SINGAPORE, Aug. 17, 2012 -- The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) continues to recognise and reward the brightest and best thinkers in the business travel industry. ACTE's Board Member representing Asia, Kurt Knackstedt and ACTE's Board Member representing Australasia Georgie Farmer, announced from the General Session stage, the 2012 "Three Under 33" award winners for Asia and Australasia at the association's Asia Education Conference being held this week in Singapore.

"Three Under 33" is an ACTE initiative designed to celebrate the next generation of industry leaders. To qualify, nominees must be 33 years of age or younger. The competition was extremely strong among this year's nominees. The three outstanding "Three Under 33" winners for 2012 are:

• Belinda Doery, Regional Meeting Strategy Lead, MSD, Australia
• Jake Hower, Managing Director, Business Travel Management, Australia
• Aditya Loomba, Director - Business Development, ECOS Mobility & Hospitality, India

"It is exciting to discover the brightest young professionals in our industry," said ACTE President Suzanne Neufang. "These award recipients are coming up with innovative approaches to ensure the industry's evolution to embrace the challenges of today's business traveller."

Doery was recognized for leading the implementation of a global, regional and local strategic meetings management programme in China, Singapore and Australia. She was responsible for the planning and end to end process mapping for centralisation of Meeting Services in China. The project has made a significant impact on business operations as the new standardised process, meetings technology, preferred supplier agreements and direct pay capabilities have transformed the way meetings are conducted. In addition, Doery designed and implemented the enablers for success such as payment solutions, technology and data platforms, stringent compliance controls and cost saving measures.

Hower successfully leveraged video technology to balance his SME clients' desire for a more personalized level of service against the need to control travel management costs. By introducing video chat capability client service representatives are able to interact with clients and provide relevant targeted information to each of them, while being able to maintain human interaction and connection. Thinking about client relationship management in a different way, Hower has been able to reduce the costs of servicing clients' needs and pass the savings on to them.

Loomba blended both best practices and creative problem solving to proactively recognise and meet the demands of the dynamic ground transportation market in India. Following terror attacks in India, Loomba obtained the numerous government and police clearances required to introduce the first ever Armored Bullet Proof Vehicles available on hire in India. He has also spearheaded the import of the first ever Chrysler Stretched Limousines in India to meet the needs of the growing luxury market. With more and more Corporate clients shifting to credit card as their preferred mode of payment, Loomba led the development of an advanced payment solutions that charges credit cards instantly at the end of the service and emails an invoice to the client.

"Rewarding young professionals and getting them energised is extremely important to the future of our industry," said Ron DiLeo, Executive Director, ACTE. "ACTE is proud to honor them for what they do and for the examples they set."

Please visit ACTE's website to learn more about the "Three Under 33" program. Visit ACTE on Facebook and Twitter @ACTEtweets.

About ACTE:
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), founded in 1988, is a leading non‐profit organization that serves and advances the global business travel industry in 102 different countries. For more than 20 years, ACTE has continued to fulfill its vision of uniting travel executives around the world, providing them with up‐to‐date news, knowledge, beneficial research findings and networking opportunities. The education of ACTE members infiltrates to more than 12 million business travellers worldwide. From corporate buyers to agencies and suppliers, all sectors of the industry are granted equal membership. ACTE has representatives in Africa, Asia, Australasia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and the United States. To join ACTE, or for more information, visit www.acte.org .