Kjarsten Philipsen
Senior Vice President Regional (Western U.S. and Canada)
Kjarsten Philipsen has over 25 years of experience in the corporate travel industry and is a strategic and commercial leader. As senior vice president regional (Western U.S. and Canada), at BCD he works across all levels of the company to influence key decision-makers, build trust, and motivate teams to achieve results.
Kjarsten is responsible for preparing and implementing business plans, budgets and financial plans for his areas, ensuring alignment with the company’s strategic objectives and financial goals. He assumes full P&L accountability and evaluates performance metrics to identify and resolve any issues or discrepancies. He leads an experienced team responsible for strategic client partnerships across various sectors, driving key organizational goals such as top-line revenue growth, EBITDA, quality service, preferred vendor maximization, employee retention, and talent acquisition. Kjarsten leverages his experience in sales, account management, operations, marketing and distribution to deliver value and satisfaction to clients and partners.
Passionate about personal development, Kjarsten is past president, treasurer, and board advisor of the Global Business Travel Association – Los Angeles Chapter. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Los Angeles, with a focus on finance and strategic leadership.
Speaker topics:
- Airline distribution, NDC
- Travel technology and competitive landscape
- Global travel management
- Travel program optimization and traveler engagement
- Global business travel trends
- Commercial, marketing, business development