Farelogix professionals bring incomparable depth and breadth of experience to the design, analysis, development, deployment, and support of solutions and services for the travel industry. As an organization, we are committed to leveraging our technical savvy, innovative solutions, diversity, customer service excellence, and teamwork to make travel transactions more efficient. It is this combination of attributes that has established Farelogix as the technology provider of choice for the travel industry.
Since his appointment as Farelogix President and CEO in January 2005, Jim Davidson has transformed the company’s vision and product offerings to focus on broader opportunities within travel distribution technology. Driven by a passion for innovation and business model transparency, Jim is known to challenge his colleagues and those in the travel industry to think and act more creatively. Most recently, Jim championed the inauguration and distribution of open source software solutions, an industry first designed to foster collaboration and positive change at a time when it is most needed. A visionary and thought leader, Jim is also a sought after speaker at industry events.
Jim guides a highly talented and motivated team of travel and technology professionals. Under his leadership, Farelogix solutions are in production on six continents and the company has transformed into a true global force in travel.
Prior to Farelogix, Jim was president and CEO of NTE, an internet-based supply chain technology company focused on transportation pricing and transaction engines for shippers and carriers. Before NTE, he was president and CEO of Amadeus Global Travel, North America; head of sales and marketing at System One; and Vice President of Marketing at Reed Travel Group/OAG.
Jim holds an undergraduate degree in Business Management, a Masters of Science in Education and an MBA.
Theodorus (Theo) Kruijssen
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Theo Kruijssen is responsible for leading the financing initiatives behind Farelogix’s growth and overseeing strategic business planning. Theo has 16 years of award winning, international financial planning and analysis experience in both large multi-national and small start-up companies. Before joining Farelogix, Theo was CFO and Treasurer at NTE, Inc., a start-up supply chain exchange and software solutions company. Prior to NTE, Theo held a series of business planning and development positions in Europe and the US at Amadeus GTD. He started his career with Shell International in The Netherlands as a reservoir engineer analyzing and simulating petroleum reservoirs. In 2001, Business Finance awarded its distinguished “Vision” award to Theo and his team for outstanding business planning.
Theo’s strength lies in his ability to combine detailed financial analysis with strategic business planning in order to identify key drivers that can generate business performance improvement. He is particularly skilled in sales pipeline analysis and forecasting, key performance indicator (KPI) development and monitoring, and business case and pricing modeling. Theo has extensive experience heading acquisition and alliance due diligence teams and successfully negotiated start-up operations and marketing agreements for the Canadian and Mexican markets. He helped Amadeus GTD successfully expand into the US and Canada through both traditional and e-commerce growth models, and helped build NTE’s business relationships with Target, Perry Ellis International, Hallmark, and Sara Lee Bakery Group. Theo holds a BSc. in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University, an MS in reservoir engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA with corporate finance specialization from INSEAD in France.
Tim Reiz
Chief Technology Officer
Tim Reiz is a seasoned expert in travel technology and applications, with over twenty years of industry experience. He was most recently director for PASS Consulting Corporation. Prior to joining PASS, Tim spent nine years with Amadeus Development Company S.A. in France, where he provided technical leadership for the Amadeus Global Distribution System (GDS).
Tim began his accomplished career in the travel industry with Congress Incentive Travel Service GmbH in Germany, where he managed and developed software for large-scale incentive projects for several major companies.
Mel Trudeau
Executive Vice President, Business Development
Mel Trudeau is responsible for developing strategic business relationships and sales channels through partnerships and alliances with third-party technology providers, travel suppliers, and vendors. Prior to joining Farelogix, Mel was managing partner at e-Commerce Consulting, a firm specializing in online travel, IT strategy, product development, acquisition analysis, and offshore business process outsourcing. Previously, he worked for Amadeus as its senior vice president for commercial development and online sales. Before joining Amadeus, Mel established e-Commerce Consulting, whose mainstream clients included ITA Software and American Express Travel Services, and where he was responsible for the technical development of American Express Interactive. Mel also spent sixteen years with Official Airline Guides (OAG). He was senior vice president for electronic market development and also served as the chief information officer for a six-year period. While at OAG, Mel was responsible for the development of the OAG Electronic Edition (the system that made the first online bookings for consumers) and several other OAG electronic products. Mel was the primary force leading OAG from print product lines to electronic delivery and reservation products. Prior to his work with OAG, Mel worked for United Airlines for eleven years, holding several management positions in the IT and industrial engineering departments. Mel has degrees in computer science and mathematics from the University of South Dakota.
Susan Carter
Executive Vice President, Business Development.
