Manager profile: Eric Ritter (EDHEC Master 1991), VoyagExpert shakes up the business travel market
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself (background, diplomas, courses, specialities, etc.)?
I graduated from EDHEC in 1991 and then I had an opportunity for further training on the Young Management Programme at INSEAD.
I worked at HSBC for 15 years. My last position was as Head of Sales Management
2 . Why did you decide to take over a company?
It was something I had really wanted to do since my third-level studies.
My years in banking gave me the chance to meet with heads of companies and to understand how the SMEs in my client portfolio operated. Then I kept my eyes open and watched the market for any opportunities.
Running an SME is an extraordinary experience, a real adventure, but it’s also above all about the freedom to create something with a real human dimension.
3. Tell us about the business of VoyagExpert (product, market, target, team, originality).
We have 2 core businesses:
- organising, supporting and optimising the management of our clients’ professional travel arrangements on a daily basis
- creating tailored travel arrangements for groups and events through our Events department
It might seem straightforward in the Internet era, but did you know that there are 3 million different prices for travelling between London and New York on a given date?
VoyagExpert is the only B2B travel agency in France that offers (the passenger himself or his assistant) the possibility to modify plane tickets already issued via smartphone or online. This is cutting edge technology.
With market positioning focused on high-end and VIP services, we have become a significant and global player on the business travel market. We are proud to have earned the trust of new clients like the Rothschild bank, Airbus OneWEb, Beneteau and CNAV.
4. Are you hiring? What advice do you have for students or graduates who would like to join the travel and business seminar sector?
We work in B2B service provision with a very strong customer focus, cutting-edge technology and big data. It is fascinating and stimulating work. You need to enjoy interacting with customers and have a passion for technological developments. And we are always looking for talented new recruits!
5. What are the next phases/big challenges facing VoyagExpert?
The Internet boom has eroded the role of intermediaries and may pose a threat to travel agencies. But at the same time it represents a fantastic opportunity for us to reinvent our business and focus on true value creation for our clients.
Increasingly we are being given responsibility for managing travel orders and expense accounts. We are also constantly having to refine our reports in order to continue to optimise our clients’ budget: we now describe each journey based on more than 75 different parameters. Big data is fashionable, but for us it’s part of our daily reality.
Even more paradoxical is that we are now working on Open Booking solutions, whereby our work no longer necessarily involves making all the travel reservations for our clients, but rather collecting the travel data and entering it into their workflows, reports and security alerts.
Combining real expertise based on 30 years’ experience with significant technological advances, we have decided to speed up our development and play a lead role on the French market.
6. Have you ever benefited from the network of EDHEC graduates?
Yes, through many fascinating discussions with graduates.
7. What are your expectations from the community of EDHEC graduates?
The School has built up an exceptional reputation and I’m very proud to have attended EDHEC, even though it was 25 years ago.
I would now like to share my experience with the community of graduates, reflect the School’s values and sustain my connection with it.
And I’m counting on the EDHEC community to advertise our company and its leading technological role so we can establish the reputation we need.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by email:
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