NEW ROLES EMERGE TO MANAGE TRAVEL RISK
seasoned travellers who in the past would think nothing about grabbing a carry-on bag, their passport and circumnavigating the globe are now asking increasingly tough questions to their employer about their health and safety, says Rodger Cook, Global Security Director for World Travel Protection.
He believes questions like "What happens if I get Covid?" or "What happens if border rules change?" will prompt global companies to create specialist travel risk management positions to help steer strategy and provide a necessary interface between the company and third-party service providers.
But the remit won't just cover the risks of travelling, notes Cook. "The risk of not travelling needs to be considered and we have learnt that you cannot always get the same business outcomes from a zoom meeting," he explains.
"A dedicated travel risk manager provides global organisations with the peace of mind that their mobile workforce has access to up-to-date information, they will be supported if things change, and the risk from a failed assignment or a missed business objective is reduced.”
Cook's colleague, Alex Twiggs, World Travel Protection's Business Development Director, EMEA, says the nature of travel risk will also change and could lead to another role emerging.
"In recent years, travel risk management was seen to be focused on security risks, such as high-profile ISIS attacks and other geopolitical situations, but now we see the wider issue of medical risk staying front and centre for many corporate travel buyers," he says.
"It’s rare that companies have Chief Health Officers, but this may change or they may look to bring in expertise on an ad hoc basis."
He believes the shift will encompass both health and wellness to provide a more holistic approach to a company's workforce, going beyond the minimum requirements of health and safety legislation.
"As employees stay in the workforce longer, we will also see changing demographics who may need additional support," he adds.
"We foresee an increasing amount of C-suite time being devoted to these issues as they realise that offering free fruit and occasional yoga classes are no longer enough in the current environment.
"This role will require a highly-specialised skill set, working across different stakeholder groups and balancing business requirements with their responsibilities as a clinician."
TMCS will also have a bigger role to play, says Travelogix CEO Chris Lewis.
"Business travellers will not only expect their company to be taking the right steps to ensure their safety but will expect their TMC to be ahead of the curve when it comes to information relating to health and security risks globally.
"Technology will enable this as we head into 2022 and beyond," he observes.