An energetic, resourceful and talented business professional, Susan Carter brings 18 years of experience in marketing, product management, business analysis and software development to Farelogix. As Vice President of Product Marketing, she is responsible for developing and leading the execution of the company’s global product marketing strategy. Recognized for her leadership capabilities, Susan was promoted to this role after two years as the company's Director of Product Management.
Susan has applied her extensive team-building, project management and problem solving skills to a diverse range of business operations, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to joining Farelogix, she held senior level positions with Interval International/IAC Corp. in Miami, a leading time share exchange broker and provider of travel and hospitality services where were she led software project delivery in support of the company-wide business initiatives. She previously held a variety of senior marketing and product/project management roles focused on software applications for data warehousing, government, healthcare, and travel, including four years as Manager of Corporate Markets and Products for Amadeus Global Travel Distribution LLC.
Susan graduated Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College, and has received a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) designation from the PMI Institute.
Bert has a successful entrepreneurial record of more than twenty years of software engineering, product design, and management experience in the high-technology industry. He co-founded Delrina Corporation, an independent developer and publisher of mass-market software, best known for its communications software product, WinFax. As chief technical officer of Delrina, he was responsible for all product research and development activities, and also held positions of director and executive vice president in the public company. When Delrina was sold to Symantec Corporation, he served as a vice president with Symantec. Prior to his work with Delrina, Bert held a technical development position at the IBM Canada Research Laboratory and was a co-founder and executive officer of Schematix Computer Systems Inc., a software and consulting company. Bert is currently an investor, a consultant, and an advisor to software companies and technology investment funds. He also serves as a director to a number of technology companies.
Rick Gossage
Prior to founding Farelogix, Rick Gossage was a founding partner in three companies in marketing, public relations, and new media. All three companies successfully managed major relationships in the travel industry. The original company, Program Design Group, a twenty-year-old marketing and design consultancy, did extensive work for major players such as British Airways (U.S. and Canada), Airtickets (large American consolidator), Thomas Cook (Canada), P. Lawson (now Carlson Leisure Group Services), Lion World Travel (now part of Far & Wide), and Nordic Tours. The second company, Media Profile, did extensive work for Canadian Airlines and Sabre Canada. The third, Nkaos, had a major contract with Quest Travel in the U.K. It is while working with these industry relationships that Rick recognized the need for a software system to manage and book the complicated fares offered by air consolidators. As a result, he founded Farelogix, which ultimately developed a leadership position in rate and inventory technology for the travel industry.
Michael Marocco
Michael Marocco joined Sandler Capital in 1989. After graduating from New York University Business School in 1984, Mike joined Morgan Stanley where he served as a vice president in the Communications Industries Group and was responsible for corporate finance, and merger and acquisition coverage of communications industries companies. Mike also served as a fixed-income research analyst at Morgan Stanley, specializing in communications industries companies in the high-yield bond market.
Bonnie Reitz
Bonnie Reitz is founder of InsideOut-Culture to Customer, a business consultancy that advises management on how to increase profit margins by creating great places for employees to work and equally great places for customers to do business. She is a former Senior VP of Marketing, Sales and Distribution at Continental Airlines, and an original member of the airline’s extraordinarily successful ‘Worst to First’ turnaround team. Prior to joining Continental Airlines, Reitz was Vice President of Sales and Marketing at System One GDS. In this role, she was instrumental in growing and developing the travel agency and GDS business, and helped position System One for its eventual merger with Amadeus GDS. Bonnie has been a driver of change in all facets of the travel industry over the last twenty-nine years. Continually recognized for her expertise, Bonnie frequently speaks at executive and academic forums worldwide and her business success has been highlighted in several business books.
William Bianco Bill is Managing Director and General Counsel at Sandler Capital. He began his career in 1990 as an Associate at the law firm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., specializing in corporate and securities law. He became a Partner in 1998 and remained in this position until 2000. During this time Sandler was one of his clients. Bill joined Sandler as a Managing Director in 2000, where he also served as General Counsel. Since that time, he has been responsible for structuring and negotiating the entry and exit of Sandler’s private equity investments. He also is involved with significant portfolio company legal matters, including negotiating material acquisitions, divestures and financings and providing guidance on regulatory matters. In addition, Bill provides legal oversight to Sandler. He has a B.A. from Brown University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he graduated with honors.
Ellen Keszler In addition to her role as a director of Farelogix, Ellen Keszler serves as President and CEO of Clear Sky Associates, a management and strategy-consulting firm focused on the technology and travel industries. She is also a director of PROS Holdings, Inc (NYSE: PRO). Ms. Keszler was President of Travelocity Business from 2003 to 2007. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President of the North American Division of the Sabre Travel Network. Ms. Keszler also held various financial positions with Sabre Holdings, American Airlines and JCPenney. She has an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.
