.  

What does a typical day look like for you in your role? 

A large part of my role is around air distribution strategy and the transition to NDC, and all the implications that has around air content and servicing for our TCs and the wider business. In addition to air, I contract suppliers who support our corporate Travel Counsellors, identifying gaps in our supply chain, implementing new suppliers, and working to ensure the booking and management process is as efficient as possible.  

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

I’d have to say the team I work with.  

What do you enjoy doing away from work? 

I’m a dad of two teenage girls which keeps me busy. As a break from that, I enjoy spending time in my ‘man cave’, training my working gundog, going on my spin bike, and being outdoors in North Wales.  

What challenges do you think businesses are facing when it comes to their travel management programmes? 

The transition to NDC has been challenging for the whole industry. It has caused content and servicing disruption and will continue to do so for some years. At Travel Counsellors, we’re solving this with greater content and functionality for our Travel Counsellors in Phenix, as well as working with our main partner, Travelport, to bring NDC to Travel Counsellors via Smartpoint. 

What do you think sets Travel Counsellors for Business apart from other TMCs? 

Without a doubt, it’s our service ethos. Most TMCs are busy pushing customers to book on self-booking platforms, which often fall over at the hint of a crisis. At Travel Counsellors, our concierge-style, personal service is unique to the industry. 

What advice would you give to businesses who are looking for a corporate travel provider? 

Try to figure out what balance they need between the personal and the tech. If they really look at it, often they will find that the style of their business and their travellers requires a much higher human touch – which is exactly what we’re all about here at Travel Counsellors.