College grads embark on world tour and BCD Travel internships

Immersive experience prepares participants for careers in business travel.

Three college graduates are gearing up for a global internship experience, thanks to BCD Travel’s Management Associate Program (MAP). Jenn O’Connell, Chad Palucka and Korie Wilson were chosen from among hundreds of applicants to spend six weeks traveling the world and learning about careers in corporate travel. This year’s associates will visit New York, São Paulo, Shanghai and New Delhi.

The associates will first learn about various aspects of the industry by spending time with business travel executives in these four global destinations before beginning six-month internships at BCD offices. O’Connell, Palucka and Wilson will be assigned intern roles based on their college coursework and areas of interest.

BCD’s six-year-old associate program, developed in partnership with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, helps attract the next generation of business travel professionals. It highlights the benefits and opportunities available in travel, a profession with an aging workforce.

“Despite its size and importance to every economy, the corporate travel industry often escapes the awareness of many students as an opportunity for building a career,” said Christian Dahl, SVP of Talent Management and Global Human Resources for BCD Travel. “Travel and Entertainment represents the second largest single expense for many companies, and total global expenditures on business travel exceed $1.2 trillion each year.”

BCD was named one of the top three Graduate and Trainee Recruitment Programs at the 2017 European Excellence Awards in Berlin for its efforts in tackling human resources challenges shared by the entire corporate travel industry, including rapid changes in technology and a need to attract more young people to offset retiring workers.

Last year’s associates traveled to New York City, São Paulo, Atlanta, Hong Kong, Beijing, New Delhi, Utrecht and Stockholm. They are all currently employed at BCD Travel.

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