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USING INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT AND ELEVATE THE TRAVEL PROGRAMME

THE LINKEDIN GLOBAL TRAVEL

PROGRAMME CASE STUDY

TRAVEL MANAGER OUTSOURCING

WITH A DETERMINED MINDSET AND ATTITUDE, THE TRAVEL LEAD AT LINKEDIN DECIDED TO APPOINT AN OUTSOURCED TRAVEL MANAGER TO TAKE OPERATIONAL OWNERSHIP OF THEIR GLOBAL PROGRAMME AND ALLOW THE LEADERSHIP TO FOCUS ON THE LONGER-TERM STRATEGIC VISION FOR THE ORGANISATION.

Partnering with FESTIVE ROAD meant that as well as getting the extra resource and pair of hands, they’d also be getting an extra pair of eyes and access to an additional strategic “Hive Mind” as part of the deal!

The mission

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 756 million members and counting. They are headquartered in California with 33 offices globally and 22,000 employees worldwide.

The lead for the global travel programme knew that she had an ambitious programme of deliverables but was short on resource. She needed the expertise of the perfect candidate to be able to hit the ground running, blend seamlessly into the LinkedIn culture and adopt their values, and manage the operational side of the travel programme. This would allow her to focus on the strategic future planning for the team and organisation.

Knowing when and who to ask for support would be critical to the successful execution of the vision for the travel programme.

"Appointing an outsourced travel manager via festive road was a really smart decision for our organisation. Being able to quickly source and secure a very talented individual, who was immediately operational and would integrate beautifully into our team, gave me the confidence to know that our travel programme was in safe hands and allow me to dedicate myself to the strategic vision of the programme for Linkedin."

LESLIE HADDEN
DIRECTOR, GLOBAL TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION, WORKPLACE SERVICES – LINKEDIN

USING INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT AND ELEVATE THE TRAVEL PROGRAMME

RECOGNISING

THE NEED FOR SUPPORT

The Issue: LinkedIn had a clear challenge; a demanding delivery schedule but not enough hands to execute. With a significant agenda of activities to complete, extra support would be essential to meet the demanding requirements of the global travel programme. Being able to appoint an interim resource who was experienced and immediately operational would be a huge benefit to the organisation and team.

The Solution: LinkedIn approached FESTIVE ROAD as a reputable and renowned consultancy within the corporate travel sector for their support in identifying an outsourced travel manager who would be able to fulfil the role. With their extensive and credible network within the industry, FESTIVE ROAD was able to source and screen several candidates that they knew would be able to deliver to the high and exacting standards of LinkedIn.

The Result: The ability to identify a high calibre of experienced travel management candidates meant that LinkedIn were able to quickly make an appointment who was both talented and capable, as well as the right cultural fit for the organisation. Being able to immediately deliver on the travel programme objectives and have a positive impact was so beneficial. The outsourced function also meant that FESTIVE ROAD would act as the performance manager of the individual and provide them with guidance and personal development, making the appointment really low touch and effortless for LinkedIn! 

LESLIE’S
PERSPECTIVE…

“I’m not sure that Sarah and i would have ever met if it weren’t for FESTIVE ROAD. Thank goodness we did! Our personalities and working styles are so complementary. From day one, we welcomed Sarah as part of the team, and she has been one of us from the get-go! such a natural fit!”

FUTURE PROOFING

THE RELATIONSHIP

The Issue: The TMC is a fundamental component of a travel programme. Leslie wanted to ‘stress-test’ the performance and relationship of their provider mid-contract to make sure they were on-track and ready to step up to the next chapter of their partnership. Ensuring that they were aligned to their future values and vision was crucial for LinkedIn and the success of their strategic plans.

The Solution: As part of the FESTIVE ROAD outsourcing proposition, clients get access to our proprietary Strategic Relationship Audit (SRA) capability. The SRA takes both parties, independently, through an assessment to probe on the capability and delivery aspect of the service and relationship. This provides a very transparent foundation for both parties to understand where they are and what they’re looking to achieve together.

The Result: This process allowed LinkedIn and their TMC to define their vision of excellence for their future together, and the confidence to know that they’ll achieve it. It’s been an opportunity to proactively engage with each other on every aspect of the programme and future-proof their relationship. Then the outsource travel manager’s role is to work to achieve that goal. 

LESLIE’S
PERSPECTIVE…

"The investment in an outsourced travel manager was also an investment in myself. being able to trust Sarah to own all of the day to day running activities of the travel programme allowed me to find the strategic head space to really dream big for our business and transform our travel programme. I have since received a promotion to director and have taken on a new global transportation programme.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

& THE UNEXPECTED UPSIDE OF OUTSOURCING

Mission success

The FESTIVE ROAD team have worked across multiple disciplines on the buyer and supplier side and are deeply connected and networked in the industry. So, when it comes to finding the right people for a role which will sit within the client business, the company are able to spot and attract exceptional talent. 

But as well as finding an exceptional outsourced manager, Leslie was also able to access the wider FESTIVE ROAD team to develop some of her own strategic thinking for her own personal development and the benefit of the wider business. At FESTIVE ROAD we call this the “Hive Mind”. 

LESLIE’S
PERSPECTIVE…

“I have a naturally optimistic approach in life and am intrinsically motivated to deliver superb quality and nothing less. I was confident that the festive road team would be able to support my brief but pleasantly surprised at the extra-curricular benefits that i received that allowed me to see new connections and possibilities. The knowledge, network and strategic ‘hive’ mind that came as part of the relationship was a huge asset!”

To speak to Leslie about her experience with FESTIVE ROAD and the support LinkedIn received to source and appoint their outsourced Travel Manager, or to talk to one of the FESTIVE ROAD team contact hello@festive-road.com or visit www.festive-road.com.

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